Ivy knows it's time to return to her childhood seaside town to battle the demons of her past. Two years away from her friends, family and the beloved sandy beach that holds such a special place in her heart.
She knows the visit will be painful but...
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I V Y T H O M P S O N
I KNOW FOR A FACT my face looks like the colour of an array of salamis and I'm so grateful that the sun has set and nothing but the fire can illuminate my face. My lips latch onto the edge of my drink and I take down a long sip–I can't even call it a sip when half the drink is gone after.
When I reach the logs I was sitting on before, I plonk myself down beside Daisy who is looking in the direction of the drinks table. I clear my throat and pretend to act like everything is normal but Daisy sees everything. She already knows and that scares me to the core.
After a few long moments Daisy whips her head over her shoulder, brown curls almost whipping me in the face. "Is that JJ?"
Here we go.
I suck in a breath and pretend to act unbothered, squinting my eyes in the direction of her hand. "Yeah," I nod and find the colour of my drink severely fascinating.
Inside I'm deflating because I wish this wasn't my situation right now. JJ is too much for this world, too much for this town. He's beautiful and rugged in all the right places and I'm me–good old Plain Jane.
Daisy wraps her hand around my arm in a death grip. I wince at the pressure. "Oh my fucking God. He is hands down the hottest male I have ever laid my eyes on. A nose ring and a buzzcut? I think I'm going to pass out."
Again, Daisy is the biggest drama queen I know. But I can't blame her because she's right. JJ is in his own league, absolutely top-notch and should not be touched because he is so damn perfect.
But when her eyes find mine and they're full of thrill, I cringe internally. Without showing my reaction on my face I shrug simply and take another sip of my cup. "He's alright, I guess."
"You guess?" Her glossy red lips fall open. "What did he say to you?"
I brush a few strands of hair away from my eyes and focus on the roaring fire in front of us, crackling loudly. "Just being friendly," I admit. "He said that he can't believe that we live here. Wasn't much to it to be honest, he's just being civil. We're both trying to be civil."
Daisy bites down on her lip. They're so pouty and flirtatious that any look in the direction of a man and they're on his knees for her. Can't say that's ever happened to me because she's built like a Spanish Goddess and I am nothing but a pale average blondie with no other heritage than English.
Her eyes burn into mine when she looks at me again. "Is there anyway you two will be–"
I wave a hand in front of her, throwing disgust across my face. "No, Daisy. He and Finn are friends. Best friends. That line I cannot cross. Not again. You of all people should know that."
