Page 22 of Trust Fall
Looking down at the dark screen on her phone, she decided to take Lana’s advice: she was going tochooseto take the first step.
She tapped her screen awake and typed in her passcode. Having been the one to call Lana, her phone was still displaying her contacts when it unlocked. She scrolled up to Ivy’s number which Jade had added earlier as “Ivy—coffee cup girl.” as if there were multiple Ivy’s on her phone already. She changed it to simply “Ivy.” Then, she clicked to start a new message with her.
Cleo:Hey Ivy, it’s Cleo :)
She was now torn whether the bigger emotion coursing through her body was relief or panic. Either way, she sat her phone down on the arm of her chair and walked through to her kitchen for a drink. Tonight called for something stronger than the glass of water currently sitting on the coffee table beside her reading chair.
She returned five minutes later with a glass of wine, to two new unread messages on her phone.
Ivy:Hey Cleo, I’m glad you reached out! I’ve never done that before and worried that you’d miss it.
Ivy:So, how’s your evening going?
Cleo felt herself relax at the friendly tone in Ivy’s messages. Maybe Lana was right; they probably would be able to message easier than face-to-face. For now, at least.
Chapter 20
Ivy
Ivy couldn’t believe it; her leap of faith had actually paid off!
Here she was, sitting on her couch, relaxing on a Friday evening, messaging the woman she’d been pining after for the past three years. Was this really happening?
Cleo:I didn’t see it until I got to my parents' house for dinner. They spotted it when I sat it on the counter.
Cleo:My evening’s better since getting home from all their questions though.
Ivy’s stomach dropped. She could tell Cleo was queer, and the others had pointed out her mutual interest in Ivy. But she hadn’t even wondered if Cleo was out or not. The thought that she wasn’t, and especially not out to her family, hadn’t even crossed her mind. What had she done?!
Ivy:Oh no! I’m so sorry! I hope I didn’t cause any issue for you?! Them seeing it? I wasn’t even thinking!
She clung to her phone, watching the three bouncing balls of death appear, disappear and reappear several times. And then finally, as her screen dipped in brightness, it sprung to life with a new message.
Cleo:No issue at all. I’ve been out for years; they were just doing what families do at the thought of fresh gossip. Even Sophie joined in. The little traitor ;)
Relief flooded through Ivy’s body. The panic which left her was replaced with intrigue: what had her family asked? What had Sophie said? Ivy couldn’t bring herself to ask, but it didn’t mean she wouldn’t. Eventually. Just not today.
Ivy:Oh thank goodness for that! I just realized I could have outed you, and that’s NEVER a thing I would do to anyone! I hope I didn’t cause you too long an interrogation with them? ;)
Ivy reached to take a sip of her drink while she waited for Cleo’s response. Trying to force herself to relax a little, she sat her phone down on the arm of the couch and tried to pay closer attention to the show on her TV while she waited. She tried with every fiber of her beingnotto glance at the screen on her phone instead of her TV, she really did, but who was she trying to kid? Cleo had her complete attention this evening. She switched her TV off and took a breath after her phone pinged to announce the arrival of a new message, before she picked up her phone to read it.
Cleo:Glad to know you’re not that kind of person – though I figured as much, you just don’t seem like someone who’d do that on purpose :) Well, if I tell you my parents, both siblings, and niece all joined in – would that give you an idea of the level of questioning I had to survive? ;)
Ivy smiled as she read Cleo’s latest message, but a hint of sadness made itself known, as it always did. How could Ivy tell Cleo that she didn’t know what that situation felt like? That she’d never experienced anything like it as it had been a decade since she had had any interaction with any of her family? That even if she still had communication with them, they weren’t the type of family who joked together and made a fuss of new potential love interests? Instead, she’d have to do what she always did whenever she met anyone new, even friends: wait until she knew Cleo better before letting her in and discovering any of Ivy’s past.
Ivy:Wow – rather you than me! I’m sure Sophie would have been harmless though, she seems like a great kid.
Cleo:It was absolutely fine, Ivy. Honestly, I didn’t mind it as much as I thought I was going to when my dad and sister started. Plus, Sophie was in my corner, and none of them can argue with her about any topic, so I got off lightly... all things considered.
Cleo:They started off asking who you were until Sophie arrived with my brother and she told them all about our crashing into each other. Full comedic reenactment included! Lol ;)
Ivy couldn’t help but let out a laugh at the mental image she conjured of Sophie acting out what had happened two weeks prior.
Two hours and countless messages back and forth later, and Ivy was even more drawn to Cleo than she thought possible in such a short period of time. Ivy felt like she could talk to Cleo constantly, and they’d never run out of things to say.
Ivy:Well, I don’t know about you but I can barely keep my eyes open. I think I’m going to have to call it a night and turn in.
Cleo:Oh wow! It’s already midnight! Time really does fly when you’re having fun, right enough! I think I’ll need to do the same. Enjoy your weekend off, Ivy. I hope you have some fun plans. If not, enjoy some relaxing time :)
