to serve him, answer to him.
Before I could successfully vomit after that my mother cut into my thoughts, “You’re not going anywhere until those bruises heal, Ivy. I will not have people asking more questions about you. Do you understand? Not even across the street for coffee, alright?”
“Alright,” I accepted this. I didn’t want to go anywhere looking like this, like an ad for domestic violence.
“And Ivy?” she stopped me before I could get to my bedroom and strip all my clothes and then stand under the hot shower until I had brand new skin. I looked up at her, restraining what was left of my tears until I was in the privacy of my own bedroom. “I’m sorry this happened to you. It will not happen to you again.”
I just looked at her. I couldn’t even smile in response. I wanted to believe her, I wanted to trust her…. but she was my mom. So after an acceptable amount of stare-down I disappeared into my bedroom and accepted the fact that this was all the sympathy I was going to get tonight.
This was my life. I could cry it out in the shower, but the minute I stepped back onto dry ground I had to suck it up and move on.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Exie asked from beside me on the sidewalk.
“Uh, no. Actually I’m pretty sure I’m not ready for this,” I groaned, and then ran my fingers through my hair. Again.
“You don’t have to go, you know,” Sloane reminded me. “Your mom said that you could take a few more personal days.”
“Yeah, right. Except my mom doesn’t really know anything and I don’t want to make summer school a permanent part of the summer calendar. Besides, Tanner might lynch me if I call in to school one more time with the same excuse.”
“Lynch? Really?” Sloane rolled her eyes at me and then pulled me in for a two-air-kiss hug. We were so mature for our age.
“See you girls after school?” I asked as Exie received the same snobby goodbye.
“You bet,” Exie answered enthusiastically. “But only if you bring Phoenix down here with you, I have a uh, band I want to show him on my iPod.”
“You’re so cute when you have a crush,” Sloane laughed, but I had the feeling it was a sarcastic laugh. “See if you can’t rustle up a man for me too, Ivy. I could use someone who’s not a class-A douche.”
“Sure thing,” I joked. “I’ll just punch it in to my day calendar. Right between chemistry lab and American government.”
“Don’t be a smart ass,” Sloane warned and then smacked my ass for extra emphasis.
“Bye girls, love you!” I called after them while they piled into Exie’s car and headed off for their posh private school.
Even though they never said love you back, it had become our thing. Me saying it, them just…. receiving it.
Two weeks had passed since I was attacked in that hotel room. My bruises were faded, my fingernails had grown back and my voice box had returned to normal. Still images of that night haunted me, terrorized me when I let it. And I never wanted to let anyone I loved, go without knowing it for a single day.
“Well, look who’s back,” the one person I was making an exception to that rule called from above me on the steps. “Hey there, Red.”
“Ryder Sutton, when did they let you come back? Rumor has it you were sent to the big house,” I flirted shamelessly. Ryder had gone to jail, but was soon bailed out by his dad. Taylor never pressed charges and so Ryder was only charged with some minor offenses and sentenced to some community service.
Thank God.
But then again, part of me knew Nix had something to do with it and the idea of Nix helping Ryder repulsed me.
Violently.
“Fun fact,” Ryder smirked at me. “Tanner blames that on your terrible influence. Turns out your poison to a good boy like me.”
“Huh, imagine that,” I sighed. “And what do you say to that.”
“I say it’s less like poison and more like kryptonite.” His steady gaze held mine and my heart thumped in my chest, responding to his words, even if I wouldn’t let any other part of me. “Come on.”
He held out his hand and I took it without thinking. If Ryder was going to hold his hand out for me, I was going to take it. Today. Tomorrow. And any day in the future.
He