Ivy knows it's time to return to her childhood seaside town to battle the demons of her past. Two years away from her friends, family and the beloved sandy beach that holds such a special place in her heart.
She knows the visit will be painful but...
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J J W O O D F O R D
Once the police are gone and Ben is taken away to the station, Andrea and James come home immediately. We loiter around the kitchen and I stare at her, wanting nothing more than to wrap her up in my arms and give her a massive cuddle that I know she needs. But in the company of Finn, I know better and to keep my distance right now.
Finn sits with her by the counter and no one says anything. I'm not entirely sure what there is to say but we both support her silently. As soon as her parents walk through the door, they're over Ivy like a rash and she crumbles.
I watch Finn as he walks outside into the garden and I follow him, giving Ivy the time to explain everything to her parents. I shut the door so that they can't hear our conversation. Finn stands at the edge of the patio and glances up at the starry sky.
"I'm proud of you," I call out to him.
He scoffs. "Why?"
"For not hitting him, for listening to what Ivy wants."
"I wanted to hurt him." His chest heaves. "He crossed a massive fucking line."
I press my hand to his shoulder. "And now he's going to go back to prison for breaking his restraining order. That could have been you getting arrested too and Ivy really doesn't need that right now. She needs her family around her."
"Yeah," he rasps after a few moments. "I know. Man, if he laid a finger on her–"
My head nods slowly. "I know, man. I know." I would have done the exact same.
"Thank you." He says suddenly.
I crease my brows. "For what?"
"For treating her like a sister too," he says quietly and the words make my stomach turn to cement. "I know you haven't known her long but thank you for always being there and not letting anyone chat shit to her, treat her any less than she deserves."
My lips press into a line as I stare at the fence, not chancing my luck at giving him a look because I'm sure my face is a dead giveaway of how I feel right now. "It's fine," I grind out, the words not sitting right on my chest. "She deserves to be happy."
Finn nods quickly. "She does," he says, his voice faltering for a moment. "That's all I want for her. I wish I could give it to her. I wish I could make everything better but it's never going to happen overnight."
I hum quietly because now I'm genuinely lost for words. In the back of my mind I pray that I make her as happy as she makes me. Which is a damn lot.
Fuck. I want to spill my guts. Tell him everything because he's my best friend. But I know better. It's something that Ivy needs to tell him, or we do it together. This isn't about me right now and I need to respect that, as much as I want him to know. I don't want things becoming worse before they're even better.
