“They weren’t so bad.” I reluctantly let my grip go and pull her towards the small settee at the bottom of the bed. “Look, we didn’t get to finish our talk before we were interrupted.”
“What talk?”
“The one we were getting into before we were kidnapped?”
“Oh, the apology talk.”
“I think I apologised, but I can repeat it. I do, though, want to continue where that conversation was heading.” She settles back into the crook of the seat, as if she’s about to listen to an interesting story.
“Okay." She takes my hand, and I run my thumb over her skin, ignoring the slight red marks that still linger where she was bound. It’s hard to ignore anything with the bruise on her face, but that'll only bring back my anger and isn’t going to help anyone.
“You know what I want. You. Us. In a relationship. After everything we’ve been through, I don’t see anything stopping us.”
“Do we have to do this now?” she says quietly, as she tries to stand and avoid the conversation. I don’t let her.
“Yes.” I tug her back down onto my lap so she can’t run away. “I’ve gone through your father and your brother. I wouldn’t do that if I wasn’t serious, and I don’t think you’d have brought me here if you didn’t feel the same way. You have feelings for me. I want you to admit them.”
“Of course, I have feelings for you, but that doesn’t mean we have to go full-on relationship, Blake.” She wiggles from my grasp, and I let her go, frustration creeping up my spine at how stubborn she’s being.
“So, if you have feelings for me, what’s the problem with saying that you won’t see anyone else? And that I’m your guy? Come on, Ivy, it’s your turn to open up.”
“I don’t know, okay. I’ve never been one to stay in one place or rely on someone else in my life. That’s not me. And why is it so important to you for us to put a label on who or what we are?”
I leave her question in the air for a moment, closing the distance between us. She doesn’t get to do this. Not after everything we’ve been through.
“Because...” I reach the final step and hold her face in my hands, careful to avoid her bruises, wanting there to be no doubt in her mind when I tell her. “I love you.”
Her blue eyes glint for a split second. Pure joy at the sound of those words perhaps, but it’s gone just as quick. Something else creeps in to mask it, and her eyes dart about, looking at anything but my own.
“We don’t even know each other, Blake.” She steps out of my hold and turns away.
“We do. I know just how crazy you are. How passionate. How you need to prove you can do everything yourself and that you’ll never ask for help. You love your family, and despite having every advantage at your disposal, you work hard for everything you’ve accomplished. Tell me where I’m wrong.”
“Fine, so you know some of me. But this is too fast. You’re just caught up in everything that’s happened between us. You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Her dismissal of my feelings makes me fucking crazy. “It’s all the hero stuff. It's gone to your head.”
“Don’t you dare try and tell me what I do or don’t feel. I’ve been in love before. I wanted nothing but to live the rest of my life with the woman I loved, but it wasn’t meant to be. Loss and pain screwed with my head until I had nobody left. And then you crashed into my life. We don’t get to pick who we fall in love with, Ivy. And sometimes, we don’t get a second chance. But I can tell you that I love you with all my heart. If that’s too much for you, well, too fucking bad.”
The reality of my words seems to cause momentary shock to her. She stalls in place, her hands not knowing what to do with themselves. And then she spins and looks out the window rather than at me. Nearly ten seconds go past in my head before she turns back and heads towards the bed.
“I can’t do this. I can’t be dealing with this right now, Blake. We’ve been kidnapped. There’s some strange family secret that doesn’t add up, and the answer is here,” she picks up some of the papers from the bed and then throws them back down, seemingly frustrated. “And you’re telling me you love me? What am I supposed to do with that in the middle of this?”
“Landon knows. Your dad, too. I thought I’d better let you in on how I feel. You did ask for honesty, right?”
“Oh my god. You didn't think running it past me first would be better? Christ, I could kill you,” she snaps, gritting her teeth. "This ismyfamily, Blake.Iget to talk to them if and whenI'mready to discuss things like this.”
“Well, you know, that’s a pretty emotional response. Which at least tells me you have some feelings for me,” I grate out, more frustration building. I have to get out of here. At this rate, one of us will say something that isn’t so easy to come back from.
So much for convincing her.
Maybe Landon was right. This won’t be as easy as I thought. “I’m going to grab some air. Think about what I said, Ivy. We have something, and I think it will be something pretty fucking special if you just let it happen.”
I check my jean pockets for my phone and wallet before leaving the bedroom, then head back down the stairs and into the grand hallway of Earlwood. What do I do now? No car, no transport.
“Can I help you, sir?”
“Ah, yes…” I can’t remember the butler’s name. “Mr…”
“Geoffrey.”
