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
When JJ leaves the house with Finn a few hours later, I take a breath of relief. JJ is a smooth guy, if he wants to lie about something—he'll get away with it. Sometimes Finn can be oblivious to things so it's unlikely he caught on to anything.
I practically squeal when I hear the door shut. My parents are downstairs but I don't care, I have to let this out in the comfort of my own personal space. My head buries into my pillow and I scream in pure joy.
Holy shit. Was last night and this morning a dream?
My entire body slumps into the bed and I roll onto my back, a permanent smile on my lips. There is a light in my body that has been glowing persistently for the last eighteen hours and it's the first time in a while I've felt this alive.
Like my life actually has purpose.
A part of me is grateful for Daisy taking me out to grab some lingerie to try and boost my confidence. Then getting JJ in my bed was a bonus on top of that and I've never been so scared and so thrilled in my entire life.
My hand reaches over to my bedside table and I grab my phone. I quickly scroll through my contacts and select Daisy's name before pressing the phone to my ear. It rings twice before she answers.
"Bitch, tell me fucking everything!" She screams down the link and I blink at the loudness of her voice.
A laugh falls from my lips. "Nothing happened."
"You liar," she gasps. "I told you to send him the picture and then I didn't hear a single word from you. Don't you dare say that nothing happened, because I know it did. You wouldn't be calling me if it didn't."
"Fine," I huff and twirl my hair around my finger. "We had sex."
My eardrums burst from how loud Daisy screams. I wince from the sound and pull my phone away from my ear instantly. "Jesus," I hiss. "You don't need to damage me permanently."
"Oh my God!" She pants. "You have to tell me everything. This is amazing. I can't believe it—well actually I can. I knew that picture would have done the trick. He couldn't even stay away. So proud of you for owning it and believing in how beautiful you are."
A shiver runs down my spine when I think back to how he faced me towards the mirror and made me tell myself I am beautiful. My cheeks flush at the thought, at the time I believed it was ridiculous but he's trying to get me to drop my insecurities.
It's not something that goes away easily but it can be worked on. And it makes my heart flutter knowing he's trying to help me get out of this shitty headspace. I want to look at myself and not hate the reflection. It's a process that won't happen overnight but it's definitely started.
