𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐨́𝐧 𝐈𝐯𝐲

𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟐𝟗.

Ivy's Pov
I happily hummed the rhythms of "Higher" by Tems to myself as I quickly slipped my red hoodie over my head and donned my comfortable sweatpants. With careful precision, I gathered my freshly pressed hair into a high ponytail, then reached for my Tom Ford perfume, spritzing the fresh mist over myself. It had been a day since I last spoke to Armani, and I found myself missing her dearly. She had no idea I was planning to visit her, and I wanted to surprise her.

It felt like an eternity since I had last spoken to her, and I pondered deeply whether she missed me or not. The fact that she hadn't reached out to me, and I hadn't reached out to her, genuinely frightened me. However, today was the day I was determined to put a stop to it. I was beginning to feel increasingly exasperated with the entire situation, and I yearned for nothing more than to be close to her.

Giving myself a final glance in the mirror, I seized my purse, turned off all my bedroom lights, and descended the stairs. I conducted a thorough check of the house, ensuring that all the lights were off and the side and back doors were securely locked before stepping out. After locking the door behind me, I stepped onto the porch. The wind was brisk, and it was evident that there had been a heavy downpour while I was asleep, as it hadn't been raining when I went to bed.

In the corner of my eye, I noticed a trail of roses leading to a bouquet teetering on the edge of my porch. I frowned but chose to ignore it, thinking it was a bouquet someone had given me that I'd placed outside for sunlight and forgotten about. I shrugged and stepped off the porch, getting straight into my car.

Driving down the lengthy roads, I glanced down into my cup holder where my phone was resting, noticing it was starting to ring. Seeing that the contact name read Ax, I furrowed my eyebrows, as this was the last name I expected at the moment. I looked back up and noticed I was approaching a red light, so I gradually slowed down and stopped my car. Before picking up my phone, I answered it, and it automatically connected to my radio.

"Hello, Ax?"

"I-Ivy, how are you?" Ax asked, his voice quivering with hesitation as if he were uncertain about the call. I furrowed my eyebrows, casting a quick glance down at the phone, as though he could perceive my expression.

"I'm doing well, is everything okay? This seems rather unexpected," I remarked, letting out a nervous chuckle to dispel the awkwardness in the air. The line went silent for a few moments, and by then the red light had turned green, prompting me to drive off. I could hear some shuffling in the background before Ax's voice returned to the conversation.

"Are you busy?" Ax asked, ignoring my question.

I tilted my head at the sudden question, my suspicion growing with each passing second. "No, not currently, but I was on my way to visit Armani. Is there something that you need?" I replied, my voice tinged with curiosity and a hint of wariness.

"Meet me at the café next to my tattoo shop now," Ax demanded, his tone serious, sending a shiver down my spine. After saying that, he immediately hung up the phone, not even giving me a chance to respond. Stunned and speechless, I stopped my car, shifted into reverse, and made a U-turn. I had no idea what was happening and could only hope that everything was alright.