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“Sit the hell down, man.”
“Make me!” Josh shouts, and I punch the gas, effectively sitting him down.
He stumbles back onto the seat and mercifully shuts up. We fly over the water, heading back to the bait shop dock.
“Here you go,” I mutter, pulling up close to the dock. I don’t bother tying down, since we’re turning right back around.
Ivy and I watch Josh struggle out of the boat; as soon as his feet hit the wood, I tear away from the dock.
“So long, asshole,” I mutter, smiling and waving.
Ivy giggles and lightness fills my chest.
“Thanks for defending me back there,” she says, her face sincere. “I appreciate it.”
“Sure thing. No guy should talk to you like that, ever. He’s a real tool bag.”
“I know. I’m not sure how we’re going to film the last scene without him, though.” She gnaws her lip, worried about the movie.
Scott: Dude. Where’d you go?
Maddox: To take Josh back. He was puking all over the place
Scott: Looks like it’ll be a while. Can you hang out? We’ll send the camera crew as soon as we can
Maddox: Sure
I cut the motor and drop the anchor down into the whitecaps, praying the rain holds off, at least until we can get the shot. For Ivy’s sake.
“What’s going on?” Ivy tips her head, her ponytail falling over her shoulder.
“We’re waiting on the camera crew.” I move to her side, sink down onto the leather seat beside her, throw my arm around her narrow shoulders. She fits perfectly in the crook, as if she’s made for me.
She snuggles in, the salty air whipping around us, tossing the boat. I close my eyes, inhaling her deep floral scent. Thunder rumbles, but it’s a good ways off.
“Maddox…” Ivy’s voice is low and quiet, almost sucked away by the wind.
“Hmmm…”
“I love you too. I want you to know that. You know—before I go.”
The word ‘go’ jolts me out of my reverie.
“You’re really going?” I rub the silky skin of her shoulder, tracing light circles over and over.
“I mean—I have to. I live in L.A., I work there.”
My heart seizes in my chest, a tight knot sitting low in my gut.
Somehow, I need to stop Ivy from leaving.
“Don’t go back. Stay here. Move in with me. When you land a role, go. I’ll be waiting right here for you when you get back.”
She bites down on her lip, tiny worry lines furrowing her brow. “Really? You mean that? It’s all really sudden…”
I blow out a breath, my chest loosening a bit. She’s at least considering staying.
“It is. But I’m not a twenty-something-year old kid. I know what I want—” I pause, lacing my fingers through hers, “and what I want is you. The minute I saw you at the airport, I felt it. We have something special, Ivy, and that doesn’t happen every day. It’s magic—and I don’t want to let you slip through my fingers.”
