Page 22 of Unmasking My Dark Knight

“It’s all good. Wasn’t meant to be.”

Ivy Jade glanced over her shoulder, locking eyes with me, but then rolled her eyes, scoffed, and looked away after I gave her a small smile.

God, she was such a brat. But like some sick form of self-torture, I wanted to get closer to her, to her attitude and angst. It felt like something I wanted to yank from her, to beckon those eyes back in my direction.

We arrived at the corn maze shortly after, everyone gathering around to take group pictures before venturing in.

We started in small groups, people talking amongst themselves, others purposefully walking faster to try to beat the other groups in a competition that didn’t really exist. I stayed with a group of guys from the wedding party, some of whom I had chatted with briefly before.

Some of them talked about which route was better to take so we could beat the ladies. Some of them talked about how hot some of the bridesmaids were. One of them, Vann, was chattier than the others.

“How do you know Gustav?” he asked as we strolled through the maze.

I looked up from the ground and glanced over at him. “We were good friends growing up. You?”

“I’m in construction. We met during a project a few years back. He’s a cool guy,” he responded.

I nodded. I wasn’t much of a small-talk kind of guy, so I dug my hands in my pockets, looking down at my feet. Honestly, all I could think of was what to say to Ivy Jade next. She was like a cat with her ears pinned back, ready to scratch me. How could you calm someone down like that? Or how could I make amends with her if I didn’t even know why she hated me so much?

“Any of the bridesmaids catch your eye?” he asked after a moment, then looked ahead at Gustav, who led the way. “Ivy Jade, Gustav’s sister…” He whistled and shook his head. “She’s a hot one, isn’t she?”

My face suddenly went hot. That wasn’t jealousy, was it?

“Well, she’s… something,” I said, not wanting to indulge him. My hand curled into a fist.

Vann gave me a look. “I guess it’s different for you, huh? You’ve known her for a long time?”

I wanted this guy to fucking leave me alone. “I don’t really know her anymore.” I shrugged.

“Any advice on how to hit her up?” he asked, oblivious. “She seems like a brat, but I don’t know… those can be fun,” he said with a condescending laugh.

Now I wanted to fucking punch the guy. Sure, Ivy Jade was a brat, but she was my brat, and that made all the difference. Some strange sense of protectiveness swelled inside me.

I gave him a mocking smile. “I heard she only likes guys with huge dicks, so I think she’s outta your league, man,” I taunted.

He stopped and turned, giving me a dirty look, the stupid condescending smile wiped from his face.

“Fuck off, man,” he said, then quickly walked ahead, finding someone else to annoy.

I was glad he was gone, but now I was alone, and I couldn't escape Ivy Jade consuming my thoughts. And to make matters worse, I was totally fucking lost in this maze.

I began to walk slower, taking any path that looked like it was headed north, the direction of the exit. Each turn looked familiar, and I ended up feeling more lost as I kept running into dead ends. I jumped a few times, trying to look over the corn, but it was too tall. After a moment, I pulled out my phone to call Gustav, seeing if I could find him, and bam—someone collided into me, and I immediately knew who it was when I heard her shriek.

“Damn it, Romeo!” Ivy Jade huffed, her eyes wide and wonderful. She took a moment to collect herself, realizing what she had said before shaking her head. “I meant to say ‘darn it’… shoot, dang it! Ugh. Nevermind. Look what you did! You made me swear.” She shoved my shoulder, frustrated.

It was like a mouse trying to move a boulder.

“I made you swear?” I said, arching an eyebrow. “I’m amazed I’m able to ‘make’ you do anything, Ivy.”

Her pretty face twisted into anger. “It’s Ivy Jade!”

I knew that, but I saw how worked up she got about it back at the chateau.

“Whatever, it’s just a word. I can forgive you for swearing in my presence,” I teased, then watched her with all the appreciation I felt. She held onto my eyes, and as she blinked, the cutest shade of pink dusted her cheeks.

“It’s not just a word. It’s a mark on my inability to control my temper. I don’t curse. It’s not becoming of a lady.”

“Is this another one of those life lessons your Mom taught you growing up?” I asked, remembering how her mother used to follow her around as a child, correcting her posture, tone, actions, and words. Everything she did was under a microscope. It was probably why she couldn’t even read ‘Unmasking My Bright Knight’ without hiding it with some other book cover.