By the time the last cooler is stowed and the trash bags tied, the fellowship hall looks almost normal again. Harper and Micah are still arguing over the “right” way to stack chairs, Olivia is leaning against the counter sipping what’s left of the cider, and Ivy’s laughter lingers in my ears like the last note of a song.
She’s riding back with the girls, and I know once she slips into Harper’s car, the chance will be gone.
So when she starts to say her goodbyes, I don’t think—I just move.
“Ivy,” I call softly, catching her wrist before she makes it to the door. The others are distracted—Harper mid-lecture, Olivia texting, Micah pretending not to roll his eyes. Perfect.
I tug her just around the corner of the hallway, out of sight but still close enough to hear the muffled chatter behind us. She blinks up at me, surprised, a questionon her lips.
I answer it without words.
“Raincheck,” I murmur, voice low, before I dip my head and kiss her.
Her hands clutch at the front of my hoodie, pulling me closer, and I cradle the back of her neck, deepening it just enough before I force myself to pull back.
Her cheeks are pink, lips parted, eyes shining in a way that nearly undoes me.
I rest my forehead against hers, catching my breath. “Worth the wait.”
She laughs, soft and breathless, brushing her thumb over my jaw. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Maybe,” I grin, pressing a quick kiss to her temple before letting her go, “but I’m also right.”
From down the hall, Harper’s voice cuts through. “Ivy! Let’s go before Micah tries to reorganize the entire storage closet!”
Ivy squeezes my hand one last time before slipping away, her smile still lingering as she disappears around the corner.
I lean against the wall, grinning like an idiot, fully aware I’ll be teased later—but not caring one bit.
I stay there in the hallway, back against the wall, trying to catch my breath. My chest still feels tight, not from carrying tables or hauling cider jugs, but from her. Always her.
The sound of my heartbeat finally starts to slow when footsteps echo down the hall. I straighten, too late.
Micah rounds the corner, a stack of folded tablecloths in his arms. He squints at me. “Why are you breathing like you just ran a mile?”
Heat creeps up the back of my neck. I clear my throat and shift against the wall. “Just…working hard.”
“Uh-huh.” He sets the tablecloths down on a chair, not breaking eye contact. “Or maybe it’s because you snuck over here with Ivy.”
I try not to laugh, running a hand over my face. “You’re imagining things.”
Micah smirks, leaning against the opposite wall, arms crossed now. “I’m imagining you looking like a man who just got away with something.”
I raise a brow, refusing to take the bait. “Shouldn’t you be double-checking Harper’s cleanup system instead of checking my pulse?”
That gets the reaction I expect—Micah groans, muttering something under his breath about Harper being impossible. But I catch the faintest hint of a smile tugging at his mouth before he grabs the tablecloths again and stalks off toward the storage closet.
I shake my head, still grinning, still not quite steady on my feet.
Chapter 21
Ivy
We’re at Gray’s apartment again, the glow of his TV the only light in the room. A second movie plays half-forgotten in the background, but I couldn’t tell you what’s happening on the screen.
Because I’m curled into Gray’s chest, his arm draped around me, his fingers tracing slow, absent-minded lines along my back like he’s memorizing the shape of me.
The movie we actually meant to watch ended ages ago, credits rolling into silence. But we didn’t move. We stayed right here, long after the screen went dark.
