Chapter 33
Cleo
“How can you say that? Robots is a great animated movie!” Cleo tried for the fourth time to convince Willow and Sophie about her favorite which had been their first movie of the night.
“No, it’s not!” The pair chorused through laughter as they watched the credits scroll up the TV.
“Whatever, you have no taste,” Cleo grumbled. “You get to choose the next one as long as you can both agree on the same choice while I get these pizzas ordered. They should be here around the same time as your parents and Ivy are due to arrive. Which pizzas should I order?”
“Pepperoni!” The girls shouted excitedly together.
“Can you order garlic dip too? That’s the best part!” Sophie asked, and Willow screwed her face up in disgust.
“You don’t need dip with pizza, it comes with its own sauce,” Willow stated.
Cleo couldn’t help but snigger at the pair, who’d gotten on like a house on fire all day.
She watched as they scrolled through the streaming platform to pick the next movie, as she ordered a medium pepperoni, a veggie feast, and a margarita, with a side of wedges and a selection of dips.
Hoping all tastes were covered, the order was due to arrive around quarter past six.
They were about halfway through the second movie when the door knocked, and as she opened it, she didn’t know where to look first. The pizza delivery driver handed over the order and made their way to their car passing Evan, Toni, and Ivy making their way up the path toward her house.
Cleo held it open for the others to make their way inside.
She felt a mix of emotions go through her as she saw the smug grin on Evan’s face as he took the pizza order off her hands, the confused look on Toni’s face as she looked at Evan not knowing who he was, and then the sheer look of happiness on Ivy’s face as she leaned in to kiss Cleo on her way into her house.
For a split second, Cleo could almost hear Toni’s earlier words echo in her head: the male equivalent of her.
“Hey everyone,” Evan said, smug grin on his face coming through in his voice. “Pizza is ready for those who I know, and the others get theirs once I at least know their names.”
“Don’t listen to him, help yourself, introductions can happen once you’ve at least eaten a slice,” Cleo shouted into the room, as coats were hung up and shoes were kicked off. “Evan, can you make yourself useful and grab some napkins and plates from the kitchen please?”
“Sure thing sis,” Evan replied, and Cleo couldn’t help but notice the realization wash over Toni’s face. Interesting, she thought to herself.
Once everyone chose their place to sit, and they had plates and food in front of them, Cleo did a quick round of introductions. “Evan is my twin and Sophie’s Dad, Toni works with Ivy, and Willow is Toni’s daughter. Now we can all eat.”
Ivy sat beside Cleo, and when she felt her leg sidle up beside her, neither had to look at each other to know they wore matching smiles at the contact.
As Cleo reached for a slice of the veggie pizza, she noticed the girls watch her with dubious faces.
“What, you don’t like rainbow pizza?” Cleo asked innocently.
“There’s each color of the rainbow on here except for blue, but I bet I can eat a full rainbow slice before either of you can,” Cleo added.
The girls looked at each other before Sophie spoke. “What do we get if we beat you?” Evan sniggered at his daughter’s brazen attempt to call Cleo’s bluff.
“Fair enough, I’ll make you a deal: if you both finish your slices of rainbow pizza before I finish mine, you can get some ice cream after.” Cleo watched as the girls discussed their decision.
“What happens if you beat us though?” Willow asked, warily.
Cleo leaned forward and said daringly, “Only I get ice cream, and you still have to finish your slice.”
“Oooooooh,” Evan and Toni chorused from the other couch, as they sat back to see what each of their daughters would decide.
Sophie and Willow whispered for a few seconds before Sophie checked with her aunt. “Crusts?”
“Up to the crusts, no saucy bit left,” Cleo clarified her terms while trying to keep a straight face against the young girls.
“You’re on!” Sophie said, and the girls each carefully selected their slices, making sure they had at least one vegetable of each color on their chosen slices.
Cleo felt Ivy’s hand rest on the small of her back and was distracted by the light drag of her fingers from side to side along her thin hoody. Before she knew it, the girls had already started eating.
“Hey, you play dirty!” she said accusingly to the girls for starting without her. She then turned to raise an eyebrow at Ivy for the same thing. The completely adorable smile on Ivy’s face made any thoughts of poor sportsmanship melt away.
“Eat up babe, they’re winning,” Ivy said through a smirk as she held Cleo’s gaze. Cleo’s heart stuttered at the term Ivy used, feeling it flutter through her entire body.
“Hurry, she’s catching up!” Toni said, encouraging the girls while Cleo finally made it to her last few bites.
“I think they’re going to do it,” Evan said. “I actually think they’re going to do it.” His tone had morphed into shock, knowing full well Sophie wasn’t great at eating any form of veggies. By the looks of it, Toni was thinking similarly about Willow.
When they were all about to take their last bite, Ivy dipped her little finger under the waist of Cleo’s hoody, and the touch on Cleo’s skin sent shockwaves through her spine, causing her to jump slightly and turn to face Ivy without taking the last bite.
“Yeeeeey! We did it! Ice cream! Ice cream! Ice cream!” the girls chanted.
“Sorry, I just couldn’t see them lose,” Ivy blushed slightly as she laughed, seeing the pout on Cleo’s mouth.
Cleo forgave her completely when Ivy leaned forward and pressed her lips against her own in apology. “No ice cream for you,” Cleo said, and Ivy laughed.
“Ok, a deal’s a deal. Let’s go get the bowls ready for everyone except Ivy.” Cleo threw a wink and a smirk over her shoulder as she followed the girls to the kitchen.
An hour later, Evan and Sophie were taking Toni and Willow home.
Toni had tried to refuse Evan’s offer, but he was Cleo’s twin after all and wouldn’t hear anything of it.
Cleo saw the dreamy look in Toni’s eyes, and she was sure Ivy saw it too with the raised eyebrow she was sending Toni’s way as they all left, leaving Cleo and Ivy alone.
“I can’t believe you’re real,” Ivy said from behind Cleo. She shut the door now that Evan’s car had left her driveway.
“What do you mean?” Cleo asked, confused.
“You barely know Toni, yet you helped her out without even being asked. You got the kids to want to eat veggies! I can’t believe someone as incredible as you exists, and that for whatever reason, you choose to be with me.
” Ivy shook her head slowly in disbelief, and for Cleo, that level of doubt just wouldn’t do.
She took both of Ivy’s hands in hers to ensure she had her full attention.
She needed to make sure Ivy heard what she was about to say.
“I offered to help Toni because I know raising kids is hard at the best of times, and impossible without any form of help, that’s why I had Sophie today already.
” She paused and took a breath. “Evan’s wife, Taylor, passed away during childbirth, so our whole family help Evan whenever he needs it, even sometimes when he doesn’t.
” She smiled and continued. “I got the kids to eat their veggies, because whatever Sophie said earlier, she knew she was always getting ice cream today, but this way it meant they weren’t thinking about what they were eating, just that they wanted to beat me to get the ice cream.
” She lifted Ivy’s hands to her lips and placed a gentle kiss on the back of each one before adding, “Ivy, I choose to be with you, because for the first time in a very long time, I finally feel like myself again whenever I’m around you.
” She leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on Ivy’s lips.
“But believe me, I don’t want you for a second to doubt how incredible you are, because honestly? I’m the one who feels lucky.”
They leaned into each other, Ivy burrowed her face into Cleo’s neck, heat from embarrassed cheeks sending Cleo’s temperature higher. Ivy wrapped her arms around Cleo’s waist, and Cleo wrapped her arms around Ivy’s shoulders, her taller frame protectively holding Ivy close.
“I’m really glad you’re my girlfriend, Cleo,” she felt Ivy softly say against her neck.
“I’m really glad I’m your girlfriend too, Ivy,” Cleo said, and placed a kiss against her temple.