𝐈𝐓'𝐒 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐍𝐃 | 𝐉𝐉 𝐌𝐀𝐘𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐊

𝟐𝟏

-

Ivy was sweating from the amount of work she'd been doing the last few hours, the four had used almost the whole of the rope before they had successfully got the contraption running properly. Trial and error was the best way to describe the process. Ivy had been sitting in the bucket hung up on the tree when it almost fell to the ground, luckily JJ and Kiara were able to catch it before she got hurt but still after that she hopped out and stood next to Pope promising herself to not get back in that thing.

Kiara stepped in and made JJ promise not to let her fall or he'd receive a hard beating, JJ looked and Ivy with a smirk as to say not the first time I've heard that, Ivy didn't smile back at him and just rolled her eyes, she didn't like how easily he was able to joke about his abuse. Ivy also thought it was a poor choice of words from Kiara but she assumed that Kiara wasn't thinking about it at the time, in all fairness Ivy would probably say the same thing if she were still up there.

"Okay it should work this time, I've tied a tighter knot, Kie you shouldn't fall," Pope tells her while grabbing the end of the rope he is meant to pull.

"I better not" Her tone is stern, she is holding on the rope above her very tightly, in case she falls. If she does Ivy knows she'll crack a smile, people falling has always been a weak spot for her humour.

JJ sends Ivy a hopeful glance from across the lawn and Ivy returns the gesture, this is their last chance otherwise they will have to go buy more rope.

Pope begins pulling on the rope and Kiara slowly and surprisingly steadily comes closer to the ground. Relived JJ goes to sit on the nearby hot tub, which still has champagne in it and the lights turned on.

'how's it feeling?" Pope asks Kiara, clearly impressed at his efforts. Ivy herself was impressed by Pope, he did design the whole thing and after more than a few times of it failing it finally worked.

"feels good" Kiara says even more amazed and very relieved, Ivy could tell she was certain she was going to get dropped.

"Good on ya Pope, you built something really great here" She gives Pope a small pay on the back for his efforts.

"thanks but I couldn't have done it without you all"

"let's be honest you could have" Ivy whispers to Pope which makes him grin, all four of them knew that Pope could've easily accomplished this alone but it didn't hurt having a few extra hands

"John B pulling a Houdini," JJ says from the hot tub while fiddling around with a bottle in the water.

"yeah where is he? I got my scholarship interview tomorrow morning, we gotta get this done"

Ivy thought back to early that morning, he said he was going out but with everything that had happened today she'd forgotten where. Ivy went to go over to JJ, she missed having her beside him since they started working she's barely spoken or been near him, they've exchanged a few glances, he even winked at her at one point but she missed his touch.

Right on cue, however, Ivy saw John B strolling up to them all, she smiled at him but he didn't return it.

JJ looked her way then turned to see what Ivy was looking at "speak of the devil" he says but John B doesn't look at JJ at all, he acts as if he's not even there.

"Hey!" JJ says trying to gain his attention, but he gets nothing."Dude, I set up the entire winch to pull up the gold and everything" He lies which earn a smirk from Ivy.

"No he did not" Pope jumps in to say exposing JJ's lie. " I did that" But John B doesn't seem to care he starts to pick up his pace as he enters the house and Ivy can clearly tell something is bothering him