𝔼𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕘𝕣𝕖𝕖𝕟

Chapter 30 : Gluten free

When Tyler walks through the door on Tuesday, Alex is nowhere to be seen, and Ivy is sitting quietly on the sofa, lost in thought. She turns her head just enough to offer him a weak smile, her face barely lit by the glow from the window.

“Please,” Tyler says, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes, “please tell me nothing happened, and you’re okay.”

Ivy watches him, her gaze steady but distant, before she rises, dragging her feet slightly as she walks toward him. “Alex should be back soon,” she says, but she stands on her toes to press a soft kiss to her brother’s cheek. He frowns but stays quiet as she takes his bags from him.

She starts up the stairs, and Tyler follows, her small talk carrying a hint of curiosity. “How was it?” Ivy asks as she tosses his bags onto his bed and begins unpacking them as if they were her own.

“Good. Found some people to work at the club—they start tomorrow,” he replies, placing his products neatly in the bathroom.

Ivy is still folding his clothes when he’s done, so Tyler sits on the bed, silently watching her. There’s something about her—something heavy—hanging in the air. She hums softly, smiling up at him, but doesn’t add anything.

“Rosa and Charles say ‘hello.’ They miss you,” Tyler says carefully. “They’re coming here for your birthday.”

At that, Ivy’s face lights up. She stops folding, looking at him with something close to relief. “Really?”

“Really,” Tyler assures her with a small smile.

But as she struggles to close the zipper on one of the shirts, her expression clouds over, and she throws it back into the suitcase with a sigh. Tyler can’t help but notice that she seems even more worn down than the last time he was home.

Tyler watches her, waiting, sensing she has more to say. She doesn’t meet his gaze, instead tracing the blue patterns on a shirt with her finger.

“What happened…” he says quietly, more as a gentle prompt than a question.

She lets out a barely audible sigh, her brow furrowing as she whispers, “Alex.”

Tyler reaches out, pulling her close and settling her onto his lap. He strokes her hair, his fingers brushing through the strands as he notes, “You cut your hair.”

A soft laugh escapes her, cutting through the tension. “Alex convinced me,” she replies.

“Well, I’d be mad at him, too,” Tyler jokes, a teasing glint in his eye.

She swats his chest, and he chuckles. “I think it looks lovely,” he says, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. She sinks into him, letting herself relax in his arms.

After a few minutes, Tyler gently asks, “What did he do?”

Ivy pulls back slightly, looking him in the eyes. “He didn’t… hurt me. Not physically, at least.”

Tyler sighs, his voice soft but resolute. “Alex would never lay a hand on you. I just want to know what he did.”

She looks away, her face hardening. “Something I’m not ready to forgive. Not this time.”

Tyler can tell she isn’t going to talk about it, and he doesn’t push. They sit like this in silence until Ivy’s eyes start to drift shut, her breathing slowing. When he’s sure she’s fallen asleep, he gently eases her off, dropping a soft kiss to her hand before slipping out and closing the door quietly behind him.

Downstairs, Tyler freezes when he sees Alex coming through the door. They exchange a tense look.

“We should talk,” Tyler says, brushing past Alex’s shoulder and heading to the kitchen.