Better With You (Better Love 2)

9

At 11:59, I turn off my mopey playlist, tug out my earbuds, and wait.

At 12:01 exactly, there’s a soft knock at my door, and my lips twitch at the sides.

“Yeah?” I call out to Ivy.

She leans through the door with a small smile.

“How’s your head? You good for company?”

We always ask this—how’s your head?—as in, how’s your mental and emotional health today? Before Ivy, I was never conscious of the importance of mental health check-ins, no matter how small. It’s amazing how much it helps. But Ivy gets it. Sometimes your dark moods beg cheering up, an anchor of sorts to keep you from drifting too deep, and sometimes you just need to be sad.

I nod at her, roll onto my side, and pat the space on the bed next to me.

She strides in, sets a small white box on the nightstand, lies down next to me, and immediately takes my hand in hers.

“Happy Birthday, Bailey.”

I breathe in deep through my nose, filling my senses with her mango scent, and blink at the tears threatening.

“Thanks, Ivy.” I give her hand a squeeze and hope she knows just how grateful I am for her existence.

“Heading home soon?”

“Yeah,” I say quietly. I don’t want to. I’d much rather be here with her, Jesse, and Kelley. I’d much rather spend the day with my friends than go back to that suffocating house in that meddling town full of hateful people and terrible memories.

But I owe it to him.

I can’t leave him there alone. Not today.

“Want me to come with?” I love her so much more right now for asking. I know she means it. She’ll drop everything just to make the three-hour drive into Illinois with me.

“I think I’m going to go alone this time.”

“You need to borrow my car?”

I shake my head. “No thanks. I’m gonna take Baby. It’ll be good for me.”

I feel the bed shift with Ivy’s nod.

We lie there for a few more minutes, eyes closed and hands clasped, just breathing.

Ivy is a godsend. Without her, I may never have made it this far.

“I made you guys something,” Ivy says after a while, and she sits up and hands me the small box from the nightstand.

I open it to find two brownies inside. I flash her a small grin.

“You didn’t.”

She nods and giggles. “Jesse helped. We made weed butter. They’re supposedly really good. The guys say happy birthday too.”

I force a smile. They know not to make a big deal out of it, but I’ll still probably be finding small surprise packages over the next couple of days.

“Where are the rest of them?” I raise a brow and give the box a little shake, already knowing the answer. She rolls her eyes.

“J took them to some party with his pre-med friends. You know how hard some of those geniuses go.”

I laugh at the truth in the statement. Jesse doesn’t get high much anymore, but some of his other friends can get a little crazy.

“There’s two,” she adds softly, “one for you and one for Brandon.”

“Thank you, Ivy. Seriously.” I pull her into a hug. “I hate everyone but you.”

She giggles. “What about J and Kelley?”

“I hate them a little less than everyone else.”

When we pull apart, she presses a kiss to my forehead. It’s soft and gentle, and I feel the rest of my muscles relax.

“I love you, B.”

“I love you, V.”