Page 105 of Yours To Hold
“Be nice to Ivy. I really want her to stay.”
“You do, do you?”
She nods. “I know you love her, Daddy.”
Her words hit me square in the chest. And here I thought I did a good job hiding it. I guess she heard my outburst at dinner.
“I love her too. And I want her to stay and love us too.” Willow pops a kiss on my cheek and runs out the door to meet Gemma. I watch her take her hand and they walk out of view.
Blowing out a breath, I turn to face the woman who is now giving me all of her attention. Her hands are fidgeting in front of her.
This Ivy is so different from the one I’m used to.
Gone is all that confidence that carried her into any room. I can feel her nerves from here.
“You left.”
Tears well in her eyes. “I did.”
“Why?”
She picks at a fingernail. “Because I screwed everything up.”
I close the distance between the two of us. The second I have my arms around her, it’s like everything inside my chest settles. I’ve been at war with myself these last few weeks. Missing her one minute and then trying to put her behind me the next.
“What’d you screw up?”
Ivy’s hands land on my biceps, like she’s still trying to keep me at bay. “I lied to Gemma. I lied to you. I lied to myself.”
“And these lies were?”
Ivy’s blue eyes are wet, and I don’t stop to think. I wipe the first signs of a tear from her cheek. I don’t want this woman to feel an ounce of pain.
“I didn’t tell Gemma about us, and she’s the closest thing I have to a sister.”
“She seemed okay to me.” I continue stroking her cheek.
“We’re okay now, but I never should have done it to begin with. I couldn’t face you after everything happened, so I left. I figured it’d be easier for everyone if I wasn’t here.”
“That is the furthest thing from the truth. Fuck, we’ve been a mess without you.”
“We?”
I nod. “You saw Willow. I don’t know who missed you more.”
Ivy’s laugh is watery. “I screwed up, Mason. I got scared of my feelings for you and ran. I thought if I lied to myself and told myself it was just a fling, I’d be able to move on.”
“Did that work?”
She shakes her head.
“I guess we were both lying to ourselves.”
“What were you lying about?”
I drop my forehead to hers. “I fucking fell in love with you, Ivy. I kept telling myself it was just for the summer. That you were convenient because you were there. It was anything but convenient.”
“You love me?” Ivy’s warm breath ghosts over my lips.
