Chasing Ivy (Oak Hill 1)

My stomach churned and I could feel the dread hanging over my head like a cumulonimbus cloud. I pinched my leg, distracting myself from what was actually happening.

Breanna’s mom was threatening me. She was blackmailing me to break up with Dawson… because of my mom taking my dad away from her? I could barely wrap my mind around it. She needed to be fucking committed.

My voice was near cracking. “You’re blackmailing me to break up with Dawson… for what?”

I was simply confused. So, so confused. Everything inside was jumbled like dumping the pieces from a very wacky puzzle all over the floor.

“Because even if your parents are dead…” Her words sliced through my skin, tears instantly springing to my eyes. “I’ll never let them win. Ever.”

Gathering myself for a second, teetering back and forth over my decision to either throw my stapler at her head or to cry, I asked, “You hate my mom that much, from years ago, that you’d try to ruin my and my sister’s lives? What is wrong with you?”

She shrugged. “Life isn’t always sunshine and rainbows, Ivy dear. You should know that better than anyone.”

My heart felt like it had been punched. My lunch threatened the back of my throat. I felt stuck. Completely stuck.

I had to tell Dawson. I had to tell someone. Better yet, I would call Breanna and tell her to get her fucking nutjob of a mom out of my office.

What in the actual fuck is happening?

Mrs. Connors stood up from her chair, to hover over my desk, flowery perfume hitting my nostrils.

“You end it, or I swear to God, I will end your sister.”

Blood rushed to my ears as I stood up, too. “And how do you expect to do that? What evidence do you have to take her scholarship away?” Please be nothing. If I ever needed my sister to be a goody-two-shoes, it would be now.

She smiled. “All it’ll take is one word to the dean and he’ll rip that scholarship right out from under her and get her kicked out of school.” She tapped her red fingernail on her chin. “Good luck getting into another four-year college after being thrown out of St. Joseph’s.”

I ground my teeth. Even if I didn’t abide by her wishes and Mia got kicked out of college, she wouldn’t be able to get another scholarship even if she did apply to another school and got in. I couldn’t afford to pay for full tuition, and there was no way I could get a loan for her. I wouldn’t even be able to co-sign a loan for her, given that I’d just taken out a chunky amount for my mortgage. I almost wanted to laugh out loud thinking about Uncle Tim trying to co-sign. Yeah, right. He was sweet but he had absolutely no credit.

“Do it, Ivy. You don’t get to win this time.”

I wanted to say no. The very words were on the tip of my tongue. Just say no, Ivy. You’ll figure it out. You’ll find another way… But would I?

I’d given up everything to get where I am right now.

I quickly tried to come up with another plan. I would tell Dawson. He could fix this. He could…

“No one can help you, Ivy. You’re stuck and you know it and you also know that you’ll do anything for Mia, which is how I know I’ll walk out of here a winner.”

I flicked my eyes up to her, feeling my hands tremble by my sides.

I always thought that Breanna was the devil, but I was wrong…

Breanna was just the poor, little spawn of the devil.

And that devil just took my fucking heart.

Chapter Thirty

Dawson

I’d been sitting at Ivy’s house for an hour now. My legs bouncing up and down, my knuckles being cracked every few minutes. Where the fuck is she?

This morning I had a weird feeling come over me. I couldn’t shake it all day, not once. My stomach ached. I couldn’t focus worth shit.

I thought it was because, for once, I’d actually woken up without Ivy’s warm body pressed to mine. I thought it would pass once I got to work, but it didn’t. If anything, the feeling grew larger. So large that I finally broke down and called Ivy’s work phone.

One of the bank tellers told me she went home early. I found that strange. Why wouldn’t she call me and tell me she went home early? Was she sick?