Chasing Ivy (Oak Hill 1)

I breathed, “Yeah, I’m fine.”

He kept his sturdy hands on my arms and I stomped all over the thought of his arms wrapping around me.

I used to wish on every single star that I could have just one more hug from him. One more hug from my best friend…especially on those nights when I’d hear Mia whimpering in her sleep, or when I’d wake up from having a good dream about my old life, only to realize that it was gone. People were usually afraid of having nightmares, but not me. I’d stay awake as long as I could to keep away the good dreams, as they only made my real life seem that much worse when I did wake up.

But I had stopped wishing for hugs from Dawson a long, long time ago, right about the time that Eric had come into my life, yet here I was, desiring that very same hug that used to make me feel loved and safe, all over again.

And that probably had something to do with the fact that my boyfriend of the last year had dumped me the second I told him I was moving back to this “Podunk” town, as he called it.

Yeah, that’s exactly why I feel like this. Because of my lack of Eric, not because of Dawson standing in front of me with those mesmerizing blue eyes.

“Are you sure? You look pale.” Dawson’s face contorted with concern and it was like getting a glimpse of the old him, the one I used to know; he seemed like he cared and it flooded my body with relief.

“I’m really fine. I swear. Just the combination of the fall and blood made me a little woozy. I’m okay.”

He nodded, finally taking his hands off my arms. He reached over and turned the water off as I grabbed some paper towels off the counter. I started to dry my raw hands while trying desperately to calm myself down.

Dawson leaned against the counter opposite of me, looking relaxed with his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes followed my every move: the patting of my hands on the towel, the crumpling of the somewhat bloody material, and the walking over to the trash to throw it away.

I cleared my throat, bringing my attention back to him, my heart climbing in my chest. “Why are you here, Dawson? You made it pretty clear last night that you were… angry with me.”

His face stayed even but his eyes spoke differently—he was definitely still angry.

“I just want to know why, Ivy.”

I clenched my teeth, taking in a huge gulp of air. I could feel myself getting angry at the fact that he was angry. I was pretty sure my blood pressure was rising.

I blurted, “Why are you so mad, Dawson?”

His jaw worked back and forth before he pushed his body away from the counter. My eyes trailed his frame as he stomped back and forth in my kitchen.

“I’m angry because my best friend just up and left me six years ago. She was just gone and didn’t even have the fucking heart to say goodbye. And now she’s back, acting as if nothing even happened.”

I sneered, rolling my eyes and slapping my injured hands on my waist. “You can’t possibly justify being angry with me, can you?!”

His steely glare set forth a fire inside of me. Rage bubbling to the surface. “Yes, I can. I know it was six years ago but goddammit, Ivy. You had to have known that it would hurt me. You just fucking disappeared.”

His voice trailed at the end and it was becoming raspier by the second. But it didn’t matter, because I was still fuming. I was normally such an even-tempered person but right now, all I wanted to do was throw my toaster at his stupid face.

“You act like you know everything, Dawson.” M

y voice was unsteady as its sound echoed throughout the kitchen. I walked towards him, pointing my finger in his face. “I know that you always used to beat me in Jeopardy and my God, I swear your head would grow ten times each time you did, but you don’t know everything, so stop acting like you do!”

“Like what?” he shouted, bringing his hands out in front of him. “What changed that I don’t know about? Did you go back in time just now and come see me to tell me that you were okay, or at least where the hell you were? The last fucking time I saw you was when you were crumbled in front of your burning house, crying your eyes out.” He paused, breathing so hard his nostrils flared every few seconds. “And, I could still school you in Jeopardy.”

I would have laughed if he hadn’t just implied that I had literally just skipped out on our friendship without even attempting to contact him.

I was pissed beyond belief. He had been holding a grudge for the last six years over the fact that I hadn’t let him know that I was okay, and I had been holding a grudge for the last six years that when I had attempted to see him again, he was with stupid, slutty Breanna having a jolly ol’ time.

What a freaking predicament we were in.

I backed away slowly, still keeping ahold of his eye. We were staring at one another so intently that World War Three could have been occurring around us and we wouldn’t dare break eye contact.

“I don’t have to go back in time, Dawson,” I said, feeling my heart break a little in my chest as I replayed the memory in my head. “I did come back.”

Then I spun on my heel and marched right through my front door, leaving him standing there to simmer in what I’d just said.

There! He can deal with that all by himself, jerk!