Ivy’s pov
“You two look like trouble sitting that close,” Marcus said, laughing as he lifted his glass.
I smiled once he said those words. It was the type of smile that comes very easy after you have practiced it for years. It was the kind of smile that said I am here. I am present. I am happy. Even if you weren’t.
Everyone laughed. Elliot shook his head and said something about old stories and worse decisions. The table felt warm. Familiar. Safe.
It was a double date. Easy. Comfortable. The kind that should not make your heart beat faster.
And yet.
I noticed her before the wine arrived. Before the plates clinked. Before Marcus’s hand slid onto my thigh like it always did, warm and sure and expected.
Rhea Blake.
She sat down just across from me. Her legs were crossed. Her posture w
