Honey Lips | ✓

Chapter Thirteen

“Twenty one year old Ivy would be shocked to the core if she saw you now.”

That's what Claire had told her days after she officially became the girlfriend of a world famous singer.

If she was completely honest, the past two weeks had been a dream. Luke reminded her of a cute puppy after she had said yes, he couldn't believe her answer, asking at least three times for her to confirm it. Once he finally realised that she had said yes, he laughed loudly, the sound carrying through the dead of the night and spun her around.

Since that night she had been walking among clouds, each morning she rose early with a smile on her face, that smile never dropped throughout the day. She would go to the store and cheerfully do her job much to Claire's suspicion, Luke would visit her on her lunch break and the two would stroll through the park, talking about every single thing yet nothing at all.

He always seemed to be holding her hand and when he wasn't, her palm felt cold and she wanted to reach for his. And his kisses? They were enough to have her tossing and turning at night, to make her toes curl and brought brightness to her otherwise dark dreams.

Everyone around her noticed her change in mood, Claire, her mother and sister. Even little Tyler once told her when she was babysitting him that she looked happier, like she got to have her favourite lollipop.

And she even admitted it to herself, she was scared of being in a relationship. She was scared of getting hurt; at times she wondered how long it would last before it all came crashing down. Of course she told herself not to think like that but a part of her would always dip her toes into pessimistic waters.

No matter what she told herself, Luke still had a life back in Henknox and his vacation would come to an end sooner or later. For now though, she was going to enjoy their afternoon strolls basking in sunlight. And their pizza nights; they got carried away with talking and stayed awake until three in the morning.

Her heart warmed the most at how easily he connected with her family. Luke and Catherine had their own special handshake — after the young girl threatened to boil his intestines if he hurt Ivy — her mother baked him a ton of cookies, the two even baked a batch together which ended with Luke having a ton of flour in his hair.

Claire had gotten over her fangirling era. She simply treated him like any person, which he was eternally grateful for. Arthur and him had spent quite a few evenings chatting about 'guy stuff' as he had told her. Ivy and Luke even babysat little Tyler together.

Everything felt perfect.

That's exactly why Ivy knew something bad was going to happen.

It started with Brenda, the psychic, rushing towards her out of breath. She hadn't seen the dark skinned woman for quite some time but there was no time for pleasantries. The woman confirmed her lingering thoughts. “Ivy, someone's going to get hurt.”

As vague as ever, she thought glumly to herself.

Brenda merely ran up to her while she was closing up the shop, told her those few words and ran back to where she came from just like the previous time.

Ivy was skeptic. The gift Brenda gave her still hung round her neck; the 'negative forces' she had been talking about was nowhere in sight. For a peaceful moment, she allowed herself to think that it was all a bunch of nonsense and Brenda had a few too many necklaces lying around.

Then the other shoe dropped.

It had been exactly sixteen days after Luke asked her to be his girlfriend. Sixteen days since she turned twenty three. It was a Wednesday, autumn was in full swing, all traces of summer left long ago.