Next Door

Chapter 16

Ivy checked on Roxas and saw he was sleeping. She grabbed North's hoodie that he left over at her place and slipped it on. She made a cup of hot cocoa and slipped outside. She made her way over to the pond that was in her backyard and sat on the edge of it. She looked up at the moon and sighed. Her mind was racing with so many thoughts.

"How long has she been out there?" Axel asked as he came up next to Owen who was watching Ivy through his study window.

"Two hours and fifteen minutes," Owen said as they continued to watch her.

Kota grabbed his hoodie and walked over to her. He sat down beside her and just sat there. After a bit she sighed, "I don't know what to do."

"Talk to me," Kota slightly commanded.

"I don't want to hurt any of your feelings, I don't want to lose this friendship we have created, I just don't know," She shook her head.

"Hey, none of our feelings are going to get hurt," He smiled softly. He quickly glanced down to make sure the phone in his pocket was still on speaker but she didn't know. "I promise you will not lose our friendship. Do you remember what Mr. B said he had already figured out?"

"We have to live with you but we will have separate rooms, you wont stop me from painting, Roxas will keep being homeschooled, it will pretty much be the same other than we live with you and once we leave the house we have to act like we are together," She said softly.

"Then what is the problem?" he asked confused.

"A bunch of things!" she sighed. "I don't know how to portray being in a healthy relationship for one, I mean I grew up around druggies and alcoholics and abuse of all sorts, mental, physical, emotional, spiritual. Another is I grew up being told love isn't real, it's all in books and movies. Owen said all of your names carry something in this town so that means you are big wigs or famous or something so people are going to perceive me as a gold digger and I can't have Roxas around that. That's another thing, they are going to find out about him and he has already seen a bunch of fake pity for me being a single parent, there is not telling what will be said about marrying into an already made family. If are you are famous that means there are going to be fans or jealous women that will cause drama or look into our past and I really don't need that released into the public, I have fought so hard to keep him away from all that, he already has enough emotional trauma from Shelby and her boyfriends and the drugs he grew up around. I always told him if I ever found someone that would accept us as a package deal and could deal with the drama of Shelby and not run away then I would only marry once, even if I don't believe in love. I know marriage is just settling with someone you are compatible with. I would only marry once, that was it, I wasn't going to have him become attached to someone then they break his heart and leave him for something that wasn't his fault. He has seen too much as a child, I'm not going to portray him to that again. Now I'm being offered a fake marriage, that will guarantee security for him, but what if he becomes attached to all of you and then you find someone that your heart belongs to? I can't stand thinking of him being hurt again but I also won't stand in the way of any of you falling in love if you even believe in that."

"And what if this becomes like Axel said and you learn to believe in love and we end up being it for us?" Kota asked and she looked at him like he was crazy. He burst out laughing, "You may not believe in it now, but you never know what the future holds. You could end up being the one for us. You won't know unless you give it a chance."

"I guess," She sighed.

"Don't worry so much," Kota smiled. "Right now you need to go inside, you are shaking and Doc will have my skin if I let you stay out here and you get sick."

"Yeah yeah," She rolled her eyes. "I better go anyway, Roxas gets up bright and early."

"Try not to worry about it, okay?" He asked helping her stand.

"I'll try," She said softly.

"Good, now get inside and get some sleep," he commanded.

"Yes Sir," She said rolling her eyes and started walking back to her house. Once he was sure she was inside he ended the call and headed back to the house.