Chasing Ivy (Oak Hill 1)

She didn’t meet my eye, thankfully. Instead, she brought her head down, her brown hair swaying in front of her shoulders. I hated that I could see the subtle way she flinched and I hated even more that it made my anger disappear.

Her voice was just as soft as ever. “Um. Yeah. It’s a few streets over.”

“So… you haven’t been over to—”

“I gotta go,” I said, stopping my dad from asking what I knew he was going to bring up. I snatched the keys from underneath his blueprints and walked past the two of them, keeping my gaze straight on the door.

My hand paused on the door handle when I heard my father tell her that I’d get back with her in a few days to talk about what she wanted done to her house.

There was no fucking way that was happening.

As I parked the company truck in the parking lot, I felt myself getting pissed all over again. I was pissed for several reasons, the main one being the fact that Ivy had just showed up like nothing was wrong. Like she hadn’t abandoned me six years ago.

What was she thinking? That I’d welcome her back with open arms and pretend like she hadn’t fucking destroyed my heart so badly that I went an entire year without sex?

Me, Dawson Lanning, an entire year without sex.

Yeah, that’s how you know I was literally fucked up.

Her voice sang in my head, “Hi, Dawson.” Like, oh, hey, long time no see there, ol’ friend. How ya been? There wasn’t even a flicker of remorse or concern in her green eyes. She just seemed casual.

The gravel crunched beneath my leather shoes as I made my way up to the office door. The sun was setting behind the town’s high buildings in the distance which meant I was late for dinner…meaning that when I got back to my place, Breanna was going to be annoyed.

She hated when I was late for dinner. Like she thought I was staying at work for shits and giggles. It was so petty and often had me reconsidering our newish relationship instead of the “just sex” that it had been.

“Hey.”

The ghost of a familiar voice wafted around me and I clenched my eyes shut, not wanting to open them to find a pretty, chestnut-haired girl from deep within my past standing there.

But I opened them anyway and pretended not to notice the clench in my gut when I saw her. She looked so different from when we were younger…in the best way possible. She was captivating, almost glowing like an angel.

She had curves but her body was slim. Her features were more delicate than when she was a fifteen-year-old going through puberty. The pink blush on her cheeks stood out against her creamy skin and I knew that if I looked hard enough, I could see small freckles lining the bridge of her feminine nose.

Forest-green eyes stalked my every step, and I wanted to hold my breath so I couldn’t get a whiff of her scent. She always used to smell so good…I could never pinpoint what the smell was and the memory of it had faded over the years, but now that she was standing within spitting distance of me, it was like I’d never even forgotten.

“Do you need something? I haven’t had time to look at the plans for your house yet. I’ve been in meetings all day.” My voice held a prickle of anger, but I was truly annoyed because I could already feel myself softening around her. I wanted to hold onto my anger for a long as possible because if I didn’t, then I would start feeling all kinds of inappropriate things.

“I wanted to talk to you, privately.”

Ivy stood awkwardly, her small arms crossed over her striped tank top. I could see the goosebumps along her skin and I wasn’t sure if that was from the nip in the air or some other reason.

“Okay. Then talk.”

I was painfully aware that I was being an ass and I couldn’t remember a time in my life, ever, when I’d treated her poorly.

We never fought when we were best friends, ever.

I met her eyes again and they were glistening, just barely, but it was enough for me to look away. Why did it still bother me that she was hurting?

“I don’t really know what to say. It’s been a long time.”

I scoffed, unable to stop myself. “And whose fault is that?”

She pulled back and winced, like I’d slapped her. I might as well have. I opened my mouth to apologize because she was right… it had been a long time. Why was I still holding a grudge? Why was I still pissed? Why was I still hurt?

I should be over this.

But I wasn’t. I was the world’s biggest pussy.