I need a friend.
My spine stiffens as I think of Meadow, and I instantly regret not locating my device before I disappeared in here.
My chest tightens at the thought of the last time I had it, and I’m quickly reminded of the moment I gave in. I exposed my vulnerable side and ended up losing my virginity.
Dragging a hand down my face, I make a mental note to ask Teddy about my device when I’m done.
I probably shouldn’t be so mad at him over the whole medical center situation. It isn’t his fault I forgot, and he didn’t omit anything for his own benefit. A tingling in my mind makes it clear it was for me, but that does nothing to my scorned soul.
The truth is, I would do anything to go back to that moment in his room. When nothing else mattered but feeling.
I want to chase that sensation again, but everything has changed.
Pushing off the door, I’ve only taken a single step toward the shower when a knock rattles from behind me, making me leap a few feet in the air. Startled, I plaster my hand to my chest as I glare at the wood accusingly.
I’m under no illusion that it’s not one of them waiting on the other side, but despite the distance I so desperately need, I find myself reaching for the handle regardless. Opening the door an inch, I find ocean blue eyes staring at me.
Teddy.
My heart clenches at the raw emotion on his face. His eyes shimmer with words I can’t describe as he rubs his jaw and swipes his tongue over his bottom lip.
I clear my throat, ready to dismiss him, but he finds use of his tongue before I do.
“I thought you might appreciate this.”
As if sensing my prior thoughts, he extends his hand, my device in his grip. I gape at it for a second before I even consider reaching for it.
“Thank you.” My manners are like razor blades in my throat, impossible to swallow down as I take a step back, but before I can close the door, he plants his foot against the wood, forcing me to look at him.
The sadness in his eyes has gotten worse.
I can’t stand it.
“I know you’re hurting right now, Ivy, and I’m sorry for the role I’ve played in that. But I just need you to know that you don’t have to hide away in your bathroom to acknowledge what you’re really feeling. This isn’t a show here; there aren’t any cameras this time. Don’t isolate yourself.”
Shaking my head, I sigh. “That would mean being vulnerable in unsafe hands.”
The hurt is unmissable, but it’s the truth.
“Isolation is pain’s best friend, Princess. You’re never going to find true peace in solitude.”
9
IVY
Light dances against my eyelids, awakening me despite my desire to sleep. Groaning, I stretch out my limbs, only to come into contact with the long press of a body beside mine. My spine stiffens, freezing me in place as I recall my last memories.
I had stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, and ran to my closet to change. The second I had shaken the embarrassment, I was lured by the smell of food in the air. My demand had been heard, and I found a pizza box sitting on my bed. They ignored me, and it was bliss. While I devoured the pizza, they continued to try to understand the situation. It was boring, so I laid down, and then darkness took me.
None of that explains why someone is lying beside me.
What irritates me more than anything is how calm their presence makes me feel. I’m always angry at them, but when they’re close, it falters. Just like now, as my fingers come into contact with someone’s pecs, I hate that I’m curious.
Realizing what the hell I’m doing, I jerk back as my nose crinkles.
“Don’t stop now, Princess. I was enjoying that.”
My eyelids flare open as I meet Teddy’s stare.
