Page 91 of Playing for Keeps
Ivy:Hey, just checking in. Seb said you’re not feeling great. You okay?
My heart sinks. I’d meant to text her to say I wasn’t coming home, but I felt so awful that I completely crashed. And now she’s driven two hours just to check on me after hearing I was sick… only to walk in on this.
No wonder she left. But whatever she thinks happened here, she’s wrong. I have to tell her how I feel. Screw waiting.
I hit the call button and press the phone to my ear. It rings and rings, then goes to voicemail. I groan and try again, but this time I get a message saying she’s on another call.
She’s probably talking to Ash. Maybe I can get Ash to convince her to come back.
I swing my legs over the side of the bed and push myself to stand, but the room tilts and my head throbs even harder.
“Whoa,” Ronnie says, quickly jumping up and grabbing my arm to steady me. “What are you doing?”
“I have to go after her,” I say, my voice strained. “She drove two hours just to check on me. That has to mean something,right? Unless I’ve already ruined whatever chance we had before it even started.”
“Wyatt, you can barely stand. How are you going to chase after her like this?”
I wave her off. “I’ll be fine. I just need tofindher.”
I grab my phone and call Ivy again. It rings until it goes to voicemail, but at least that means she’s off the other call. I hang up and immediately dial Ash. Relief floods over me when she answers.
“Hello?”
“Ash, have you heard from Ivy?” I ask without hesitation.
She sighs. “Yeah, I just spoke to her.”
“Is she okay?”
“No, Wyatt. She’s not.”
“Shit.” I drag a hand through my hair, guilt and panic knotting in my chest. “Where is she? I need to talk to her.”
“What’s going on between you two?” she asks, dodging the question. “I’ve seen the photos. Do you actually like her, or was this all some act?”
I sit heavily on the edge of the bed, the weight of everything pressing down on me. “I dolike her, Ash. More than I’ve liked anyone in a long time. I can’t stop thinking about her.”
“Then why the hell is there a half-naked woman in your apartment?” she snaps. “Iwarnedyou not to hurt her, Wyatt. She was worried about you. Taylor told her you were sick, and she was genuinely concerned.”
Even in the middle of all this, something flickers in my chest. Hope. She was worried about me. That has to mean she felt something too.
“Iamsick. I’ve been in bed all day. That’s why I missed her message.”
“And the woman in your shirt?”
“It’s Ronnie,” I say quickly. “And it’s completely innocent, I swear.”
“Ronnie?” Ash mutters, then curses. “Damn. Okay. You need to talk to Ivy. Now.”
“Ash… do you think she likes me too?” I ask, knowing I probably sound pathetic, but I just need the truth right now.
She’s silent for a beat. “Please. Just talk to her.”
“I’ve tried. She’s not answering my calls.” I let out a frustrated breath. “I’m heading back to Hope Creek. I need to explain everything face-to-face. I should get going.”
“Wait!” she says, groaning like she’s wrestling with herself. “She’s not heading back tonight. She’s staying in a hotel. She said someone’s scheduled to view the apartment Monday, so she figured there was no point driving all the way home.” She pauses, then adds, “She was planning to stay with you... but obviously, that changed.”
I close my eyes for a second. “Which hotel?” She hesitates again. “I’ll make sure she knows I dragged it out of you.”
