“About time,” Kathryn says, standing to greet me with a hug as I approach the table. “We were starting to think you ditched us—and oh my, that dress.” Her gaze sweeps down my frame approvingly. “You look gorgeous.”Heat rises to my cheeks and I blush a little before tilting my head back up. “I would
IVYThe sun is sinking low, painting the horizon in shades of orange as we step off the yacht. The dock creaks beneath our feet, the boards warm from a day of heat. Kathryn and Elena flank me on either side, laughter bubbling from the three of us as we replay something Chase said earlier. Or rather,
“Whoa,” she raises her free hand, brows lifted. “What’s with the defensiveness? I was only asking because I was worried. Her face really did go pale, Chase.”“She was fine,” I cut her off, shrugging. “She was probably seasick, or hangovered from the wine she drowned last night.”Kathryn doesn’t repl
She scoffs, pushing me away playfully. “You wish. Pretty sure that was just the wind.” She stuffs her jumpsuit into her bag, striding past me toward the swim platform, but I catch her wrist before she escapes, pulling her softly against my chest.“Be careful out there,” I whisper in her ear. “I don’
CHASEShe’s laughing. Actually laughing. The wind whips Ivy’s hair wild as she grips the wheel, her sunglasses slipping down her nose. The hat she’d been clinging to earlier is long gone, and the sound bubbling from her chest doesn’t belong to the woman who nearly fell apart an hour ago.“She is rea
Kathryn tilts her head, curiosity sharp behind her glasses. “How comes? Aren’t you tired of the drama New York spits out every other week?”Before I can scramble for something clever, Elena jumps in, her green eyes darting between us like she’s tossing a grenade into the conversation. “Speaking of d