3

Ivy Chase

~•~

Tears rolled down my eyes as I walked in the cold rain. I was frustrated and angry because Sebastian didn’t even care to come after me.

It was dark and rain pounded against my skin as I walked through the streets of New York.

A part of me was scared and I increased my pace in order to get back home quickly. My heart raced with every step I took, it wasn’t safe for me to be outside all by myself.

Just as I turned around to the corner of a street, the sound of a car horn echoed through the air. I hestistawd for a moment, wondering if I should turn around.

Maybe, just maybe, Sebastian had finally come to his senses and was chasing after me.

I turned slowly and let out a disappointed scoff as I realized that it wasn’t Sebastian’s car. Just as I was about to continue walking, I heard a familiar voice.

“Hop in the car, it’s not safe to walk alone in the dark.” Parker’s voice pierced through the quiet air. I stood still as he gestured for me to get into his car.

I rolled my eyes and continued walking.

Parker didn’t give up. He slowed the car to my pace and kept on trying to get my attention even though I pretended like I wasn’t seeing him.

I couldn’t get into his car. He was the main reason I found myself in an uncomfortable situation with my boyfriend.

I mean, I couldn’t completely blame him because I had no idea how we even got into the same room. But I knew it wouldn’t be a good idea to get into his car.

“No, thank you.” I politely declined his offer when I realized he wasn’t giving up anytime soon. “I’m good, I can walk back home by myself.”

When he saw I wasn’t willing to listen to him, he parked the car and got outside. Then he walked up to me and stopped me in my tracks.

“Ivy, please just get into the car.” He pleaded, his voice laced with concern. “You don’t have to speak to me but I can’t leave you here. It’s raining and it’s dark.”

He was right. I was already drenched and almost shivering. Maybe getting into his car wouldn’t hurt. Besides, he would drop me off soon and I wouldn’t get to see him anymore.

He led me to his car and handed me a clean towel from the back seat. I dried off my clothes and settled down on the passenger’s seat.

“What were you doing at the restaurant?” I demanded as he settled down beside me. “It seems like you were enjoying what was happening between me and my boyfriend.”

Parker laughed. “It was entertaining to watch but I wasn’t enjoying it.” He responded as he started the car engine and drove into the street.

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, right,” I replied, running my fingers through my wet hair. “Did you say anything to Sebastian?” I asked, raising a suspicious brow at him.

Parker hesitated for a while, then he let out a deep sigh. “Did he tell you that I said something to him?” He asked, instead of giving me an answer.

“I don’t know what kind of sick games the both of you are playing with me,” I replied, frustration evident in my voice.

Sebastian was eager to know what happened last night like he already had an idea of what I had done. Plus, I didn’t think it was a coincidence that Parker happened to be at the same restaurant we were having dinner.

It was also unusual for Sebastian to ignore Parker’s presence at the restaurant. I mean, for someone who had a lot of bad things to say about Parker, he acted unbothered by his presence.

Parker let out a soft chuckle as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Why do you think I would play sick games with you?” He asked, his eyes focused on the road.

I let out a disbelieving scoff. “Are you seriously asking me that? Like I said earlier, you are probably trying to revenge Sebastian or something, so you chose to mess with me instead.”

Parker laughed. “Since when are we enemies?” He asked, his eyes darting between me and the road.

I blinked, clearly taken aback by his question. “Excuse me?”

“You act like I’ve done something unspeakable to you.” He glanced at me. “Remind me. What exactly did I do to you?”

I opened my mouth to speak, but couldn’t form any words. My mind scrambled for an answer but I couldn’t think of anything.

After a few seconds, I cleared my throat and replied. “What do you mean? Don’t we hate each other? Don’t you hate my boyfriend?” I asked, staring at him.

“You realize we were actually good friends before you got into a relationship with Sebastian, right?” Parker asked, smacking his lips.

Parker was right. After I got together with Sebastian, I sort of shut out most of my friends. It wasn’t something I was proud of, but it happened.

I remained silent.

“We used to be cool but all of a sudden, you started acting like I was the worst person on earth.” Parker continued, his voice tight. “I’m curious to know, Ivy. Tell me what I did to you.”

I looked outside the window, trying to think of something. But nothing came to my mind. I had no real crime to pin on him. I couldn’t say I hated him because of anything he did to me.

I just assumed he was a horrible person because of all the stories Sebastian had been telling me. The realization made me feel like I was a shitty person.

There was an uncomfortable silence for a few minutes. I had no idea what to say to Parker. I was feeling ashamed because I didn’t have an answer to his question.

“I found out what happened last night,” Parker said, breaking the silence and changing the topic of conversation.

“What happened last night?” I asked, looking at him in anticipation.

“Someone set you up, and I caught the guy who was originally sent to your room. Do you want to meet him?”

My eyes grew wide in shock as I tried to process what I had just heard. “Hu….huh? Wha…who?” I stuttered as I tried to form a coherent sentence.