Vivi

Chapter 22

Ivy

"Nothing really, he just pissed me off. He said some stuff about Sebastian and then some stuff about how it was impolite of me to ask about his best friend when he and I were flinging. Then it escalated with him talking about how very busy he was with the girl downstairs and--" I stop myself and wave my hand as if I'm expelling the whole thing from my train of thought.

"It was a bunch of bullshit and it worked." I end with before looking over at Malia. She has a confused look on her face and I raise an eyebrow at her as if to say, 'what.'

"Ivy, I'm River's closest cousin, right? The person he's lived with for three years now." I nod at her waiting for what exactly it is she's trying to say.

"It's safe to say I know him. I know that under all that hostility and manwhoring he's human just like everyone else. I know that he loves to act like he's some sort of robot and it's clear as day now that he's not." I furrow my eyebrows waiting for her point still.

"Trust me when I say that I think River is developing some feelings for you." She says as if it's a simple fact, not a life-altering problem. That's what that would be, a fucking problem. I shake my head in denial and she sighs.

"Trust me, Ivy. Something is going on and I know you don't want something to be going on, but this is the reality. River has watched multiple of the girls he's taken home stick their tongue down Gray's throat and he's never batted an eyelash at it.

"Some try to make him jealous and it never works yet here he is mad as hell that you were speaking to Sebastian and only slightly flirting with Gray." She says and I stare at her in disbelief. She can't possibly believe that River, River Martinez, is developing feelings for me, Ivy Myles.

"You don't believe me," Malia says before sighing.

"Malia, I trust you with my life, right? But this, this is some next-level shit." I say while motioning around us as if the words she's spoken are floating around. She laughs at me and I stare at her in confusion.

"You think that trusting me when I tell you that River has human feelings is bigger than you trusting me with your life." She says between laughs and I laugh slightly with her.

"He's River Martinez, Malia. My whole life he's always just been... there. How am I supposed to believe that now after all these years he's developing feelings, which I didn't believe he could ever have, for me of all people." I say and she nods her head in understanding.

"The whole all these years thing is totally irrelevant, I'll have you know." She says and I tilt my head to the side.

"Oh really? Explain to me how." I say with a smirk and she smiles.

"Gladly. You and River hadn't spoken until this year, correct?" She asks and I stutter on a response.

"Exactly. I doubt he even knew your name before you moved in, but then you did and you were right in front of him. No more ignoring Malia's totally gorgeous best friend for him. Then he started to realize, 'hey this girl is not only the most beautiful human being I've ever seen in my entire life, but she's also a really interesting person.' Thus, feelings are stirring." She explains and I stare at her.

"That's nice, that's nice. Are you writing some sort of fantasy novel?" I mock and she shakes her head at me.

"Fine, be in denial all you want. I know the truth and eventually so will you. Who knows maybe someday you will fall for the man behind the whole bad guy 'thing' as you called it." She says with a huge smile on her face.

Oh, so now Malia decides she's team River... not that he's actually in the running because there is no way anything she's said is true.

River