4. Ivy

4

IVY

My lungs were burning. I desperately wanted to stop.

But I couldn’t.

I had to keep going. I had to get away.

Running. Running. Running.

I was nearly there; I’d get away. Just as I started to feel some relief that I was going to make it, an arm wrapped around my waist as a hand landed on my shoulder.

No.

“No.”

“No!”

“Ivy, it’s me. It’s Marco. You’re okay. You’re safe.”

I blinked my eyes rapidly, my chest heaving, and tried to take in the space around me. I was in bed. In the hotel. Marco was here.

Twisting my neck, I looked back and saw him staring at me with such concern. I couldn’t catch my breath.

“You’re okay,” he said softly. “Just breathe. You had a nightmare.”

“A nightmare?”

“That’s all it was. You’re safe, and I’m not going to let anyone hurt you.”

A nightmare. It was just a nightmare. Marco wasn’t going to let anyone hurt me.

Even though I was awake now and could see I wasn’t in any danger, my heart was still racing, my mind still stuck in that nightmare, running down the street, trying to get away.

I tried to hold them back, but I couldn’t. The tears spilled down my cheeks, and my body was wracked by violent sobs.

Marco pulled me into his arms, held me close, and stroked one of his hands up and down my back. He whispered words of comfort, doing his best to calm my erratic breathing and racing heart.

It took me some time, but in the warmth and safety of his embrace, I eventually relaxed enough to return to reality, and I stopped hyperventilating.

When I pulled my face back from his chest and looked up at him, I saw nothing but concern. He held my face in his hands and swiped at my tears with the pad of his thumbs. “Are you okay?”

Marco’s tone was so soft and gentle, like he was trying his best not to wake a sleeping baby because he spoke too loudly.

My face felt like it was on fire. I couldn’t believe this was happening to me. “I’m so embarrassed.”

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” he insisted.

“I had a nightmare and woke you up.”

“I don’t mind being woken up for you, Ivy. I’m glad you asked me to stay with you last night, so I could be here to see you through this. After what you went through, you’re allowed to not be functioning like normal. It’s going to take time.”

The tension in my body released at the sincerity in his tone and the understanding in his words. And while the tears had already been brushed away, the gentles strokes of his thumbs along my cheeks hadn’t faltered. It was so comforting, more than I would have anticipated if someone had ever told me Marco Kingston would be holding my face in his hands like this. “Thank you for not making me feel bad about this.”

He gave me a nod and released my face from his hands. It was almost pitiful how hard I had to work not to react to the loss of his tender touch. “Do you want to talk about it?”

I shrugged, my eyes dropping to my lap. After taking two or three deep breaths, I laid my head back down on the pillow, and Marco didn’t hesitate to do the same beside me. I belatedly realized he hadn’t ever gotten himself underneath the covers last night, not even after I’d already fallen asleep.

“There’s not much to tell,” I started. “I was right back there on that dark side street out of view of anyone, and I was running to get away. I felt like I couldn’t breathe, and all I wanted to do was stop to catch my breath, but I knew I couldn’t. I knew if I stopped, he’d catch up to me, and I’d suffer a worse fate than I already did.”

Marco covered my hand with his. “It was just a nightmare. You’re safe now. It’s probably going to take your mind some time to catch up and realize that.”

“But I’m not,” I argued.

“What?”

“I’m not safe. He’s still out there.”

His hand squeezed mine. “I’ll take you to the police station this morning. You can report everything, and hopefully they’ll be able to find this guy. As for you, whatever you need from here on out to feel safe, I’ll make sure you have it, okay?”

My throat grew painfully thick with my emotions. “I hope you know how grateful I am that you were here last night. I don’t think I’d be doing half as well as I am right now if it hadn’t been for you seeing me through. I think I’m going to owe you an amazing birthday present this year.”

He let out a soft chuckle. “The only gift I need a month from now is confirmation that you’re okay, that this guy was caught, and that you don’t have any lingering trauma from this whole ordeal. If all of that happens, it’ll be the best birthday of my life.”

My free hand pinched the side of my leg as I felt my chest tighten. It was as though time had slowed as I replayed those words in my head.

Marco thought it’d be the best birthday of his life if he could be assured I was okay. Maybe it had been something off the cuff for him to say, but it felt like a tremendous declaration.

I offered a small smile in return, and the two of us stayed like that—Marco holding my hand as we face each other in the bed—without either of us saying a word. I couldn’t say what was going through his mind at that moment, but I knew what was happening inside mine was a mess.

For the first time in my life, I was seeing Marco in a light I’d never seen him before now. We’d always been comfortable with one another, because we’d known each other for so long. Beyond the occasional hug or kiss on the cheek during a family celebration, there hadn’t ever been anything like this between us.

Nothing that felt nearly this intimate.

And while I knew this wasn’t intimacy in the traditional sense and that Marco didn’t have any romantic feelings for me—that he was merely being a supportive friend after such a traumatic incident—I had to admit, it felt nice to experience it. To know I had someone who felt like family but wasn’t technically family to be here for me like he was. To know Marco was willing to forget whatever plans he might have had last night and stay with me, so he could be sure I was okay.

Even if I didn’t have the romantic relationship I had been hoping for in my life, maybe I wasn’t as lonely as I had originally believed myself to be.

Following a long bout of comfortable silence, I said, “You have to work today. In fact, you’re probably already late.”

“I’ll call Cooper and tell him I have something to take care of today. I don’t call off from work for nothing, so he’s not going to give me a hard time about it.”

I knew that was the truth. Marco and Cooper might have been best friends, but Marco never took advantage of that fact when it came to work. Without a valid reason, he never called off from work.

“Okay. Are you sure you don’t mind?”

“Not at all. And I don’t want you to think I’m pressuring you about it, but I’m curious what your plans are for telling your family about what happened last night?”

I closed my eyes and sighed. When I blinked them open, I confessed, “I honestly don’t know. I think my dad and my brothers are going to lose their minds. My mom and Jules are going to be horrified. And if there’s one thing I can be certain of, it’s that all of them, along with Ava, Rhea, and Skye, are going to surround me with love.”

“Well, you can add me to that list, too.”

Warmth moved through me, and a smile spread across my face. “Thank you. I don’t plan to keep it from them, but I’d like to deal with the police before I get all of them involved.”

“Alright, well, how about I get up and make that call to Cooper, since I should have already been at work,” he reasoned. “Then we’ll have some breakfast and get you down to the station.”

If I was honest, I wanted to stay right where I was for the rest of the day, perhaps longer. But I knew it wasn’t an option, so I had no choice but to nod in agreement. “That sounds like a plan.”

Just as Marco let go of my hand and moved to get out of the bed, a knock came at the door.

I gasped and bolted up in the bed, my body going rigid. “Who’s that?” I panicked, my wide eyes pleading with Marco’s.

He shook his head and stood. “I don’t know. Sit tight, and I’ll check.”

As he made his way out of the bedroom, I realized I didn’t want to be a sitting duck. If that guy had followed me here last night, if he knew where I was, I couldn’t risk being out in the open.

I moved to the doorway to the bedroom and listened as Marco opened the door. And what I heard next had my body stiffening.

“Hey, man. Is everything okay?”

My brother.

Why was Cooper here?

“Coop? What are you doing here?”

My stomach trembled with nerves. Not that I was unsafe, but with the uncertainty of what could happen if Cooper learned not only about what happened to me last night, but that his best friend had stayed the night with me.

“Well, I tried to call you this morning, but you didn’t answer,” Cooper said. “I saw Toby when I was leaving last night. He was at your truck getting you your T-shirt, and when I asked him what was going on, he said that he had just brought you a first-aid kit while you were working on the dryer and that you said you were just going to crash in this room last night. I was going to come up here right away, but then I got a call from Skye, and I could tell something wasn’t right with her, so I rushed home.”

“Is she okay?”

Cooper hesitated. “Yes, but… wait. What happened to you? Why did you need a first-aid kit?”

Marco cleared his throat. “Oh, um, I got a cut and needed some ointment. Plus, I whacked my head and thought an ice pack would be a wise move.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re okay. Did you need help with the dryer?”

“No, I got it taken care of. I’m sorry for not answering earlier. My phone was with my tools, and I forgot.”

I heard movement and realized Cooper wasn’t planning to just leave. My hand clutched my stomach, the trembling becoming more intense.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s not a big deal. I’m kind of glad you’re here, because I wanted to tell you about what happened last night with Skye.”

“Oh, right, yeah. What happened with her? You said she was okay, right?” I couldn’t miss the nervousness in Marco’s tone. He was worried that the three of us were in this suite and only two of us were aware of that fact. God, I hoped he could keep Cooper in the living area, so he wouldn’t know I was here.

“Technically, yes, she’s okay, but?—”

“But what?”

There was a long pause, and I desperately wanted to know what was happening, but I didn’t dare move for fear that my brother might hear me. As it was, I was terrified he might hear me breathing or the rapid beat of my heart.

“Coop?” Marco pressed.

Cooper’s voice dipped low. “Do you have someone here with you?”

“What? No. Why would you say that?”

Another long pause. “Well, there’s a woman’s coat on the floor over there. And a hat, and a pair of sunglasses. Why do I feel like I’ve seen that hat and coat before?”

Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God. He was going to figure it out.

Marco didn’t immediately respond, and I hated that he’d been put in this position. I could accept the fact that my stupid, stupid choices put me in a compromising situation last night, but I didn’t need to be the reason Marco lied to my brother, to his best friend.

Just as I was about to step out and face the music, Marco said, “Listen, man, would you mind just giving me a few minutes? I have something I’ve got to take care of this morning. I was actually getting up to find my phone to call you and let you know I needed the day off today. I can give you a call later, if that’s okay.”

“Something’s wrong,” Cooper declared.

“No. No, everything’s fine. It’s just… I have something I’ve got to do.”

“Can I help? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

There was another long pause, and I could only assume Cooper was assessing Marco. “Where did you cut yourself?”

“What?”

“You needed that first-aid kit and shirts from your truck. Why?” my brother pressed.

“Coop, man, I’m asking you to let this go right now,” Marco pleaded with him.

I’d never, not once in my whole life, ever heard Marco in such distress. He was always so laidback and carefree, even if a little mischievous.

“You think I’m supposed to see something that’s not right going on and ignore it? You’re my best friend, and you expect me to just walk out like you’re not acting completely unlike yourself right now?”

Marco didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”

“I can’t do that. That’s not what we do.”

I couldn’t let this go on. This wasn’t fair to Marco. Cooper, too, if I was honest.

So, I inhaled deeply in hopes of mustering up some strength and stepped out into the doorway, completely visible to both Marco and Cooper.

“What the fuck?” Cooper clipped, his eyes taking me in for just a brief moment before cutting to Marco.

Marco held his hands up in surrender. “This is not what it looks like.”

If it hadn’t been for how fast Cooper stood, I might have allowed that blow to cause more damage. “Oh? You just lied to my face when my sister was standing in the next room wearing your T-shirt. And you’re telling me this isn’t what it looks like?”

“Cooper,” I called out.

“One second, Ivy.”

“Cooper, look at me,” I demanded.

My brother tore his attention away from his best friend and looked at me. That’s when he noticed what he missed the first time he looked at me. His brows drew together as his eyes roamed over my face, and he instantly came rushing toward me. “What happened to you?” Cooper didn’t give me a chance to respond before he was looking at Marco with a murderous gaze. “You better tell me what the fuck is going on, and I better not hear something that’s going to make me regret knowing you.”

I lifted my hands and placed them on either side of my brother’s head, urging him to look at me. Tears welled in my eyes. “I was assaulted last night,” I rasped. “I was downtown, going to a woodcarving class, and no sooner did I get out of my car when a guy grabbed me, dragged me down the side road, stole my purse, and assaulted me.”

“Jesus,” he breathed. “Fuck. What happened? Who did this?”

He was in agony, doing his best to control his emotions. A tear rolled down my cheek. “I don’t know. I don’t know who he was. It was terrifying. I came back here, and I knew this room was empty. I was barely inside the door when Marco showed up to fix the dryer. Marco helped me, Cooper. He took care of me last night. That’s it. That’s all. You owe him an apology.”

My brother put his hands on my shoulders and took a step back to give himself the ability to assess me fully. “Did you go to the hospital? Did you call the police?”

“I was going to take her to the station this morning,” Marco informed him. “She insisted she was fine and didn’t want to go to the hospital.”

Cooper barely acknowledged Marco, his focus still on me. “Why didn’t you call one of us? Why were you hiding in here?”

“Because I had Marco, and you should know better than anyone else that he’s just as good as having you or Wyatt or Tate or Liam. You need to apologize to him.”

My brother nodded but said nothing to confirm I was correct. “Do you have clothes here?”

“I have my jeans, but my shirt was torn.”

He winced. “Go get your jeans on. I’m going to take you to the police station.”

“Cooper—”

“Ivy, please,” he said, his tone indicating he wasn’t interested in any argument from me.

I sighed and walked away.

What happened after I left the living room, I didn’t know, but the tension in the room was still just as thick when I returned with my jeans and shoes on. Cooper had picked up my jacket and held it out to me. “Here.” Once it was on, he jerked his head to the door. “Come on.”

“No.”

“What?”

“I’m not going anywhere until you apologize to Marco. He’s your best friend, Cooper. And you owe him an apology.”

“Ivy, it’s okay,” Marco cut in.

I shook my head. “It’s not. And I will not leave this room until he gives you the apology you deserve.”

My attention went back to my brother, and I shot him an expectant look.

He looked away, brought his attention to Marco, and said, “I’m sorry for jumping the gun.”

Marco shook his head dismissively. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Are you ready?” Cooper asked, his focus back on me.

I glanced up at Marco and sent an appreciative smile his way. “Thank you for everything you did for me.”

He returned a small smile. “You’re welcome.”

“See you later, Marco. I’ll get your shirt back to you as soon as?—”

“Don’t worry about the shirt. Just take care of yourself.”

I gave him a nod. Then I looked at Cooper and said, “Let’s go.”

My brother moved to the door, and as he opened it, I glanced back at Marco. He was wearing a smile, but he looked utterly devastated. Like he believed he’d just lost his best friend because of me.

And when the tears fell as Cooper drove me to the police station, I wasn’t sure if I was crying for myself or for the man who’d given me what I didn’t even know I needed last night.