Sucker Punch

Chapter Twelve

Ivy

Figures that when things are going well for me, the family wrecking balls knocks down what I've worked to build. 

"He was so...scary, V. I thought - I thought he was gonna hurt me." My sister can barely get the words out through her tears.

"It'll be okay, just stay out of the house until I get there. Go to Abue's h-"

"I miss having them here."  Who? I can barely understand her through the sniffling. "Things were almost normal that week they stayed to take care of Papi. Almost like when Mom was..."

I inhale sharply. Things weren't perfect, but our mother always protected us. And now Nadia's on her own in that house.

"Just go to Abue's house. I'll be there in a few hours." My heart breaks not going to the Halloween party, especially because it's mine and Finn's first outing as an official couple, but someone has to tame my father.

"Don't bother. Seriously. He's already passed out in his bedroom. He'll be hungover the rest of the day. I'll just go back to avoiding him," she sounds resigned.

"No, Nadi-"

"Ivy. There's nothing you can do. It'd be a waste of a trip." Silence. Then,  "I just wish it didn't have to be like this all that time."

For the first time in my life, I feel angry at my mother. Angry she didn't leave my father and take my sisters and I with her. Angry she thought "protecting" us meant putting herself in front of us, instead of leaving him. 

I close my eyes and take another deep breath. I will never understand why people stay in abusive relationships. It's not my place to judge, I remind myself. You never really know until you're in that position yourself.

My thoughts take a dark detour when I remember Finn's past. What he's capable of doing. Fighting's second nature to him. But when I think him, my Finn, the warmth I feel on my skin tells me he'd never hurt me.

I check the time. 8:42 P.M. Finn was supposed to pick me up at 8:30 for the Halloween party, but he texted earlier saying he'd be a half hour late because he had to finish a homework assignment. I didn't mind the extra wait. More time for me to perfect my Game of Thrones-inspired costume.

After I calm myself down, I head to the bathroom to finish the curls on my blonde wig. The look is nearly complete when I hear a thud at the front door. Finn?

There's another thud, then a brushing sound. Like someone is rubbing against the door. Falling against the door?

I look through the peep-hole but it's obscured by...hair? Fur?

When I open the door Galeria and Adam nearly tumble inside, their lips swollen and wet from making out.

"Oh. My. God."

"Ivy! I thought you'd be at the party already."

After picking my jaw up off the floor I stutter out, "Huh- Why- Since when- What?"  WHAT?

Gal pats down her hair and straightens out her busty pirate blouse.  "We, uh, we bumped into each at the bar one night a couple weeks ago. A little alcohol was involved, and one thing led to another..."

"This has been going on for weeks now?" I wag my finger between the two of them.

They both nod sheepishly. "You," I point to Adam now, "shouldn't you be at YOUR party?"

Adam's been silent this whole and now he looks to Gal for what to say. She just lifts her hands as if to say "You're on your own."

"Well, it's still early." The red tint on his cheeks is possibly the sweetest thing I've ever seen on a guy. "We thought we'd, um, get some alone time. Before things got too crazy."

I still don't understand why they kept it a secret.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I say to Galeria.

She sighs, "Honestly, I felt kinda slutty. I know you would never judge me, but Jay and I just broke up a few weeks ago and there's something that feels sleazy about jumping from one guy to the next."

"C'mon, there's no such thing as "slutty." I'm glad you're moving on, G." My friend deserves someone as amazing as she is. And I'm glad to have this distraction from my daddy drama.

I'm about to spew some more platitudes when I notice the headband atop Adam's head. And, is he wearing a skirt?

"Who are you supposed to be?"

"Blair Waldorf," he says like it's obvious. Galeria shrugs.

Blair Waldorf and a pirate. They certainly make a unique couple.

"Ivy? Why's the door open?" We must've forget to shut the door because Finn walks in and look just as surprised as I was to see Adam.

 "Adam?" 

"He's Blair Waldorf. From Gossip Girl," I tell him.

"Oh, I know. Last year he was Elena from Vampire Diaries. But..." he points at Adam's hand around Galeria's hip.

"Yes, yes. We just went over this. We're a thing. Get over it." 

Gal smirks at Finn now. "Let's talk about you, Irish. You clean up nice." I can't say I'm particularly fond of the way my friend is looking at my boyfriend.

But good God and all that is holy, he does look good. He's shirtless except for the wide leather belt across his abdomen, showing off his broad shoulders and defined chest. The paint on his skin only helps accentuate the swell of his pecs. 

"We'll see you guys at the party." I grab Finn's hand and drag him out of the apartment.

As soon as the stairwell door shuts behind us, he grabs my waist and pushes me against the wall. Our mouth's meet instantly.

The end of October means the days are finally as cold as the nights, but as I run my hands over his chest and up this shoulders, I feel his skin blazing. A thrill pierces me knowing I'm the one making him feel this way.

I'm wearing a backless halter top and low-cut skirt, and as his fingers grip my bare skin, I'm acutely aware this is the first time we've ever been skin-to-skin. My confidence has grown with each kiss and touch. Even now, as my mouth ventures to his neck, below his ear. I feel it. That I'm his and he's mine. He always let me set the limits, something that makes me even more sure of our relationship, and while he's never pushed for more, he has to want more.

Hell, I want more. More of him. More with him.

But what if I'm reading him wrong? I'm still too scared of making a fool of myself.

A door above us slams and we jolt apart, but he arms remain circled around me, keeping me warm.

"I haven't told you how amazing you look," he says with a husky voice.

"You haven't," I reply smugly, though my insides are oatmeal after his compliment.

"Well, you look amazing." He steps back, taking the sight of me in, and I swear his eyes are lasers shredding my skin with heat.

"And beautiful. And I can't believe I get to walk into this party with you as my girlfriend."

Mush. My brain is mush right now, so I let my body take over and I pull his face to mine and press my lips against his.

"We won't make it to this party if you keep saying things like that."

"I don't think I wanna go to this party if you do that every time I call you beautiful."

I slip out of his hold and head down the stairs and he follows, taking my hand. I was going for coy, but really, I just didn't know how to respond. I'm new at the boyfriend thing, and I'm really new at the sex thing. As in, never had it.