Page 77 of Heartstrings & Horizons
The group chat, “Operation Wedding Bells”, has been pinging with notifications for days in a flurry of activity. Ivy offered to get in touch with a friend who owns a local flower shop, Miles gathered some muscle to clear the back deck and hang extra lighting, Liam spoke to Connor for some help with drinks, and Dean reached out to Rosie about providing some finger foods for the reception. Cara comes in clutch, finding a last minute documentary style photographer to capture the entire day, from start to finish, and by Thursday, every last detail is covered.
Mags sent me the link to Paige’s Pinterest board, which is apparently a thing that every woman has at some point. Liam even offered to pick up Mags at the airport, which was somewhat out of character, but he said he had a package to pick up in Nashville, and it was on the way. I didn’t question it, but he’s been acting suspicious. I’m figuring out that there’s a lot more to Liam than meets the eye. Mags is staying with Ivy when she gets into town. I just hope everyone can keep their mouths shut.
Chapter 29
Paige
? All Your’n - Tyler Childers
It’s been a week since the confrontation with Cade’s mom. I can’t say that I’m completely over it, but I’ve done my best to move past it. I spent my week exploring and finding beauty in this town that I hope to call home someday.Soon.
Cade has been sweet and almost too attentive. I can’t help but wonder if he’s waiting for me to break again. It’s karaoke night, so I’m not surprised that Cade has to work. I decided to stay in and hang out with Goose. There’s a new release on my kindle, and I’m content to spend an uneventful evening alone when there’s a sudden knock at the door. For a split second, I wonder if I’m hallucinating when I see my best friend on the threshold followed by Ivy and Cara.
“Surprise, bitch!” Mags crashes into me in a crushing hug as Cara and Ivy dissolve into laughter at my shocked expression. I’m completely frozen in place.
“Time to get ready, babe. It’s girls’ night!” Mags’ voice snaps me out of my stupor.
“Wh…what….. How?! What the fuck is happening?”
“I could ask you the same thing. How come you didn’t tell me about the shit with Cade’s cunt of a mother? I had to find out from your soon to be husband, and I hopped on the next flight down.”
“I can’t believe you’re here.” Mags and I never talked about her visiting me, though I knew it would happen eventually. “How did you end up with Ivy and Cara?”
Some kind of silent communication passes between them, but it’s ultimately Ivy who answers. “Cade started a group chat so we could surprise you. Pack your bags — we’re having a sleepover. Rylin is with a sitter for the night and we have the house to ourselves. We’ve got wine and face masks.”
The girls follow me upstairs to the bedroom to pack some pajamas and a change of clothes before stopping in the kitchen to grab a few snacks then piling into Ivy’s SUV. It all happens so quickly, I don’t even have time to process it.
“Give me a second to let the dog out,” Ivy says. Her house is exactly what I imagined it would be – eclectic and warm. There are tarot cards on the coffee table, shelves full of books, muddy paw prints on the hardwood, and a fluffy brown and white cat sleeping in the window. “That’s Hazel. She’s a sweetheart, but she might try to climb you like a tree. She’s a slut for some cuddles.”
We all settle in the living room, Cara and I on a dated floral couch, Mags and Ivy on the mismatched burgundy loveseat. We snack on a mix of chips, cheese, and pizza rolls while getting wine drunk, each of us taking turns annihilating each other in Mario Kart.
“So what’s the deal with the shitty ex?” I ask Ivy. Last I heard, she was waiting for some paperwork to go through with her lawyers.
“Ugh, can we talk about literally anything else?”
“Nope. It’s your turn to spill the beans.”
“Austin is…” a contemplative look crashes over her features, I’ve never really asked her about him — it felt too intrusive, but we’ve gotten much closer and I want us to be able to share these kinds of things with each other. As far as I know, Ivy doesn’t have a lot of family in Kentucky, either.
“He was abusive.” The entire room stills at her words. I knew they had issues, but I wasn’t expecting that. “Not with Rylin, but she did witness the incident that finally made me leave. Most of the abuse was verbal and emotional. He’s a narcissist who liked to control me. It got physical 3 or 4 times before I finally left. I wish I could say that was the end of it, but he’s still causing issues with the custody arrangements.”
“I’m so sorry, Ivy. That’s awful.” My heart breaks for her and Rylin. I don’t want to pry and ask about the incident that made her leave. If she wants to tell me, she will, in her own time.
“Let’s talk about something else; anything else.”
“Yes! We need all the tea about you and Cade! It kind of came out of nowhere,” Cara says.
“Actually, I watched it happen in real time,” Mags says, a little smugly.
“Ok, Fine. It came out of nowhere for everyone on this side of the border. Cade wasn’t exactly a man whore, but he wasn’t the type to settle down, and then out of nowhere, he’s staring at his phone at the bar and declining invites in favor of staying home. Dean was shocked.”
“We were talking for months before anything happened. Honestly, I think we were both ignoring our feelings because it felt way too complicated.”
Mags is the first to interrupt my diatribe. “Don’t let her casual demeanor fool you. My girl wasdown bad.”
“Shut it, Mags. “
“No, I think we all want to hear what Maggie has to say,” Cara says with mischief in her voice. “I’m sure her perspective isfascinating.”
