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Miles made several more calls, hating how the day was growing dark. Still no word from Devon, or anyone else. His heart beat for her, and not knowing where she was, it seemed to stutter, missing every other beat, the pulses that her love and life filled. She had filled the empty place in his life, and completed the rhythm of his heart.
He took a breath. Ivy was a brave and strong woman. She had survived more than he could imagine. He had to trust she would return home to him when she was ready. He had to stop thinking every shadow was a threat, or someone lurking, waiting to snatch her away from him again.
But as the darkness closed in, he was finding it harder to remain calm. The thought of the letters returned. Phone in his grasp as he called Devon once more.
“I’ve not seen her in any of the places she likes to go. I’m going to check in with Penny. She’s a bugger for putting her phone on do not disturb when with a client and not turning it off.”
It took almost an hour to get to Devon’s house. It probably would have been quicker to go to his office, but she’dthoughtBayside was much closer than it turned out to be. She paid the taxi driver, handing him a cash tip before he pulled away, leaving her in front of a house she had visited many times.
The small cul-de-sac looked picturesque, like the houses you’d see on television depicting the perfect families. The perfect community, the perfect gardens.
Devon and Penny lived in a spacious four-bedroom home, surrounded by a black picket fence. The fence was courtesy of JJ, who’d thought it would be funny to sneak over one night and paint it while he was on leave.
He’d answered to Penny for his crimes. In fact, Ivy was certain he was still forbidden from having any of her cookies, which quite frankly was a punishment of Hell-like level, given how coveted her sweet treats were.
It was often said, if she ever wanted to hang up her camera, she’d have a hit bakery on her hands with the recipes she had that had been passed down for generations.
The two of them had never let on that they actually preferred the darker shade. It suited them perfectly.
There was a small guest house to the left of the property which Devon used as a home office, ensuring he never brought work home with him in any sense that counted. The guest house was registered as its own address. Even Devon’s patients had no idea the doctor actually lived next door. It was one way to ensure the more distressed of his patients wouldn’t do something rash. It wouldn’t be the first time someone had held him at weapon point demanding they fix them, or threatened his loved ones so he could better understand their grief. By keeping his home and office separate, and his shared home kept in Penny’s maiden name, no one even thought the two were connected.
That said, Devon always preferred to visit his patients at home, but there were a few cases where this couldn’t be achieved given that he specialised in PTSD. Sometimes a neutral environment was better. And having a separate workspace to keep his files and do his job outside the distraction of his beautiful wife was a necessity. Although Ivy wasn’t sure why he didn’t just use his Manhattan office instead of the guest house, perhaps this was more accessible or something.
Ivy walked up the paved drive. Like everything in the neighbourhood, it was immaculate, not a single weed poking through any of the perfectly filled spacing of the multi-toned, Indian Sandstone paving slabs. The lawn was perfectly mowed, and the beautiful seasonal flowers bloomed with a vibrancy those in city lacked.
When Ivy had complimented their green thumbs, and the fact they found the time to do its upkeep, Penny had confessed they paid a gardener, like most of the people in the area. There was one they all used. It was almost like he’d come with the house. It meant she and Devon had more time for fun things, rather than wasting hours pulling weeds and trimming edging to meet with the community’s silent standard. The last thing they needed was Mrs Smith gossiping about the shocking state of their parterre.
Ivy was always awestruck by the beauty of the garden and its arrangements. Miles had once said the flowers here looked brighter because there wasn’t as much traffic. She had to agree. She’d noticed the hanging baskets on the city streets, even the flowers nearer the road in Central Park, looked almost dirty in comparison to those thriving beyond the taste of pollution.
Raising her hand, she hesitated for just a second before ringing the bell. Once more forcing herself to take in the details. Details stopped her thinking, stopped her overthinking and replaying events. She touched the double-glazed door, it looked like wood, but the plastic was smooth beneath her touch, heated by the sun.
The doorbell was one of those video security ones, the kind that let you look who was visiting on your phone. It even let you know someone was there when they were out, allowing them to keep an eye on things all the time.
A deep, calming breath drew in the sweet fragrance of wildflowers from beneath the large bay window, tickling her senses as they carried on the warm breeze. The leather of her heels creaked almost in time with the groaning of a nearby tree as she shifted her weight from foot to foot, noticing the slightly uneven paving by the front door.
The door handle pulled down, Penny’s face lighting up in a genuine smile seconds before it dropped ever so slightly as she took in Ivy’s expression. A hug replaced a greeting. Ivy breathed in Penny’s soft cherry blossom perfume, letting the scent encompass her. Letting herself continue to pull in the much-needed breaths as the tight embrace began to still the slightest tremors she’d been trying to suppress.
“Tails okay?” Penny asked softly as Ivy’s arms gripped her back in a tight hug. She nodded, letting herself sink deeper into the embrace, letting the world around her fade. She had no idea how long they stood locked in that embrace, but eventually, her arms dropped and the hug no longer felt like a lifeline. “Shower?” Penny prompted softly, rubbing her hands down Ivy’s arms.
Penny knew her well. She’d spoken to her outside the walls of therapy as a friend, a confidant. While Becca and Ivy had always been inseparable, there were just certain things she felt the need to hold back on. She’d seen Becca’s discomfort when she’d spoken of the things she’d endured. She knew Becca wanted to listen, wanted to be there, but she didn’t like seeing the pain and discomfort on her friend’s face. There was no question she would support her, but Ivy didn’t want to make her friend uneasy.
Becca would never truly understand what she’d been through, but Penny had been in the lifestyle a long time. She’d seen all manner of things, and it was just easier to talk to her about certain things.
A warm, fluffy towel was waiting on the heated towel rack when Ivy finally stepped from the shower, her skin pink from a combination of the scalding heat and scrubbing.
Hearing her movements, Penny entered the bathroom, wrapping her in a luxurious dressing gown, before guiding her into their dining room.
Their house was open plan. An enormous living room diner filled most of the space, with a huge pass-through into the kitchen. Sitting her at the large brass and marble dining table, Penny grabbed a comb, gently brushing the tangles from Ivy’s hair, as she fixed her gaze on one of the beautiful black and white photographs Penny had taken. It wasn’t one of her business photos, but a beautiful, still-life photograph of a vibrant flower blooming amongst cracked paving.
“That bitch,” Penny growled, her fingers working magic in Ivy’s hair. “I can’t believe you have to marry into that. I mean, who does that?” Penny’s soft voice hardened, but it was still strange hearing her angry. She was soft-spoken by nature, even her anger seemed, well, kind of cute. Not that Ivy would ever want to cross her. Not for one second. She may sound cute and innocent but she had a wrath the Gods would be proud of.
“What I don’t get is… she knew. She knew what Own—” Penny cleared her throat, squeezing her shoulder gently. “He,” Ivy corrected, “whathedid. What he called me, how he’d signal. She made it a game, Penny. She’d made a bet with her brunch hens.”
“Ivy, don’t you think this has gone on long enough? I know you think you’re protecting him, saving their relationship, but you need to say something to Tails. He’d not stand for this, and you know it.” Comforting hands squeezed her shoulders gently as if to ease the harsh tone of her voice.
“Exactly. I’m meant to be helping them repair their relationship. If I tell him…” she trailed off, cupping her face in her hands, grief winding through her gut. She couldn’t do that to him, she just couldn’t.
“Sweetie,” Penny pulled up a chair beside her, clasping Ivy’s hands, waiting for her to look up, to ensure every word she was about the say would be heard. “Some relationships don’t deserve to be salvaged. Don’t destroy yourself for someone like her. She belongs under a bridge, not at your wedding.”
