22. Ivy Jade #2
“You may believe you’re not part of our world, but really, you’re in every moment of it.
I can’t think of a single significant memory of my childhood that you weren't involved in.” His eyes barely shifted to mine.
He gave me that look of consideration I loved, watching me through his lashes.
I had no choice but to avert my gaze back to my uninteresting half-empty glass of wine.
“It doesn’t matter if you weren't born into this life or not. You’re here now.
And it’s better that you are, because you have a tendency to make things special…
” I told him, maybe a little too passionately.
Romeo stared down at his wine glass, tilting it slightly.
“That’s really sweet of you, Ivy Jade…” he muttered with a crooked grin.
He opened his mouth, but then shut it again.
He looked lost for words. “I wish... I wish I could keep us here forever,” he said, chewing the corner of his lip.
"I don't know. Maybe I'm sounding crazy right now. "
"You're not," I answered quickly, unable to resist. "I know exactly what you mean."
We both just looked at each other, waiting for the other to speak or move. The wedding party behind us started laughing, and a silence settled between us.
Did I say too much? Did he really want to keep us here forever? What did that mean?
God, I don't know!
We both shot back our wine at the same time, killing it. I thought I felt it sloshing in the back of my eyes.
Ro cleared his throat. “The wine tasting was fantastic, but I gotta admit, I’m not really interested in going back to finish up the rest.”
I laughed and nodded. “Yeah, me neither. I think I had enough swishing and savoring to last me through the weekend. You don’t want to see me on more than two tequilas.”
“You graduated from Mike’s Hard Lemonade? Look at you moving on up in the world of liquor.”
I gaped at him and smacked his arm. “You are relentless! I’m still sour about that, you know.”
“What? Too soon?” Romeo had this big, sparkling white smile that radiated toward me.
He looked really, really cute, and I never noticed him having any kind of upper helix piercings. When did that happen? It suited him well.
“Have you had a chance to roam around the garden yet?” he asked.
“Not yet. It’s been on my to-do list, though. And you?” I whipped back to face forward.
He nodded. “Of course. How could I stay here without exploring the beautiful grounds? I found a great reading spot by one of the willow trees.” He pointed towards a bench made of stone, surrounded by a bed of hot pink peonies—my favorite.
“You read, too?” I asked.
“We did run into one another in the library,” he said with a raised eyebrow.
I smacked my forehead. “Right. Oh my god. I told you I swallowed ten too many samples of wine,” I laughed. “Even if we haven’t found the bride’s favorite wine, I sure discovered mine.”
“Let me guess,” Romeo began.
“Cabernet Sauvignon,” we both said at the same time, chuckling together. I hid my blushing face from him, swiping the dewy shine above my forehead. This man was making me sweat. Did he notice the beads at my temple?
Ro looked back at the wedding party, then out towards the stone bench. “You wouldn’t want to join me for a garden walk, would you?” he asked, holding out his hand for me to take. The way he was willing to escort me around reminded me so much of High Jynx. My stomach fluttered from the gesture.
There was something special about Ro; there was no doubt about that. He had a lot more to offer than a performer ever could. I just felt more intensely for High Jynx, and I wish I didn’t.
I really wish I didn’t.
But the second I placed my hand into his, my heart came alive. It lived everywhere in me, throughout my chest and down to my knees, beating hard.
It wasn’t the alcohol, trust me. It was the way Ro made me feel. Despite how nervous I’d become, there was something equally calming about him. A familiar comfort I became accustomed to. Could this be something real, or was it simply my high school crush coming back to haunt me?
Ro and I walked down the stone staircase and into the secluded garden. The colors of all the flowers were magnificent against the vibrant greenery. It smelled like sweet tea and honeysuckle.
“I figured we could sit at the bench to give you a sense of how incredible this willow tree is,” Ro said.
“Sure, sitting down sounds kind of nice. Garden walks are so overrated.” I kind of wobbled like a baby deer.
“Are you okay?” he asked, holding my hand tighter.
“Pfffft, yeah. I feel a good buzz right now. It’s nice. And this beautiful breeze we’re having, it’s… ah-fucking-mazing.”
“Ivy Jade curses now?” Ro asked proudly, as if I just broke some generational curse.
“Only when necessary,” I told him. “I think it’s okay. I’ve finally come to realize that it's just a word.”
“It’s a sentence enhancer,” he laughed, giving me a side-eye.
“That!” I cracked up. “I’m actually glad we're away from everyone right now. I don’t need the whole bridal party giving me a standing ovation for saying the word ‘fuck.’”
“I was thinking about buying you balloons to celebrate it.” He nudged my arm. “It’s so rare.”
“Oh, I’m sure you’ll hear it soon. God forbid we’re forced into some ax-throwing activity again.”
“Not your favorite, huh?”
“Better than the corn maze…”
“Ah, who could forget the corn maze? I’m glad we survived.”
I smiled. He was good at this. This small talk chipped away at my need to feel perfect. For once, I was less interested in how I was perceived, and more in how he felt. “What about you? How are you liking this whole wedding adventure we’re on?”
Ro thought about it, helping me take my seat on the bench. We both placed our wine glasses on either side of us. “It’s far different from the week I expected to have. Far, far different. But it’s nice being back with your family. It’s been a long time since I last saw everyone.”
I leaned closer to him. “Why did you think it’d be so different?”
“For starters… I didn’t expect to be part of the entire experience. Staying at a place like this? It’s impossible for someone like me.” he clicked his tongue, nodding his head.
“I hate to say it, but I’m kinda glad Leo got sick.” I sounded like a jerk, but why did I care? Gustav’s former best man was kinda creepy—not in a haunted Halloween house way. Ro, however… well, Ro was Ro. “Gustav made the right choice in calling you up. You deserve to be here.”
“Never thought I’d hear you say that, or be happy about another person's sickness. But thanks, I think?” he laughed, totally amused.
“What’s the next part?” I asked impatiently, wanting to know.
“What do you mean?”
“You said… for starters. That typically indicates another reason that made your week different.”
Ro and I were on the bench, sitting so close our thighs were touching. My dress slightly spilled over his black slacks. We kind of matched like a cheesy couple going to a funeral together.
Ro’s knees bobbed up and down, and a breeze came through the willow branches above our heads. It pulled at my hair, lifting it softly across my cheek. There was this long silence that lingered between us, and he looked so serious, almost like he was in pain. I couldn’t even move, breathe, or think.
“Spending time with you, like this," he said hesitantly but sternly. "We may have had a rocky start, but since the moment we cleared the air… all I’ve wanted was to spend time with you. You’re not that spoiled little rich girl I remember from high school. Maybe your crush wasn’t reciprocated then, but I sure hope you’ll come back around to it.
I haven’t been able to get you out of my head, Ivy Jade… ”
Romeo was saying all the right things. Each confession more impactful than the last. And I wanted nothing more than to kiss him.
How could I, though, when I wanted to kiss High Jynx?
Was it right or wrong? Did it even matter?
Everything I felt for both men began to feel like one singular emotion, and it was messing with my head.
Ro leaned in so close, his lips nearly hovering over my glossed ones. “I’d like to kiss you, Ivy Jade.”
This was it, the moment I always dreamed of. Our timing was right, and our hearts settled into who we were as people. I wasn’t that young, naive girl anymore, and he wasn’t the lost boy who clung to my family each summer.
I answered, pressing my lips onto his, savoring the weight and the pressure of how hard he kissed me.
Both of us were consumed, possessed, and eager to explore.
My hands practically took hold of his cheek, pulling him deeper.
My mouth parted as I tasted the velvety wine straight from his tongue.
The rush of all my feelings came straight out.
The subtle stubble against his jawline felt divine as he kissed down my neck.
Romeo scooped me up into his arms, sitting me on his lap as I tilted his head towards the willow tree, licking him, devouring him.
Ro’s hand wrapped around my lower back, bringing me closer till all I felt was the firmness of his hard, broad body. After all these years, I never thought Romeo Scott would have kissed me. Or did I kiss him?
“You taste so good,” he whimpered, as his hand skimmed down to my ass.
All of my dreams from before were coming true. But maybe my dreams had changed. Maybe I didn’t want the knight in shining armor; maybe I wanted to take a chance on the dark knight.
“I can’t,” I shook my head, “I can’t do this, Ro.” I hopped out of his grasp. “I’m so sorry,” I said. I tried to fix my dress, smoothing it out before turning away quickly, and walked as fast as I could, leaving him alone in the garden, fighting the urge to run.
“Ivy Jade!” he called for me, but I simply couldn’t look back. I couldn’t break our hearts anymore than I already had, because the one I needed lived far away from this garden, and I needed to go to his kingdom, to tell him how I felt.