Chapter 7

Ivy lowered her eyes, said nothing, didn't look at him, and treated him like he wasn't there.

Eleanor looked at her son's furrowed brows, then at the silent Ivy, and sighed. "It's Ivy, she's—"

Damon cut her off and turned to Ivy. "You're going to the Capital? Right, you mentioned wanting to visit your aunt. But you're hurt pretty badly right now, it's not a good time to travel. How about we wait a bit? I'll wrap things up here and go with you, we can stay for a while."

Ivy suddenly found it almost laughable.

She had indeed told Damon before that she wanted to go to Havenridge to visit her aunt.

Damon had agreed to go with her.

So why didn't they end up going?

Because Sienna had said enviously how lucky Ivy was to always have someone to go places with, unlike herself, who'd grown up in a small fishing village, had never seen the world, and was too scared to go out alone.

So Damon, wanting to show her the world, had secretly canceled the tickets to Havenridge and taken Sienna abroad for two weeks instead.

That night, Ivy had waited at the airport until late, worried something had happened to Damon, calling him over and over, only to see at dawn a photo Sienna had posted on social media — a picture of her and Damon, tagged at a foreign airport.

Now that Ivy had given up on him, Damon was saying he'd go with her.

Too bad she'd long stopped hoping.

Ivy took a deep breath, wanting to tell Damon everything clearly — she wasn't going to visit family, she was going to get married, and she wasn't staying temporarily, she was settling in Havenridge for good. Unless something major happened, she'd never come back to Thornfield.

But the moment she got out the words "You don't need to come with me," Damon scoffed. "Don't need me? Then who? That pretty boy who brought you gifts the other day? Don't tell me you're planning to go alone. You're so scatterbrained you'd misread the boarding time and end up crying for me to come get you."

Ivy felt drained, wanting to say she really didn't need him.

She had no interest in having her ex-fiance watch her wedding.

But before she could speak, Damon glanced down at his phone and turned to leave. "Alright, you look perfectly fine, so I'm not worried. Sienna's alone and scared, I'm going back to her. As for the Capital trip, I'll go with you once you've healed."

Then he flashed a smile at Eleanor. "Mom, thanks for taking care of your future daughter-in-law."

Eleanor shot him an annoyed look and told him to get lost.

"Damon," Ivy called out softly. "Goodbye."

Damon felt a sudden wave of unease he couldn't quite explain.

But he assumed Ivy speaking to him meant she was done being angry, and his mood lifted immediately. He walked back over and ruffled her hair. "Bye, Ivy. I'll bring you a little cake tomorrow."

Ivy looked at him long and hard.

Damon didn't bother reading into her expression. He turned and left to find Sienna, his steps noticeably lighter.

Eleanor watched his retreating figure, then looked at Ivy, and let out a silent sigh.