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...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
✲ ✲ ✲
I V Y T H O M P S O N
A pair of soft lips press to the back of my shoulder as I stir from my dreamless sleep. I knew I would pass out after spending the night with JJ and everything else that went on but all I wanted to think about was being in his arms and how that made me feel whole.
My heart has been empty for some time. A great big gaping hole directly in the middle that I didn't think would ever be able to form again. But here I am being proved wrong, so damn wrong.
JJ kisses me again but this time at the bottom of my spine. I can't stop the smile that forms on my face as he pulls me closer, our naked bodies tangling together. With one hand he brushes my hair away to reveal my pale skin. Another kiss that makes me tingle.
I shut my eyes at how good his lips feel, how delicate a few pecks can make me feel absolutely everything. "Mmm," he whispers against my skin. "I want to wake up to you in my bed everyday."
"Me too," I nod in agreement. "Good morning."
"Morning, princess," he nuzzles his head into my shoulder. "How are you feeling this morning?"
A small hum falls from my lips. "I think I'm okay," I say quietly. My fingers run along his bare arm, ones that are wrapped around my waist. "I'm just glad that I'm with you. I didn't want to be anywhere else."
He squeezes me somewhat tighter without suffocating me. "I don't want you anywhere else either," he grumbles in that sleepy voice that still hasn't gone away. "I love being with you."
Heat spreads across my cheeks as I close my eyes, exhaling a breath of relief and contentment. "I love being with you too."
JJ's hands attempt to turn me around in his hold, my hair spraying across his pillow as our eyes meet. He's already smiling and it makes my stomach flip into a thousand somersaults. Those dark eyes which look like they hold a mystery are quite the opposite, he's open and honest and I adore that about him.
He cradles the side of my face as he flicks his gaze over every inch, taking in every freckle that I own. "This summer has been the best summer of my life."
I raise my eyebrows. "Really?"
"Yeah," he rasps. "I met you. My mother's treatment is going well. I get to spend it in one of the most beautiful places. It's been the best few months."
For some reason a lump forms in my throat when I realise that summer is over soon. We'll have to go back to University for another year and I don't know how that's going to work out.
JJ must realise that something is wrong because his brows press down into a frown. "What?"
"We both go back to University when our last year starts," I say under my breath.
