Inhaling the tropical evening air, my heart beats easier. Soon, I hope to show Ivy what Argyle is like. I hope to take her here and introduce her to my family, and show her all the sights that I grew up with.
It’s been five long years since I was here, and I feel like a brand-new person.
When we get to the palace, Theo, Cara, Beckett, and Dante are waiting for me in the formal reception room.
Dante wraps me in a tight hug, spinning me around in a circle. Beckett still looks oddly angry, and I avoid looking at Theo and Cara just yet.
“Easy,” I laugh as Dante sets me down. “You’ll break my back all over again.”
“From what I hear, you’re indestructible,” he grins. Dante is just as tall as I am, and has obviously spent the past five years in the gym. His biceps are as big as my thighs. He’s a couple of years younger than me, and always followed Beckett and me around when we were kids. Now, he looks like he’s grown into a man.
My brother claps me on the shoulder, and I do my best not to stumble forward.
Theo and Cara step forward. I haven’t seen the two of them in three months, and I wait for the assault of bitterness and emotion that always washes over me when I see them…
…but nothing happens.
The lightness in my heart stays, and my smile doesn’t slip.
Striding over to my brother Theo, I extend my hand. Theo looks surprised, but he grabs my hand and pulls me in for a hug.
“Thank you, Luca,” he says, his voice muffled against my shoulder.
“For what?”
“For understanding.” He glances at Cara, who smiles softly at him.
Now that I’m not clouded by anger, bitterness, and prescription opioids, I see the look they’re giving each other. Cara and Theo are in love.
How did I miss this?
They’re head-over-heels with each other.
Somehow, I twisted their relationship into something that was done to purposefully hurt me. I made their love about me. My pain. My accident. My heartbreak.
Never once did I consider that it had nothing to do with me. Cara wasn’t climbing up the ladder. She didn’t do this because I was broken.
She married my brother because she loves him, and he loves her back.
Cara lets out a surprised yelp when I wrap my arms around her. I lift her up off the ground with a laugh, setting her back down and putting my hands on her shoulders.
“I’m sorry I was an ass.”
“I’m sorry I hurt you,” she replies.
I smile and shake my head. “I hurt myself a lot more than you hurt me.”
Staring at my family, assembled in the palace where I grew up, I let an easy smile drift over my lips. My heart beats slowly, and I think of the woman I’ve fallen in love with.
They’re going to adore her.
Waving to one of the staff members, I motion for a special box of baked goods that I’ve brought with me. The Spoonful of Sugar logo is emblazoned on the top of the box, and I flip it open, presenting it to my family.
“A special treat,” I announce. These are so much more than baked goods. They’re so much more than sweet treats. They’re Ivy in a box. They’re the woman I love, neatly arranged in delicious rows of sugar and pastry.
Beckett’s eyebrow arches, and he exchanges a glance with Dante.
Dante clears his throat. “We, uh, heard about this.” He nods to the box of treats.
“Heard about what?”
Beckett scoffs, shaking his head. “About your hooking up with both sisters, Luca. One wasn’t enough?”
I frown, and Dante pulls his phone out of his pocket. He taps the screen a few times, showing me the headline of a gossip magazine.
My stomach drops.
Ivy was right. The pictures were posted right away, and they’re all over the internet.
I should have stayed with her.
33
Ivy
When I walk through the front door of my sister’s mansion, I feel incredibly tired. My feet hurt, and I swear they’re starting to swell. All my shoes are tight.
I trudge over to the kitchen and scrounge for some leftovers, eating them cold as I stand over the sink. I listen for noise, but don’t hear anything. Margot must be asleep.
Laying on the couch in the living room, I stare at my phone and try to stop myself from texting Luca non-stop. It feels selfish to want him beside me all the time, but I’ve gotten used to his presence. I flick the