Novel & Cerita Blooming Ivy Lane

After having been missing for many years, my biological parents found me at the age of sixteen. By that time, there was already someone else living in the family home who had taken my place as the Johnston family’s daughter. My parents, my older brother, and my fiance said warningly, “Don’t you dare act spoiled or entitled just because you’re a Johnston by blood. Also, don’t cause Hannah one ounce of trouble.” The entire family prioritized Hannah in every matter, which made me seem more like a maid whenever I was with them. For two years, I let them walk all over me, until they decided to use my near-perfect SAT score of 1550 to get Hannah, who had scraped together an 850, into an Ivy Le

She was a fan. Of my brother. A full-blown, delusional, glitter-heart fangirl. I stepped further inside. Her phone was still on the bed, screen lit up and yes, Brian Blake’s grinning face stared back at me like he knew. I was going to lose my mind. “You don’t knock now?” came Ivy’s voice from behind me. I turned. She stood in the doorway, arms crossed, hair still a little messy from sleep, and wearing that ridiculous robe that showed too much of her legs and not enough self-preservation.

“Then don’t. Say nothing. Ignore it. You’re not lying if you just… exist.” I leaned into him instinctively. The smell of cedar and smoke and him hit me like a wave. My chest pressed against his. My lips brushed his shoulder. My fingers clenched the fabric of his shirt. Ivy Monroe Hart. Married. Trembling. Terrified. And still… somehow, exactly where she wanted to be. But the phone buzzed again. I flinched. Not the world. Not yet.

Covered in foil. _Thump._ “Hi,” the woman said. Voice shaking. Not scared. Old. “I’m Margaret. I live three houses down. Blue one. With the roses. You… you probably don’t know me.” _Silence._ “We know you,” Adrian said. 64 BPM. “You left flowers. Day 52. On the gate. No card. White lilies. For Ivy.” Margaret’s eyes filled. Fast. Not court crying. Neighbor crying.

Just as I’m about to turn away, the door swings open. And there she is. Ivy. Wearing a black silk slip that could pass for a long blink. Her olive skin glows under the dim hallway light, her smile too knowing. Her eyes sparkle like she already knows what I’ll do next. "You came," she says, voice like honey spiked with smoke. Her accent still ruins me. Before I can answer, she grabs my hand and pulls me in. The scent of French cigarettes and coffee wraps around me like déjà vu. Typical Ivy.

Girl, if you think this is romance, you have no idea what else I’ve got in store for you. The bowling alleyis pretty packed when we enter. It’s retro, with neon lights, worn-out lanes, and the smell of cheap food and popcorn in the air. I was here a few weeks ago with some of the Bastards, hustling some guys who thought they were hot-shots. By the time the night was over, our pockets were fat with their cash. But this evening, I don’t want to see anyone but Ivy. She looks across the room, her eyes flashing with excitement. “Jeez, I haven’t been bowling in alongtime.”

"Why bring that up now? It's too early. Plus, the company's got me swamped, and I don't have time for a wedding." Holly gripped the fabric beneath her, her lower lip caught between her teeth in a bashful plea, "We don't have to have a wedding. I just want to make it official." Luke froze in his place. As the silence grew heavy, his ringing phone broke the tension. He stepped away to take the call, and Holly started to get dressed. A misstep sent her tumbling into the bushes, and a flash of red caught her eye. Shaking, she grabbed a tiny camera hidden among the leaves.

“Remain there. Hold still. Don't speak to anyone. I'll send you a car. My group will transport you to a safe area. I assure you Sophia you're safe.” She needed to be safe and I needed her to be a trustworthy witness in the future. She cried out “But what about Ivy?” “I'll track her down. That's what I've promised her and you. Simply remain there.” I hung up and started to dial another number. “Listen up Liam. The code is Red. Ivy has been abducted. Elvin Street Bookstore entrance to the alley. 17. Look for a loose floorboard she concealed something at the entrance. Now! I need eyes on that place.”

"And yet, there he is." Ivy swallowed hard, gripping the strap of her purse. This wasn’t her fight. It never had been. Without another word, she pushed open the grand double doors and stepped into the cool night air, letting the weight of the Hendrix mansion roll off her shoulders with every step she took toward her car.

Ivy collapses on the bed, some sort of warmth climbing into her heart. She notices the shadow standing by the door. It's Grant. "Come on in." She invites, sitting up. He doesn't move from his place by the door. "I have known you since you were a baby and I can't say I know a thing about you. A person who came out of a bad marriage should not be in a hurry to get into another, especially not with someone she has no feelings for. So why?" Ivy smiles in a small lifting of her lips. "I'm Ivy remember? Poison? Venom? No snake warns you that she wants to strike. I want to strike and I don't want to give any warning."