Smoke and sparks

Chapter 3: smoke and sparks

Unknown Number: your beauty is as radiant as ever…just like I remembered.

Ivy stared at the message as though it might disappear if she as much as just blinked her eyes. Her thumb was suspended over the screen, her mind raced, and her heart thumped. The light from her phone cast a silhouette across her room.

She did not reply. She couldn't bring herself to.

She turned off the phone and flung it on the drawers as though it scorched her. She did not attempt to move and just sat there, looking at the wall with her pulse roaring in her ears.

It was just an unknown number. Maybe a prank… not anything to be worried about.

Yet it felt so unmistakable and personal.

The oddest part was that only one face came to her mind immediately after she read it.

Liam…

She picked up the phone and opened the message again. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, contemplating.

Who are you? 

Too immature.

What do you want from me?

Too guarding. 

She erased the reply sighed frustratedly and flung the phone on the bed.

It was morning and the sun shined too bright for the heaviness in her heart. Ivy strolled to the kitchen wearing just a big T-shirt and shorts. Evelyn had already left— to God knows where… she most likely went to some charity event or spa day or whatever rich widow thing she was feigning made her fulfilled.

And thankfully Rowan was nowhere to be seen.

The comforting silence was cut short as the front door swung open.

“Ivy”!

Charlotte's voice vibrated through the silence like a thunderclap.

Ivy winced. “Ugh, you have a spare key, char. Do you always have to yell like you're being chased by something?”

“Yes, because someday something or someone might be, maybe then you'll realize I was being reasonable,” Charlotte said as she threw her bag on the kitchen counter and headed straight for the fridge.

“Since when do you not respond to my texts, I sent you many texts yesterday.”

Ivy helped herself to coffee, her eyes still blurry. “I had a strange day.”

Charlotte twirled around, holding a bowl of berries. “Strange,? as in I saw a monkey doing the hula strange or talking chicken strange?”

“What,? Char, no. What goes on in that head of yours.?

“I'm just asking” Charlotte shrugged. 

“So tell me, how was your day str…?”

“I met him” Ivy blurted interrupting Charlotte.

Charlotte batted.  “Him, who…?”

“The him.”

Her best and only friend dropped the berries. “You are kidding.”

“I want to”

“ wait, you mean the same Liam with no last name?” Charlotte said with her voice sounding a little high-pitched. “The Mr one Night Stand with eyes that could see through your soul Liam?”

“Yes, the one and only. And oh turns out he has a last name. It's Hartwell.”

Charlotte dramatically flung both hands in the air. “Girlfriend, why am I hearing about this just now?!”

“Because I was trying to convince myself that it didn't happen, that none of it was real,” Ivy said taking a sip of her coffee. “As I saw him, all the feelings I tried so hard not to feel for two years just blasted back to me.”

With her eyes narrowed, Charlotte stretched out and held Ivy’s hand in comfort. “Here, sit. You're going to tell me everything without leaving out any details.

Ivy’s grip on the coffee mug tensed as she took a pause. She inhaled the aroma of the coffee which did nothing to soothe her nerves. 

“Everything about him was and felt different,” she muttered.

Charlotte adjusted her posture and posed like a tiger prepared to pounce. “Girl tell me, how precisely did you guys meet? Don't tell me you bumped into each other at the coffee shop.”

“No” Ivy answered shaking her head “Interview. For the secretary job.”

“You're joking right?” 

“I had no idea it was his company, Char. Seriously. I was seated like usual, waiting and hoping that the interview wouldn't end like the previous ones I've had. Then he strode through the door like destiny longed to whack me in the face.”

Charlotte gasped and placed her hand dramatically on her chest. “So did he recognize you?”

“Yes. Absolutely”

“Holy fuck! Charlotte whispered, then loudly holy fucking shit.”

“Jesus char! My eardrums are bleeding”

“Right. I'm sorry, but girl are you okay?”

Ivy sighed and rubbed her temple “ I'm fine. I just wasn't expecting to see him. Or receive any text from him but…”

“Wait, what! Did he send you a text?”

Ivy unlocked her phone and gave it to Charlotte 

With one of her brows furrowed Charlotte went through the message.

“I didn't reply.”

“You shouldn't. I mean we don't even know if it's him. For all we know, it could be some random prank call” Charlotte shrugged

“I know it's him, I can feel it char. You should have seen the way he looked at me with so much intensity. And I'm sure it was just because he recognized me, he looked at me like he was making a decision.”

“What decision Ivy”

“I have no idea. Probably decided whether to devour me or give me the job.”

“Hot,” Charlotte joked, then reached over and gave Ivy’s hand a soft squeeze. “You’re sure you are good?

Ivy paused, then bobbed her head. “I'm okay, I was just caught off guard and confused. His appearance now just seems like a threat to all the effort I have put into moving forward from everything. I just….”

Charlotte moved to give her a squishing side hug. “It's okay love, you know you’ve got me. Now can you give your Char one of those award-winning smiles?

Regardless of herself, Ivy chuckled softly.

“That's my girl,” Charlotte said teasingly as she Ivy cheeks.

“I have to go now, text me if anything comes up. I love you!!” Charlotte yelled moving toward the door and stepping out.

“Love you too!” Ivy yelled back. 

The house returned to being silent as a cemetery. Ivy decided to return to her room to read a book. She proceeded to dump the remaining coffee in the kitchen sink but hesitated immediately after she heard her phone buzz.

She reached out to grab the phone from the counter. It was a text message from an unknown number. But it was a different one this time.

Ivy's eyes widened, and her mouth fell open as she opened the message. The phone almost dropped to the ground from shock…