Chasing Ivy (Oak Hill 1)

“Are you ready to be welcomed back into our sleepy ol’ town once again?” Becca asked, not even laying a pinky toe on our previous conversation.

I grinned, thinking back to when Eric called my favorite place in the entire world a Podunk, stupid, sleepy-town. I almost wanted to take a picture of myself in my super-hot outfit at the bar, having fun with my old friends, and send it to him.

I wanted to pair it with a middle finger emoji and tell him he was missing out.

???

“Dawson’s here,” Becca whispered, grabbing my hand and placing it in hers.

“How do you know?” My heart jumped for two completely different reasons; I was overly excited to see him but also totally nervous that Breanna would be with him.

“That’s his truck,” Becca threw her head in the direction of a navy blue GMC Sierra truck that looked brand new. It had the famous Lanning Construction logo plastered on the side.

My stomach twisted and lurched like I was going to puke up the Ramen noodles I’d scarfed down after work (don’t judge, I may be twenty-three and have a well-established bank account, but I still lived like the college student I never truly got to be).

Becca pulled open the door to Ships and I was immediately greeted with neon signs glowing on every single wall. My eyes swept over the bright lights overhead and then made their way around the establishment, looking for only one person in particular.

Becca giggled. “I feel like I should lay out a red carpet for you.”

I laughed at her, hoping it would make it seem like I was totally at ease.

At first, I spotted Max from across the room, standing near a pool table. I couldn’t help the cheesy smile that molded to my face. He waved so frantically at me that I actually started to laugh. I gave him a small wave and then moved my attention apprehensively to the bar.

Dawson’s sculpted face was hidden underneath a woman's bleach-blonde head of hair but I knew it was him. My body reacted before my brain even registered it; a tingle of excitement came over me only to be quickly shut down when Breanna’s head popped up.

I felt like I’d been cut.

Am I bleeding?!

The jealously that sparked from deep within caused me to grind my teeth.

My God, I was acting like Dawson was my ex-lover and I had just seen him fucking some other girl. Jealousy reared its ugly head and I wanted to duck out of Sailed Ships immediately.

But then he turned and flicked his eyes up to mine. I only held his stare for a few seconds if that, but I swore he was telling me something with his eyes.

I wasn’t sure what, but he was definitely trying to convey something to me at that moment.

Breanna pulled his attention back, causing my gaze to lock onto her platinum-colored hair and slutty, pink dress. Then when I found her narrowed eyes, she was glaring at me with such hatred that I was almost convinced I’d done something terrible to her.

Had I run over her cat?

Had I wrecked into her car?

Had I murdered her best friend?

The world may never know because I was about three seconds away from being murdered by a pair of mascara-laden blue eyes.

Maturity would probably have been a better tactic for me to take, as I was literally looking into the future and seeing my own death at the hands of a manicured Barbie, but the jealous fifteen-year-old girl inside of me emerged and I narrowed my gaze right back at her and smiled widely. I also waved, my fingers twinkling towards her opened mouth.

I could have sworn I saw Dawson’s lip twitch, but his face was quickly out of my sight as Max appeared in front of me, holding his arms out for a giant hug.

“I can’t believe you’re back, Ivy!” Max pulled me up and swung me around the bar.

“I’m glad you’re happy to see me,” I giggled as he put me back onto the sticky bar floor.

Max grinned. “Come on, you two. Come sit with me back here. It’s quieter and… less catty.”

I snickered as Becca and I followed him to his booth. I looked over at her, making sure she was following and suddenly she looked nervous and a little bit frazzled. Her cheeks were a little darker than normal, too, but maybe it was just the weird way the bar lights made everyone look like Avatars.