Worry creased her brow.
“Bella is on his fucked up list of girlfriends for me. He wants me to be with her.” Resentment clouded my face. “He thinks he can choose someone for me. What I want doesn’t factor into the Karlos universe.”
“That’s really messed up. But you two really did look pretty cozy together.” Hurt flashed across her face.
“I knew her from Drake, but Ivy, thewholething was a setup.” I raked my fingers through my hair and took a breath. “The night of the gala, she drank. A lot. She promised that if we went out to look at the view for a while, we’d call it a night.”
She studied her palm as if searching for a hidden truth.
“I agreed because I didn’t want her complaining to her father, or mine, that I’d ruined her night. There would have been repercussions. It seemed like the perfect solution. I just wanted out. But things got out of hand—”
“But you werekissingher. Or did your father make you fake that too?”
“Ideserved that. But I can explain. When it was time for me to leave, she ambushed me. Out of nowhere, she blurted out how happy she was that we were ‘together’.” I lifted my fingers in air quotes.
“I’m listening.”
“We were not. Are not. She’d had way too many cocktails and lurched toward me. The next thing I knew, her lips were on mine, and at the same time, I grabbed her to stop her from falling. But the cameras had the footage they needed to create their own narrative—that we were ‘making out’ and ‘together’.”
She studied the horizon. “Well, they painted a pretty convincing picture,” she whispered, shooting me a sidelong glance.
“Ivy, they’ve been hunting me down and making stories out of nothing my whole life,” I replied softly. “But what they didn’t show was me helping her back inside or making it clear to her we weren’t together right before I left.”
She stood there, radiant beneath the pearly glow of the moon.
A tingle of hope flickered in my core.At least she’s not walking away…
I needed to tell her everything while I had the chance. “When the photos came out, I knew I had to come to you. To explain. I’m sorry for everything, Ivy. I wish I could change it, but I can’t. But nothing has changed with how I feel about you. Before I leave in a few hours, I need you to know that.” A cold sweat broke out on my brow. “I arranged it as carefully as I could. My father can’t find out I’m here, or there’ll be hell to pay.”
She turned to face me as I searched for a clue about how she was feeling. She took a step back but didn’t look away.
“You were all I could think about,” I pleaded, wondering if it was too late to get through to her. “At the gala, thewholetime we’ve been apart. Only you. You’re the one for me, Ivy.” I reached for her hand. “I love you.”
Slowly she reached out, taking my hand. A mixture of joy and relief washed over me as my arms circled her waist, she leaned into me, her warm, soft body pressing against mine.
At last.
“It’s all so fucked up.” A tear rolled down her cheek. “I get why you had to end it that way, and that the photos with Bella were… well, you weren’t playing me,” she said huskily. “Karson, I’m so glad you’re here.”
“You can’t get rid of me that easily,” I whispered, trailing the back of my fingers down her cheek.
“And I love you too,” she told me breathlessly.
The flame inside me reignited. My hands tightened around her waist as I lifted her into the air. We spun around, laughing and crying together. Lowering her down, I pulled her close to my chest.
Our lips brushed softly against each other. A hunger rose inside me as my tongue brushed hers, the kiss deepening as her fingers wove through my hair and we lowered ourselves onto the sand.
Lost. In the feel. In the taste of each other.
Pulling away, I held her at arm’s length, gazing at her, taking in every detail of her face. Then she climbed onto my lap, wrapping her legs around my waist and circling her arms around my neck. I pressed my face against her breasts as a groan escaped both of our lips.
I pulled her closer.
She gasped, her hands sliding beneath my shirt, running up the length of my back as we clung together. “Karson.” Her face was aglow. “God, I missed you. So much. Do you want to come back to—”
My arms tightened around her. “Yes!” I cut in.
Laughing, we jumped up and ran hand in hand along the sandy track toward her house.
