Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

IVY

Coming here was a mistake.

Memories flooded my mind as I walked through the house where I spent most part of my last two years. The music was already blasting and the walls around me bounced with the deep bass. The guys scattered around the house, some playing video games in the living room, others disappearing in the media room under false pretenses, while I walked from room to room, trying to keep my anxiety at bay. No one has spared me a glance since I entered. No one even talked to me. They acted as if I was invisible, and I preferred that over being called a traitor or any other names.

My fingers tightened around my red Solo cup, water swirling around from my never-ending walk.

Nothing changed in the house. It was still the same layout, the same furniture, the same bare, pictureless walls that got painted over the summer, covering up the scratches and dents.

"You came."

Two words.

One impassive tone that made the skin crawl.

Thousands of feelings that came crashing back.

My heart lurched, but it wasn't happiness that made it beat faster; it was fear that urged my body to move into fight or flight mode.

Instead, I turned away from the empty canvas of the wall and faced the dark brown eyes boring holes in the back of my head.

"I did," I replied, hoping my voice didn't come out as shaky as it felt. "Let's get this over with…"

"What exactly do you want to get over with?" Ander tilted his head.

"You wanted to talk," I pointed out stupidly. That was the whole reason I came. I didn't buy Daisy's stupid ‘you need to be on our team' speech.

His smile grew into the predatorial one, and my stomach shrank.

I shouldn't have come.

"Let's go up to my room."

Swallowing hard, I willed my head to nod and turned to start walking up, painfully aware that he was right behind me. His signature earthy smell infiltrated my nose, reminding me of the nights we spent with our bodies intertwined.

Once upon a time, his scent was my favorite.

But then I woke up from this fairytale straight into this nightmare.

Daisy stood at the top of the wooden staircase. I ignored all the awards and team pictures displayed and watched my sister's frown as she combed through her messy curls. Her dress hitched up her thighs, barely hitting under her butt as she swiftly moved her hands over the hem of it, pulling it lower. The scowl on her face told me she was just as unimpressed as I was by the whole situation.

"Maybe we should talk outside," I offered, stopping mid-step, and his body almost bumped into me.

"Scared to be alone with me?" he mocked me, instead of insulting me. "Don't worry, I don't want anything like that from you. Your sister is way better in bed."

I caught myself in the last second before rolling my eyes, as my sister's expression turned proud instead of horrified. Guess, a compliment was a compliment, no matter if it was only stated to bring someone else down. Ander was a master of backhanded compliments, but she needed to relish in this crumble of appreciation that he threw at her because soon it will come to an end.

"That's okay," I answered, keeping my voice flat. "Let's go outside."

"If you want me to stare at your ass, all you had to do was ask," Ander muttered, making my frustration grow with every second.

He was walking behind me all this time, there was no need for him to make comments like that. Especially since I dressed in a simple A-line summer dress that hit mid-thighs. I dressed cute, while my baby sister dressed slutty. There was a time I dressed like that for him. But now I only dressed for myself, in whatever I felt comfortable.

Guilt swirled in the base of my stomach, but I kept reminding myself that this was Daisy's decision and she didn't want my opinion.

I turned on my heels and started to take a step down and walk outside.

A hand wrapped around my bare skin, squeezing my arm tight.

"No."

One single word brought back thousands of memories. The hair on the nape of my neck rose and a slow shiver ran through my spine.

It made every fiber in my body scream with worry.

I came this far to talk to him and clear the air out, maybe even accomplish being left alone and not bullied. But going into his bedroom and being alone with him wasn't part of the deal.

"No," I repeated his words back to him. His nails dug into me deeper and left half-mooned marks on my upper arm.

Hissing, I tried pulling away.

"Let go," I ordered him, my voice sounding far less assertive as I wanted it to. "Please," I added quietly, the plea barely a whisper on my lips.

The cruel smile I knew well broke across his face, and with a shove, he let go of my arm. "I told you. You want to talk. We do it in my room. But I can see all you want to do is cause a scene. What do you think you will accomplish with that, little traitor? You want everyone to think that I'm capable of hurting you? You want to ruin my image?" A low laughter shook his voice. "That won't work. Not everyone is as easily fooled as your new boyfriend."

"This has nothing to do with Max," I muttered quietly, wanting his name out of the conversation. "This is about us…"

Ander chortled, catching the attention of other students at the bottom of the stairs. I noticed someone turned the music lower, allowing our voices to provide the ultimate entertainment.

"Did you hear that, babe?" He glanced as my sister, whose face morphed into a disgusted smirk. "She wants to talk about her and I… like there is any chance I would replace what I have with you for her."

Even Daisy smirked.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it," I replied, steadying my voice, although my eyes burned.

I was na?ve to think Ander was going to be a sensible human being and talk to me.

This school was Ander's playground and all the clowns danced for him.

He ran the show.

But I was done attending the play.

"I'm sorry," I said, apologizing because that was what he expected. "I misjudged you for someone who could have a conversation. I will be leaving."

"I mean if you want to talk, talk," Ander called after me once I descended.

"I have nothing else to say."

"You seemed to have awfully lot to say just now. Did Aarons not fuck you well enough? Are you here to get a repeat of what you lost when you tried to replace me with a Titan?"

I shook my head, disgusted.

Did everyone forget he was the one who dumped me?

I hated how it hurt me, and I hated it even more that I was giving him the one thing he wanted.

My attention.

My tears.

My hurt.

"Forget I said anything," I turned to whisper, making him laugh.

"That won't be too hard, as you never said anything even remotely worth listening to." His smile grew as a teardrop rolled down my cheeks.

Laughter echoed all around me as Daisy stepped next to Ander and wrapped her arms around his waist, and he pulled her close to his chest, lips brushing her forehead.

"Don't worry, babe. Your sister is not worth my time."

Another round of snickers started up as I willed my feet to move fast and walk out the door.

I was painfully aware of all the eyes burning holes into me like gigantic reflectors on the stage, illuminating my misery and feasting on it.

"What the hell is happening here?"

Suddenly, I couldn't hear anything, just the way my flats clicked on the marble floor. A dark-haired guy stood at the entrance. The light illuminated him as if he was a fiction of my imagination, a guardian angel coming to save me.

"Ivy?" he called my name as my eyes met his.

It took couple of seconds for his brown eyes to darken as anger washed over his face.

"Max…" I breathed his name in a relieved sigh.

"Look at that," Ander's voice echoed from the stairs. "The knight in shining armor showed up. You are a bit late, buddy."

"I'm not your buddy," Max gritted through clenched teeth. He extended his arm and pulled me to his chest, pushing my embarrassed tearstained face into his black T-shirt and hiding it from everyone around.

It was too little, too late, but I appreciated his delicious pine scent filling my nose as I breathed, trying to calm my racing heart.

His hand rested on my back, and in slow circular movements, he comforted me as he spoke. His chest vibrated with every word he spat toward my ex, but I was too preoccupied counting my inhales and exhales to pay attention.

I didn't want to hear it.

I didn't want to know it.

All I wanted to do was disappear.

But being in Max's strong and safe arms was the closest I ever felt to that safe haven I craved.

And I never wanted to leave it again.

MAX

Pissed off was understatement. My body trembled with bottled anger as I listened to that jerk talk. I always knew Ander was bad news. If I could avoid him, I did, and our only interaction was on a soccer field. But what he did to Ivy was the lowest of the lows. Humiliating Ivy and turning her sister against her was too much for me.

I used to believe he had a shred of human decency in him.

But Sanchez was beyond saving.

I needed to get Ivy as far from him as possible.

She shook in my arms as the breeze surrounded us. She clung to me, her pink manicured nails digging into the fabric of my shirt, not wanting to let go.

"It's going to be fine," I muttered into her hair to comfort her.

I came here to talk to her, to even offer my help, get a mutually beneficial arrangement going. I make it to the World Cup and she gets to stick it to her ex.

But after seeing the scene I walked in on, I desperately wanted to help her. I wanted to be what she needed me to be.

Her knight in shining armor.

The one everyone saw when I marched into the house and wrapped her in my arms protectively.

No one stood up for her.

No one was there for her.

Not even her best friend who stood by my side, silent, when we walked in on the scene.

Just me.

She needed me. Just like she said it to me. But I didn't believe her until I saw it.

Guilty, I helped her into the passenger seat of my car.

I should have taken her word, but I didn't trust her.

I was used to making the right decision in the right time. Being rational and a good decision maker.

As I sat into the driver's seat, I thought back to the ride over to the house.

Did her friend have time to fabricate the scene? Did she text someone we were coming?

But the sheer shock on Kaia's face was way too real to be fake. Yet, she didn't step in either.

A small sob dragged me out of my thoughts. Ivy wiped the tears away with the sleeve of her dress.

"Here," I muttered, leaning against her, her jasmine scent catching my nose as I opened the glove compartment and took a tissue box out.

"Thanks," she said, her voice barely a whisper against my ear before I pulled away. "Really… thank you for…" She trailed off, and I was thankful she didn't finish that sentence.

"There's no need to thank me… anyone would have done what I did," I replied, despite witnessing the opposite. All of them were snakes.

Ivy let out a little snort. "You can say what you think."

"I'm too upset for that," I shut down the idea immediately. My hands gripped the steering wheel with such force that I was surprised it didn't break off.

I never thought of myself as a nice guy. Not since the whole Thalia mess blew up in my face and I had to triple check every word leaving my mouth and guard myself from anything that could cause me harm. I was direct and curt with girls setting strict boundaries.

But I never thought I would become someone's hero.

Yet, the way she looked up at me, sparkle lighting up her sad tear-filled eyes, I knew I walked into this one deep.

"What were you doing there?" Ivy asked.

I sighed. "I was going to talk to you… about your proposal… but I guess I'm a bit too late."

"I mean." She shrugged, turning to face the window. "We could still say we are friends. Pass it off as accident."

I knew damn well small towns and rival colleges did one thing best. Gossip.

There was no way I was making it back to my house before my team found out where I was. The shitshow that waited for me only made my pounding headache worse.

"We could set some ground rules, yes. If we are going to do this whole fake dating thing."

Ivy bit into her lower lip, and a faint smile tugged on her lip. "Thank you. Gosh, I would have jumped in joy if you said this yesterday. Now… I feel awful for dragging you into this."

"I have my reasons why I need it," I said slowly. "But I want to have this conversation in my room with my full attention on you. Two more minutes and we are there."

She nodded, sinking into the seat.

"Ivy." I glanced at her. "I'm taking you to the Titans' home."

"I know. Can't be worse than the Lion's den we just left."

Maybe not for her, but I just brought trouble to our doorsteps.