Page 222 of Screwged for Christmas

Her nose scrunched up.Ugh.

Ivy didn’t do family. Just the thought gave her the hives. Family reunions, family talks and she sure didn’t do girl’s day out. She liked girl’s night out, though. But here in Savage Ridge that wasn’t about to happen when the only bar was Damon’s. What you did on girl’s night out stayed that way. In a town this size if she even glanced at Damon sideways with as much lust as she had in her veins for that man, the gossip mills would be running full force with the news she’d already slept with him. That would get back to her sister and she didn’t want to hurt any relationships she’d worked hard to form. Zahara liked it here, so Ivy needed to make sure she behaved as a good little sister. As much as she hated to admit it, maybe having this morning’s make-out session interrupted was a good thing.

Not that she did one-night stands, except no one knew that about her. Especially Damon after what happened that morning.

Her eyes slid closed on a groan. Every time the man came near her she turned into a salivating teenager. He probably looked at her and saw the easiest piece of meat in the upper forty-eight. In her defense who could resist his sex appeal when it rolled off him thicker than cupcake icing and richer than any aphrodisiac, she’d ever tasted?

Which brought her back to why she’d come here in the first place. To tell the truth. One thing she shared with her sister was the truth. Always. Solid resolve took root. She’d tell her today while they were at the doctor. Ever since the lies their parents told them left them homeless and in an orphanage from the ages of ten and twelve, they had vowed to always tell the truth and she owed her sister that much, and more, honestly.

“You ready to go, sis?”

Zahara walked up behind Remy. “Yup.”

Although a secret part of her wished the whole big happy family thing could be hers with someone someday, Ivy didn’t like to live outside of reality. The chances of that striking her and her sister were close to zilch.

“Lemme grab my coat real quick and we’ll be on our way.”

Five minutes later they untangled from the gaggle of hugs and goodbyes long enough to squeeze out the door into the bitter cold.

Seated in the Doctor’s room Zahara tugged on her stretchy pants that encompassed her overly round belly and shimmied into her top as they both waited for the doctor to come in with the results of the ultrasound.

Now that the moment arrived to spill the beans, Ivy didn't quite know where to start. Dive in? Work up to it? Band-Aid effect tended to hurt while...

“What is taking them so long?” Zahara cut into her thoughts as she worried her lower lip.

As the younger sister, she recognized that worried look and knew her sibling well enough to know her inner mother bear was coming out in spades. At six months along in her pregnancy, Ivy had enough hands-on experience to also have a solid idea of what the doctor was about to tell her sister.

This ought to be interesting. She wished it were her mates here instead of her, though.

As soon as they had arrived the employee ushered her and Zahara into the office and had Zahara on the table for her ultrasound, leaving Ivy scrambling for a second alone with her.

“The doctor will be with you ladies is just a few minutes.”

The nurse slipped out the side door. Perfect.

“Stop working yourself into a frenzy. Everything is fine. Come sit down and we’ll call your husbands in just a few minutes. It won’t take much longer.” Small as the gesture was, Ivy cradled her sister’s hand in hers like she used to do for her when she got in trouble with the dean at the orphanage for playing in the nurse’s sickbay ‘helping’ the other kids or when she skinned a knee.

Fear gripped her heart for a split second as she prepared to let the truth slip. Nothing made her sick to the stomach more than letting her sister down, but at the same time relief flooded through her body. Zahara needed a distraction and she had one so she pulled her card.

“Zahara, I dropped out of med school.”

Silence thickened as her sister sat opposite her. “I knew there was something. I just had to give you time to work it through. You were always like that, you know. In the orphanage then later on when we were able to escape that dreadful place.”

Her heart didn’t know what to do. Burst with love for the only family she had or fall to the floor from shock. “You mean you’re not mad?”

Slowly she shook her head and wore a warm smile on her lips. “How could I be? I found my happiness. How could I begrudge you as you search for yours? You’ve worked so hard though. Graduated high school early. Got into med school way ahead of your time. You’ve been at this for so long. Are you sure you just don’t need a break?” Zahara reached out and tugged a lock of her hair gently like she used to do when she tried to cheer her up as kids. “You’re my kid sis. All I want is for you to be happy.”

Then why did she feel like she still had a ball of lead in her stomach?

“Thanks.” She smiled but she didn’t feel the happiness that should go with it.

“But I do have to ask. Why the sudden change of heart after so long? You're so close. Why give up now?” Zahara took her hands in hers, and she opened her mouth to answer but the words wouldn’t come out.

“It’s okay. When you’re ready. All that I care about is your happiness. That means more to me than any amount of money and any degree. I’m glad you’re the strong and decisive one. I’ve always envied you that ability, ya know. It takes me ages to make a decision and then I spend days worrying once I have. Not you, though.”

“Me strong? Decisive? HA! You sure you have the right sister?” She puffed her cheeks out and let out a laugh. “I thought I knew what I wanted and here I am at twenty-five without a clue.”

“Maybe a Christmas wish is in order?”

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