TAINTED

Chapter 17

"No."

I shook my head. My brother had no game when it came to women. I had yet to learn how he managed to score Ivy. I was not trying to score with Ivy by bringing her to the lake, but if I were in Blaine's position, I would have brought Ivy to our private lake in a heartbeat. It was not something you hid from your girlfriend. You used it.

I led the way through the backyard and down a path that took us into a wooded area. Fallen branches and pine cones cracked beneath our feet, and I smiled at Ivy swatting away flies. When we reached the clearing, I stopped dead in my tracks and took a deep, steadying breath. I hadn't been to our private lake in years. It glistened in the setting sun, and the rustle of the trees surrounding the perimeter of the lake gave me goosebumps. Memories of my childhood and being with my mother washed over me. My chest tightened unexpectedly.

"Rhys? Are you okay?" Ivy's sweet voice asked.

I shook away my emotions and smiled at her. "I just haven't been here in a while."

"It's beautiful." Ivy breathed out.

She walked past me and headed towards the dock. I put the cooler on the ground and followed behind her. When she reached the edge, she tilted her head up and watched the tops of the trees rustling in the wind. After a few moments, she closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath with a soft smile on her lips. I stood beside her and watched her take it all in. This used to be my favourite place. My mother would bring me here all the time as a kid. She'd play her guitar and sang songs for me and Blaine. We'd picnic on a blanket, and then she'd let us swim in the lake all afternoon. Seeing Ivy like it so much made my heart swell and the memories less painful.

Ivy opened her eyes and looked up at me. "Why hasn't Blaine ever brought me here? This place is amazing," she gushed.

"I don't know," I felt terrible for lying, but it was probably the same reason I had avoided this spot for so long - memories. "Ready to eat something?" I asked.

Ivy nodded, following me along the dock and back onto the grassy area. I pulled a neatly folded blanket out of my packsack, shook it open and laid it on the grass. Ivy sat down with her butt on her heels, leaned forward and zipped open the cooler. She stuck her hand inside, pulled out a beer, cracked it open and then tossed one to me. I caught it with ease and smiled.

"Wow, Ivy. I brought you here for a picnic, not a party." I winked and took a sip.

She laughed. "There's such thing as a party for two. Haven't you ever heard Shania Twain's song?"

I chuckled. "No, because I listen to real country."

Ivy rolled her eyes and tried to suppress a smile from my comment. Over the past few weeks, we had argued relentlessly over our favourite country artists. I liked the typical country classics, like Johnny Cash, Hank Williams and Willie Nelson. Ivy's country favourites like Shania Twain, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan were more mainstream. Not that I didn't like those artists, too; I just preferred the pioneers of country music. Plus, I liked busting her balls and seeing her pretty green eyes roll every time I commented, which was becoming more often than not.

I smirked at her lack of response and started taking the food out of the cooler. I had organized our dinner in Tupperware containers and hoped Ivy would be impressed. She'd been riding my ass about my lack of organization. I pulled out two plates, two forks and napkins and placed them on the blanket.

Ivy raised her eyebrows. "Smells good."

"And..." I drawled.

She laughed, knowing exactly what I was trying to get out of her. "And I'm quite impressed with how neatly our dinner is packed, considering the kitchen looks like a complete disaster. I can see my organizational skills rubbing off on you, except for when you cook. We still need to work on that," she winked.