Sweet Little Lies

Chapter Forty-Four

"How are you doing, Will?" Ivy asked her cousin.

This was the first time they had really sat down to hang out in a long time. Ivy had been so preoccupied in her own shit that she hadn't taken the time to be a good friend.

Ivy was taking a long weekend, half avoiding going into the office in case she ran into her father. Finn had told her that Harry had left a small scar on his face from when he went in for his... talk. Honestly, she wouldn't mind seeing that, but she wasn't ready right now.

"Why are you asking about me?" Willow raised an eyebrow, "You're the one with a deranged father."

She sighed, "I'm fine."

"I saw the aftermath." She pressed.

Ivy shifted on the couch, her feet underneath her, wine glass in hand. Willow was lounging on the other side of the couch, legs stretching towards Ivy. If this were anyone else, she would probably avoid the question, but this was Willow. Her cousin, her best friend. They were born only a month apart, and were inseparable growing up.

"It was bad." Ivy told her truthfully, "I think everything's getting to him."

Willow didn't look impressed. "Weak. Honestly, Finn need to take over as soon as possible."

"That's exactly what he's afraid of." Ivy said, "He's terrified of relinquishing control. Honestly, I think the whole lot of them are. Only Dvorsky's given up her seat for her daughter."

"Not in name, though." She pointed out, "Saskie might take care of day to day and make the decisions of the family, but her mother is considered the head of that family still."

"Probably because the rest of our parents won't step down. Can you imagine them respecting Saskie in any way?"

Willow snorted, "She's actually scary, so yes."

Ivy chuckled at that. "Good point."

Finishing off her glass of wine, Willow leaned over and placed it on the coffee table, then asked, "How did Harry react when he heard what happened?"

"He surprised me."

"How so?"

Ivy thought back to that night. "He stayed with me."

Willow didn't say anything. She let Ivy continue, "Instead of immediately seeking revenge or whatever men think we need. He was right there beside me all night, refused to sleep, and made sure I was okay. Woke me up every few hours to check on me, and then would read me back to sleep."

"That's because he sees you as his wife not his property." Willow told her, "The reason we have such fucked up images of marriage and partnership is because we're used to seeing the opposite."

She let that sink in. "I was so fucking scared he would be like that. Like I would be like my mom."

"Your mom was stronger than you remember, Ivy."

Ignoring that remark, Ivy continued, "He's turned out to be nothing I expected."

"He loves you."

"I still can't trust him fully." She rejected the thought.

"He'll come to his senses." Willow said, "You can already see him starting to break."

"Not soon enough." Ivy's tone was full of bitterness.

Her cousin frowned at her, brows knitting together, "You're being too hard on him."

"You're on his side now?" She asked harshly, "You think it's okay for him to lie to me?"