Her Lullaby

15- Orange Juice

"Why, and don't take my stuff." I snatch my water from him almost spilling the liquid.

"Because I want to see where my old brother works." He shrugs, but I wasn't buying the bad excuse.

"You have already been to my office." I deadpanned.

He tosses me a sly grin stuffing his hands into his pockets, "Or maybe I want to meet my brother's crush." He teased.

I glare at him with as much disdain I could muster and only hoped that my glare shot invisible lasers that would reprogram his brain to make him shut the fuck up.

"I don't have a crush on her, so don't bother dropping by, Ivy won't be there." I state firmly, ignoring the faint whirlwind of butterflies in my stomach that doesn't know how to read the room.

The sly grin never fades from my brother's face, but actually grows, "I didn't say anything about Ivy." He chuckles.

At his words I realized my mistake and that he was right. He never said Ivy specifically, but there was no one else he could have been insinuating, therefore he knows nothing and he is getting on my nerves.

"Get out my house." I order turning away from him and leaving the kitchen to go back to bed as his laugh echoes through the walls of the house.

It's too early for this.

•••••••

I really hope I convinced Alessandro not to visit my office because as the curly head woman sits before me, whom seems to have her own natural, golden spot light, I don't think I'll be able to hide whatever I'm feeling for her.

I keep my eyes trained on the stack of papers in front of me as I try not to stare at her, but I see her in my peripheral vision in her black scrubs with her Spider-Man stethoscope hanging around her neck.

I squint my eyes as I try to concentrate on the letters and words printed on the white pages as it seemed the sun decided to shine brighter into my office.

"Today was hectic." Ivy exasperates sinking into the cushion share she takes place in and I glance up, "A husky wouldn't stop howling and barking, a cat had a twig stuck at the roof of its mouth, someone wanted me to resurrect their goldfish, and a customer had lost their ferret for about an hour." She complains.

I didn't ask about her day and I didn't want to care for it or find it interesting, but I did, and wanted to know how they found the ferret or if the cat was okay.

I didn't pay her any attention though.

"What's up with you? Why are you squinting?" She asked me, and I didn't even notice my brows were furrowed, tense, and my eyes were narrowed.

"Nothing, just trying to organize some things for the charity event." I said taking a sip of the apple juice she brought me.

I don't like when she brings me apple juice. Never did.

Whenever she brings me juice boxes they taste better, and ruin all the other apple juices.

Drinking the sweet juice relaxes me a little bit and let's me actually look at Ivy for more than a millisecond.

Her lips were painted red, and were the first to grasp my attention, as she spoke softly with tranquility and her voice seemed to have the ability to calm everything around her; except for my heartbeat.

That shit is annoying.

"Is everything going how you want it?" Her red lips wrap around her straw as she sips her juice box.