Things have been getting better between me and the guys. After Ivy left, I had a few choice words for Tysin, accusing him of telling her about the bet before I had a chance to come clean.
At the end of the day, regardless of how Tysin had egged it on, it was my mistake. I made the choice of saying what I said, letting him get to me when he was trying to get a rise out of me.
I ended up doing something stupid and hurt someone who means the world to me in the process. If she gave me a chance to talk to her, to explain, I’d spend the rest of my life proving to her how much I love her.
Standing against the brick wall, I watch as the crowd filters out of the building. Pulling the baseball cap down low on my head, I try to keep a low profile, not wanting any attention right now.
I am only out here in hopes of finding Ivy. Security wouldn’t let them through from the stage, so I know this is the only way she’ll get back to where I am.
“Ivy!” I hear shouted over the crowd of people shuffling out the door toward the main exit.
Looking up, my eyes immediately fall on her, and fuck me, my heart nearly stops in my chest from the sight of her. Ivy is beautiful, but something about looking at her now, coming to terms with my feelings for her, has made her even more gorgeous.
“Hey,” I say, pushing off the wall, approaching the gates.
“Hi.” She smiles shyly.
My eyes break away from hers, taking in the sexy-as-sin dress she’s wearing, down to her black tights covering her legs.
I’ve always had a special love for Ivy’s legs. Fuck, they’ve been the center of many sexual dreams. Not even my memory or the thoughts I’ve dreamt up in my mind compare to seeing them in person, but I pause when I see the intricate design wrapped around her leg.
“Did you mean it?”
Confused as to what she could mean, I narrow my eyes in question.
“The song. The lyrics. Did you mean it?”
“Yes,” I reply, matter-of-factly.
Reaching my hand out for hers, she hesitates, staring at it before looking back up to me. I hate how she’s even second-guessing it, but before I’m able to say anything, she places her hand in mine.
Leading her through the gates, she stops to look back at Kyla and a blonde girl I don’t know or recognize.
“Hens, will you wait for me for a few minutes?”
“Yeah, no problem. I’ll go grab my car. Once the crowd dies down, I’ll meet you out front.”
“Actually, if you don’t mind, I’ll just give her a lift home.”
Ivy turns back at me, her eyes roaming over my face, smiling once again before she turns back to her friend.
“Is that okay?”
“Of course.” She grins. They both turn to leave, as her friend stops and turns back to face me. Stone-faced, she says, “If you ever hurt her again, I’ll have your dick cut off and shoved down your throat.”
Gaping at her, I cough out a laugh. Her jaw clenches, clearly not liking my response, as I wipe it off my face.
“I’ll do you one better. If I ever hurt Ivy like that again, I’ll personally hand you the knife.”
She grins. “Good answer.”
“Bye.” Ivy smiles, waving at her friends before turning back to me.
The hesitant look she wore before is gone.
Rubbing my thumb over the soft skin on the back of her hand, I pull her in closer to me, wrapping her arm around mine. I’m not usually one to be overly affectionate with women unless it’s leading up to going to bed together. This is different. My body has felt the loss of not having her close to me for too long. I crave the feel of her soft skin, the weight of her body pressed against mine.
“This is my dressing room. I hoped you’d be here tonight, so I asked for a separate space. I wanted us to have somewhere to go to talk before we had to leave.”