Page 27 of Worth the Rush
“I…” She stops, then starts again, “Thank you for apologizing,” she rushes out and then stands to her full height, which is just shy of my six foot three. I look down to those heeled boots and back up to the mess of russet hair on top of her head and that purple fucking pen holding it in place. Her eyes flick between my mouth and my eyes. I feel myself lean closer. Her eyes leave mine and go wide at what she sees behind me. I go to look, but she grips my face in both her hands and, with a frantic look in her eyes, screams—please.
“I need you,” she whispers. That is not helping the situation happening down south.
“Ivy—” I start, I don’t want to tell her this can’t happen because it can, and I want it to. Just not here in her office with the door open and someone walking down the hall. Ican literally hear their voices. “You are so beautiful, and it’s not that I don’t want—” she cuts me off with a hand over my mouth, and her eyes roll so far back in her head I can see the full whites of them.Never mind, I’m into this. It can happen here and now.
“Oh my god, Lover Boy. Not now.” Her voice is a harsh whisper that I wouldn’t mind hearing in a different position. “I need your help.” I am…confused. It must show. “Alder, I need your help. Please just go along with it.” Thepleasehas my eyebrows hitting the ceiling. I nod. I will go to war for this woman. Please is not necessary.
“Ivy?” I hear an unfamiliar voice from the hall. Ivy releases her hands from my face, uncovering my mouth, but instead of backing away, she wraps them behind my back, pulling me closer, all while retaining eye contact. She gives me alittle-help-herelook, and I return her embrace. As casually as I can, considering I’ve never hugged her. She smiles. It’s—sweet?I don’t know how I feel about it. Then she turns us so we can see the doorway just in time for a man in a navy suit to step into view. She takes a breath and then greets him like she knows him. I don’t like it.
“Noah? What on earth are you doing here?”
I’m pressed against Alder’s side smiling so wide my cheeks will be sore if I keep this up. God, please don’t let this end in disaster.
“Hey, Red,” he greets me with that familiar nickname that makes my stomach turn sour. Turning his attention to Alder, he assesses him. There’s no question that he’s intimidated. His eyes flick back to meet mine, and I’m just sending up prayer after prayer that my smile hasn’t turned manic. I try my best to soften my face. Alder gives me a small squeeze with the arm wrapped around my back. Right. I have given him nothing. No explanation.
I look up to see Alder wearing an easy smile. It looks so natural. Like I’m in his arms all the time. That thought is stopped in its tracks when Noah clears his throat and speaks again.
“I, uh. I didn’t know you would be here until we landed,” he says.We? No.Coming into view now is her.Margo. I feellight-headed, but I also haven’t eaten, and I was getting ready to check my blood sugar when Alder came into my office and scared the shit out of me. I clear my throat. I don’t know what to say or if I can respond. My vision is starting to feel a little fuzzy on the edges, and if I faint right now, I don’t know if I can bear to come to, with my ex-husband, his new fiancée and woman I despise, along with Alder standing over me. My skin feels clammy, and I fidget. “I know this isn’t exactly ideal. When I heard your father acquired a ski lodge, I never would have thought you would be here. You hate the snow and…” he continues to speak, but all I can hear is rushing in my ears.Please no.
I’m jostled slightly by Alder moving to reach behind me. I hear glass clinking and then smell oranges.
“Do you want one?” Alder asks me casually, holding out one of my candied orange peels. He pops one into his mouth, and I nod. He grabs two from the container and offers them to me. I pop them into my mouth and chew. He pulls me to him and leans me back into my desk, letting me use it to keep steady. “Why would it be a problem that Ivy is here?” Alder addresses Noah. “I’m Alder, by the way.” He steps toward him with his hand extended.
“Noah James,” he says his name like it holds weight. He will always be in his father’s shadow. Try as he might to step out of it. “It’s not a problem for me that Ivy is here; it’s just that I know the divorce was hard on her, and I don’t want to open any old wounds.” Well. That has my vision clearing, only now it’s tinted in a violent shade of red. That mother fucker thinks it’shimthat I was upset about. I’m not sure why I would expect anything less. It’s Noah we’re talking about here. I believeCarly Simon wrote a song about him. I open my mouth to correct him, but Alder responds before I can.
“Ohh… the ex-husband. Is he your son? Or nephew, maybe? I know it’s hard when family gets involved.” His words are polite, but they hit their mark perfectly. Noah is only forty-three, but the premature balding spot at the top of his head tells a different story. I choke on air. On words that I haven’t yet said. I cough, trying to hide the hysterical laughter that threatens to bubble over. “That could be awkward, but I can assure you that we will do everything in our power to make sure you and your family’s stay with us is pleasant,” he finishes. I stay silent for a moment longer. Noah is fuming.
I try to de-escalate the situation. “Um, Noahismy ex-husband,” I tell Alder, and his eyebrows shoot up before he can stop them.
“Oh, sorry. I read that all wrong,” he tells Noah. My ex’s face is turning red as he fights to control his expression.
“Not at all,” he says to Alder, then asks him, “And how is it you know Ivy so well?” Alder doesn’t look the least bit flustered and is ready with a reply, but I choose this moment to spring my half-hitched plan on him.
“Alder is my boyfriend,” I blurt. To his credit, Alder shuts his mouth quickly and just smiles. Noah is less than convinced.
“Your boyfriend?” he asks, surprised, pressing me for more information.
“Mmhmm,” I hum. I’m winging it so hard I may take flight. Really playing at the angle of less being more right now.
“Yep,” Alder confirms. “Meeting her really knocked me on my ass.” He sends me a wink, and I giggle. I am going to owe him so big for this. I’m a little nervous about what he’ll ask for. I might also be excited. Alder, in a word, is exciting.
“Right,” Noah replies. “Well, I just wanted to give you the courtesy of hearing it from me that Margo and I will be here through the new year,” he says, pulling the small, petite blonde woman close to him. Through the new year? That’s at least three weeks.
“Three weeks?” I question, not even attempting to hide the outrage in my voice. He never so much as took a weekend off the five years we were married. That hurts. Not because I loved him or because I wanted to spend more time with him…well, that’s not really true. I wanted our marriage to work at first. I tried. I wanted it to mean something after the way it happened. He was trapped, and so was I. I guess I just thought that we may be able to find some common ground. Possibly find a friendship. For all my efforts, all I got were weeks without speaking and nights alone in his big house that was as hollow as me.
“Margo wanted to celebrate our engagement with a trip. She’s very fond of winter and all things holiday,” he says, chuckling like he wasn’t an absent and emotionally abusive asshole when we were together. She looks completely uninterested in this whole interaction.
“Well, whatever Margo wants, she should get,” I bite out. I need to be away from here. No, I need him away from here. The raging sea inside is so close to spilling over, and I’m afraid I may physically be sick or physically attack the man in front of me. Alder presses closer to my side, and Noah sighs.
“Ivy, I hoped we could move past this. Our families are always going to be tied together, and I do hope you can move on.” His words are as cold as him. I think knowing he never cared about me isn’t the worst part. It’s knowing that hewouldn’t have cared for our child—had I been able to carry him to term. My loss that I mourned while he fucked the woman standing beside him, the French,would-benanny we chose together.Fuck.I blink rapidly. My heart rate is increasing, and the orange peels weren’t nearly enough to bring my blood sugar up to normal. I’m going to crash. Alder tightens his grip on me.
“I’m sure you’ll have a lovely stay celebrating your engagement. Let us know if you need anything, but I’m absolutely certain you won’t be needing anything from Ivy.” He almost threatens. “The chalet should be ready, and if you need help with bags or directions, Jack should be at the front desk,” Alder tells Noah, dismissing him. “We’ll see you around the resort, Noah.” He smiles that casual, unaffected smile, and it helps me remember I should try and smile as well.
“Have a nice stay,” I say weakly.
“Thank you,” he replies, holding an arm out to let Margot go first, then they walk back down the hall and out of view. My shoulders sag, and the dizziness is in full effect. I feel arms band behind my back and my knees, and the sudden lightness tells me I’m being lifted. My eyes fly open to see the landscape outside tilt sideways. I’m cradled for only a moment before I feel myself softly lowered into a chair.
“What do you need, Ivy?” Alder asks me. Concern is marring his words, and I feel fatigue start to claim me.
