Enjoy!
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Ivy Bell:
"Morning," Catalina practically sing songs as she enters the fitting room.
It's 7AM and much too early for any sane person to be this happy with such a long day ahead, but the dark haired model seems to be the exception.
Even Savannah looks tired and worn out on this particular Tuesday morning. Her blonde hair is pulled back in a simple pony tail and she's switched out her heels for comfortable Tory Burch flats and I find myself wishing I did the same.
The model sets down her designer Louis Vuitton bag at the dresser with a cardboard cup holder that contained 3 coffees. "For you two," She grins, holding the drinks out to both Savannah and I.
"Us?" Savannah sounds wearisome as she skeptically eyes the beverages.
I lightly elbow her in the ribs. "Ow!" She hisses, but Catalina doesn't pay mind as I hesitantly take one of the drinks with a thanks.
After yesterdays events with the jacket mixup, Catalina had to leave in a rush for another work emergency which Maia quickly dismissed. Savannah and I were both relieved from our duties which gave me the chance to work on my own line for the fashion show.
The date is slowly, but surely looming over us so every single spare second I have doesn't go to waste.
My new pieces are coming along quite well and even though finding models was a little difficult due to my lack of connections in the industry, I managed to find some great people to walk in my clothes.
Taking a sip of the cup, I allow myself to relish in the warmth of the coffee. Catalina holds up a little paper bag, "Sugar and cream."
Savannah finally gives in and grabs a coffee creamer for her cup while I settle my things down to deal with the pieces that Catalina would be trying.
The dark haired girl settles into a cushioned seat by the vanity and sips on her drink. She's dressed in a black mini skirt, flaunting her tan and slender legs, and a fitted, cropped camisole paired up with shiny, black heeled boots. Her designer sunglasses rest on the top of her head as she scrolls through her phone.
When her green eyes glance up from the screen and catch me staring, she smiles and I feel my cheeks heat up in embarrassment.
As much as I want to avoid this girl, there's no way I can. She's also too kind for her own good. I can't tell if that's a good thing or a bad thing. The longer I look at it her, the more I'm reminded of Justin.
I can feel my insides churning at the thought of his deep brown eyes and the cute smile that he never shares with the camera. My heart clenches tightly and I have to mentally stop myself from picture his charming grin before I send myself over.
Move on, Ivy.
Savannah finally has Catalina stand by the full length mirror as she takes her measurement and I get each of the pieces ready for her to try on.
The coffee seems to slowly have an effect on me as I find the cogs in brain finally start to turn. Savannah and I work quickly, but quietly so Catalina does most of the talking.
In the middle of Catalina's story about her very first trip to Dubai last spring, her phone sounds loudly from its place on the vanity.
"Do you mind checking who it is?"
Nodding, I go to the phone and freeze when I see Justin's picture lighting up the screen.
It's a nice picture, one that shows off his side profile, prominently show casing his sculpted jaw as he peers off ahead of him. From the picture, I can see that he's dressed up in a tux so they must have been at some sort of event.
Get a grip, Ivy, I think to myself as I grab the phone and try my best to not chuck it out the window. That would not be professional. Who cares? Marco's voice adds in my head and I shake it off.
Her thin eyebrows pinch together. "It's Justin. He never calls, I should probably take this. Excuse me," Catalina is stepping back from the mirror before Savannah can argue.
"I was wondering if you'd ever call," She teases and the door closes shut behind her retreating figure.
From the side, I notice Savannah practically fuming. "I can't believe he is dating her," She crosses her arms over her chest, "not once has he ever mentioned her."
I shrug. "Is that really so surprising?"
Her nose turns up into the air, "If you'd taken the time to get to know him, you'd know that he isn't the dating type," She says matter-of-factly.
Oh, I've gotten to know him all right. I think to myself. Memories with the flippant yet kind hearted boy start to flood my mind. When he showed up to Ms Mallette's event drunk, when I let him crash at my apartment and he asked about the picture of Marco and I on my mantle and his truthful drunken words. Then our outing to the Pierre Chamonix show and the first time he kissed me replays in my mind.
My tone is sugary sweet, "Does he not date or does he just not want to date you?"
My words clearly prick a hole because Savannah is sending me daggers. "Watch it, Ivy."
I don't get a chance to respond as Catalina reenters the room. She doesn't show any signs of distress as she slips her phone back into her purse and settles back in front of the mirror.
"Sorry about that," She waves her hand dismissively, "His sleep schedule has been a mess ever since he's started modelling in addition to band practice."
I begin to alter the pink dress that Catalina was trying for the fitting, but Savannah stays off to the side.
"How long have two been dating, Catalina?"
My eyes snap to Savannah's short figure who's leaning cooly against the dresser with a hand on her hip. Even without her heels, she looks as menacing as ever. Her attitude makes up for the lack in height. Although Catalina practically towers over here, especially in her heeled boots, Savannah doesn't look fazed.
She's scrutinizing Catalina and momentarily notices my distressed expression from behind Catalina, but waves it off with a gentle flick of her fingers.
This can't end well.
If Catalina is aware of the hostility behind Savannah's saccharine tone, she doesn't call attention to it. Instead, she's smiles.
"I've known Justin since we were 17, but we've only really been dating on and off," She admits.
My eyes are focused on the pins that hold the back of the dress together, but her words startle me and I'm grateful that Catalina can't see me. They've been dating on and off?
Savannah's tone is almost sarcastic. "How nice,"
Catalina stiffens and I glare at Savannah in warning.
Back off. She catches my gaze and thankfully turns it down a notch.
I'm not going to let Savannah attack Catalina just because she has some sort of delusional claim over Justin. We need to keep this as professional as possible and try to avoid any unwanted tension.
"How did you two meet?" Savannah places her chin in the palm of her hand after she's settled into an empty seat, "I'd love to know."
Despite my mind telling me not to, I find myself listening intently, curious to hear the answer myself.
Catalina shoulders straighten out as she visibly brightens. "We met at Elliot's birthday party!"
Then she turns to me in a sudden motion, startling me. "How'd you like Elliot?"
"Elliot who?" Savannah nosily asks.
"Verarona." I reply curtly and the slit of her eyes widen to the size of saucers.
"He was..." I trail off. Annoying? A pain in my ass? Albeit, it wasn't completely Elliot's fault. He was just trying on the blazer that Pattie gifted to him and I had unknowingly attempted to attack him for it.
Deciding that I didn't want to offend Catalina, I settle with an honest, but simple response. "He was really... something."
Her interpretation must have been on the sweeter side because she nods excitedly, "He's a real catch. Just like his cousin." She giggles and my stomach churns.
"Cousin?" Savannah's voice echoes.
I ignore her. "That's nice."
"Hang on," Savannah will not go unnoticed, how typical. "Justin is related to Elliot Verarona, as in the son of Daniel and Lucile Verarona?"
"Yeah, Lucile is his aunt."
Savannah holds a hand out and closes her eyes. "Hold on, I'm gonna need a minute here."
~
"I'm dead, I don't even think I need food anymore." I sigh into the phone as I push my cart down the aisle of the frozen food section.
"I told you I could have gotten you groceries before work." Marco's voice rings in my ear.
"Then I'd feel bad."
"Ivy," Marco sighs, "we've been over this. I'd rather you not die from overworking and exhaustion. I still need someone to binge Brooklyn 99 with."
"How sweet," I sarcastically respond as I make my way to the ice-cream section.
I freeze when I notice a familiar figure grabbing yogurt in the near by dairy section.
"You have got to be kidding me."
"What's wrong?"
"I'm fine. I'll call you back in a minute, Marco."
I end the call before he can protest and try to think about my best option. Ice cream is the last thing on my list and I'm desperate to go home so I can eat a whole pint of french vanilla and cookies and cream ice cream to myself. Oh, and a pint of rocky road ice cream for Marco. I make a mental note to myself.
Down in the aisle stood Elliot, Catalina and Justin. The view was quite surprising and I don't think I would have noticed the other two if it weren't for Justin.
Unlike him, the other two were dressed more conspicuously in loose hoodies, probably in attempts to avoid any unwanted attention from suspecting fans.
Justin, on the other hand, was dressed in a bright pink hoodie and a grey beanie despite it being the summertime.
He strolls aimlessly in circles around the aisle, spinning on the soles of his shoes, as the other two bickered about cheese.
I need to leave.
Luckily for me, Catalina and Justin leave the aisle while Elliot stays behind. Maybe I could sneak past him?
"Excuse me," A woman loudly wheels her squeaking cart around me, catching the attention of the only other person in the aisle.
Damn it, I think as Elliot's bright blue eyes take notice of me.
An all too familiar smirk graces his lips. "Fancy seeing you here, Ivory. Here to battle me over blue cheese? Or do you only go after blue blazers?" He teases.
I push my cart towards the end of the aisle, "Just here for some ice cream."
"Aw, come on, I was just joking with you," I hear him jog towards me, abandoning his own cart in the empty aisle.
I don't pay attention to him as I pull the fridge open and stock my cart with ice cream. I need to get out of here before the other two can show up.
Elliot whistles, "You having an ice cream party or something?"
My voice comes out dull. "I'm just an avid ice cream consumer."
The freezer door shuts with the pull of a magnet and I get ready to escape, but Elliot won't let me off the hook so easily.
His cold hand gently grabs ahold of my arm, holding me back. "Hey," His voice is softer than before, "i'm sorry about what happened that day. Really." He says when my blank eyes meet his.
"You don't need to apologize."
He scratches the back of his neck, pushing back the hood of his sweater to reveal his wavy hair. "No, I was being an ass about it. I'm sorry, Ivory."
"Seriously, its fine," I pause, "and it's Ivy." I repeat for what feels like millionth time to another stranger. This earns a smile from Elliot as he nods. Unfortunately, we're caught too soon.
"Ivy?" A low voice echoes in the aisle.
Both Elliot and I turn our heads to the side. Justin's gaze is set on the Elliot's fingers around my arm. Catalina then appears by his side and smiles brightly. "Hey!"
"Hi," I weakly wave, which causes Elliot to pull back. I don't miss the way Justin visibly relaxes from the loss of his cousin's touch. I feel guilty when my heart flutters.
"This is such a coincidence, I was just telling the guys about you!"
My heart beat is picking up. "I see," I fiddle with the ends of my cardigan which I've instintively wrapped tightly around my chest. I can feel Justin and Elliot watching me, but I avoid both of their looks.
Catalina seems to nice my distress, "All good things, I swear." She winks to ease my nerves, but it does exactly the opposite. "I was just saying how I really wanted to invite you and Savannah out! Maybe lunch?"
I feel myself relax and I nod. "Sure," I reply, wanting to leave as quickly as possible. Whatever gets me out of here the fastest.
"I won't take up any more your time, I promise." Catalina says kindly, letting me go for the night and I thank my lucky stars.
"Do you need a ride or anything?" Elliot asks.
"No, I'm alright."
I glance at my cart and it finally hits me, I don't know how I'm going to carry all my food out. I don't have a car and these groceries are surely heavy. I sigh, maybe Marco can get me after work? I think he said he finished in an hour and-
"We'll drive you." Justin blurts.
"Huh?" My head turns so fast I'm surprised I didn't give myself whiplash.
"We'll drive you," He says more slowly, "I know you're strong, but there's no way you're gonna be able to carry all that." His voice is firm, leaving no room for arguments.
"That's really not necessary-" I say, more so to Elliot and Catalina.
"Nonsense, I really don't mind." Elliot smiles, "It's the least I can do after our little game." He chuckles.
"What?" Justin's voice is flat and unwavering.
Catalina giggles, running a hand over the soft material of his hoodie. "He's talking about the blazer incident, babe."
Babe.
I flinch at the mention of the pet name and don't miss the way Justin goes rigid again. We're both uncomfortable. The only reasoning I can come up with his discomfort is from my mere presence, but my heart selfishly wishes it was for different reasons.
After we each check out, Elliot leads us to his all black Mercedes G wagon that somehow manages to glimmer in the dark. Justin goes to the passenger side of the car and opens the door for Catalina who thanks him.
I stay back, helping Elliot load the groceries into the trunk. A cold breeze blows and I gladly welcome the refreshing feeling as it rushes through my hair.
"You seem happy," Elliot muses as he lifts two cartons of orange juice.
I grab my ice cream from the cart and hold them up in triumph.
"Ahh, so ice cream is the way to your heart, huh?"
This makes me laugh, "You could say that."
The sudden sound of a car horn blares loudly in the almost empty parking lot, practically sending both Elliot and I jumping out of our skins.
"Lets go slow pokes!" Justin yells from an open window.
Elliot chuckles, shutting the trunk door with ease. We place the carts back in their respective area before heading back to the car.
Elliot opens the door for me and I feel myself go pink and mumble a quick thank you as I climb into his car. To my dismay, Justin is grumpily sitting in the back, peering out the window.
The car's engine roars to life as Elliot settles in the driver's seat and Catalina connects her phone to the stereo system to play some music.
We all make small talk and Justin stays characteristically quiet for most of the ride.
My right hand is resting off to the side as I switch between looking out the window and ahead as I nod along to Catalina's words. I'm barely paying attention, more so admiring the leather interior of Elliot's car.
I could easily just fall asleep back here. Although tempting, Justin's presence is actively keeping me from doing so. It's as if I'm hyperaware of him whenever he's around.
The slight graze of skin pulls me out of my thoughts and I gulp. You're imagining things, I think to myself.
Another delicate brush of warm skin tells me otherwise.
I tilt my head ever so slightly to the side to take in the hand that's resting near mine. Justin isn't looking at me, rather gazing out the window absentmindedly.
For the first time in a long while, I let myself really look at him. He looks calm, no at ease, while he focuses out the window. Even when it isn't clenched, his jaw is sharp enough to cut under the city lights that cast upon his face.
From the front, Elliot is much too focused on the road and Catalina has started to hum to the low beat of City Of Stars by Logic, her eyes closed.
My heartbeat is hammering against my chest as I allow my hand to stay where it is.
Don't do it, the voice in my head screams, but the selfish ache in my heart pulls me in as I lightly nudge my pinky to his.
Justin continues to look out the window, but I feel his slender fingers inch closer to mine.
We stay like this for a bit, our backs to each other as we gaze out to the stars above that illuminate the dark sky.
Maybe it's because I'm tired and the summer air has me under a spell. Or maybe it's the sounds of the music that seems to hit my core as I admire the New York City lights that flash in the distance as Elliot's car smoothly drives down the streets that pushes me to take a risk.
Our actions mean well but are anything far from innocent. I realize this when his pinky finger lightly wraps around my own, making an undeclared promise.
No words, just a simple squeeze of warm skin.
I promise.
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A/N:
Some Ivy &Justin angst for you all aha. Hope you enjoyed, my lovelies!
-Diana