Page 11 of Melt For Us, Daddy
“I need another mimosa. And so do you.” Hopping to her feet, Silver strode toward the kitchen to pour them each a fresh glass.
“Whoa.” Blowing out a breath, Lottie shook her head. “That’s… whoa.”
Flopping down on the couch, Ivy accepted the glass Silver pressed into her hand and sighed. “So you guys don’t think I’m a total bitch?”
“Uh, no.” Frankie narrowed her eyes, jabbing a finger in Ivy's direction. “And don’t even think about blaming yourself for this.”
“I’m not. I mean, not really. But she’s going through so much. Part of me feels like I shouldn’t have blown up on her. I’m just so mad. And hurt. And I tried to keep it to myself this morning but she was just acting like nothing was wrong, and touching me and I just… snapped.”
Instinctively, her hand went to her throat, where she should have found her collar. But she found only bare skin, and her eyes burned with tears at the sense of loss. Not once in the time she’d been Cordelia’s submissive had she left home without her necklace. And the thought of not having that connection to the woman she loved around her neck where it belonged just felt wrong.
“Understandably so.” Rising from her spot on the couch to settle next to Ivy, Ruby draped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “Did she even try to talk to you about last night?”
Ivy let her head fall onto Ruby’s shoulder with a sigh. “She did. Before bed. But it still felt so big and I was so damn tired, I told her I wanted to wait.” So they’d waited and then everything had gone to hell. “Shit. Maybe it is my fault. Maybe I should have talked to her last night instead of letting it fester.”
“Absolutely not.” Ruby’s voice rang with conviction. “You were right to take the night, give yourself time to think.”
“Did you tell her why you were upset this morning?” Lottie asked.
“No. I tried but… I don’t know. It just all sorta felt stuck, you know?”
“I think we’ve all been there,” Silver said with a sympathetic smile, and a murmur of agreement went through the group.
“You’re going to have to talk to her eventually, though,” Ruby added with another squeeze. “Especially since you have a shift together at the club tonight. But if you’re not ready, I can hide you behind the bar whenever she comes by. Worked for Lottie.”
Giggling, Lottie nodded, her ponytail bobbing enthusiastically. “Oh! Or I could have Daddy take her off the schedule. I’m supposed to be off but I could take her shift. That way you don’t have to see her until you’re ready.”
God, she loved these women. The sense of solidarity steadied her, even as she shook her head. “If I did that she’d just plant herself in my section until I talked to her.”
“We’d cover for you. Take whatever table she claims so you don’t have to deal with her until you’re ready:”
“And you really think Braden would let us get away with that? Not a chance.”
“Fair enough,” Lottie said with a sigh. “But I’m not talking to her until she grovels and begs for your forgiveness.”
“Same!” the others echoed, lifting their glasses in agreement, and tears burned at the backs of Ivy’s eyes.
“You guys are amazing. But Dee isn’t exactly the groveling type.” Not that she didn’t know how to apologize. She never hesitated to say she was sorry, especially when she knew she was in the wrong.
But groveling? Definitely not in the Cordelia Summers playbook.
“There’s a first time for everything,” Lottie said, tilting her nose in the air. “And if she knows what’s good for her, she’ll learn.”
“Beckett can give her lessons.” Ruby grinned. “He’s good at it.”
“Oooh, I’m so going to tell him you said that,” Silver teased, earning her a face full of pillow from Ruby.
When the laughter died down, Lottie focused on Ivy again, her expression serious. “Okay, real talk. If Delia was here right now, what would you say to her?”
An excellent question. Closing her eyes, Ivy tried to focus on the deepest hurt, the question she needed answered most. “I guess I’d ask… Why? Why didn’t she trust me enough to tell me she was married? Why did she keep such a big secret from me when she’s so adamant about me being honest with her about every little thing? How is it fair for her to expect more from me than she’s been willing to give?”
“It’s not,” Frankie said softly, leaning over to give Ivy’s knee a squeeze. “And I’m not making excuses for her, but Cordelia loves you. No matter what the answers to those questions are, you know that part is true.”
“Do I?” Ivy whispered, tears blurring her vision. “I know I love her. So fucking much. Too much to ever keep something this big from her. How can she possibly love me the way I love her if she’s keeping all these secrets?”
“I don’t know. But I do know you’ll never forgive yourself if you don’t give her a chance to prove you wrong.”
Jacob
