Ivy's POV:

"I miss you."

"I only just left."

"I know, but I still miss you. I want to hold you in my arms right now." My eyes rolled playfully, my teeth trapping my bottom lip. I quickly gave the taxi driver directions to Jace's apartment.

"Jace, your plane hasn't even taken off yet."

I heard him breath out a laugh, "That's why there's still time for you to come and sit next to me. The guy next to me is snoring already."

"It's only going to be two days - I'm sure we will survive. It's not like much is going to happen anyway."

"True."

I faintly heard an announcement echoing through the speakers of the plane, "I'm going to go now as it sounds like you're ready to leave."

Jace sighed and I imagined him rolling his eyes too. "Okay. Goodbye, I love you."

Butterflies flew recklessly around my stomach.

"I know, goodbye," I replied and turned my phone off. However, it rang again straight after. Not thinking to check the caller ID, I answered it and put it to my ear straight away.

I was fully expecting it to be Jace, but when I spoke, there was no reply.

When I finally glanced at the number, I immediately knew. It was the same number that repetitively rang me a few months ago, but no matter how many times I answered, there was still no reply. It was the same number Lucas told me to block, but I didn't.

I was intrigued. Why would someone would keep ringing and not say a single word? Sure, there was a certain level of danger to it, but once my curiosity is sparked, I can't undo it. And this sparked it.

"If you're not going to say anything, why keep ringing me?"

Silence.

So I hung up.

I turned to look out the window, choosing to forget about what just happened.

Paying and thanking the taxi driver, I walked into the building and took the elevator up to Jace's apartment. He gave me a key last night and told me to stay here whilst he was away.

I dropped my bag and keys by the door and saw the state we had left the apartment in last night. I immediately began tidying up.

We ordered a shit ton of food and had the most random movie marathon I've ever experienced. There was no real theme to it, we just picked random films and watched them. We sat laughing uncontrollably at, not the scariness, but the completely stupidity and bad editing of the old horror movie we watched had.

It was fun. I loved hearing him laugh like that.

I love him.

I knew that now; I just haven't found the right moment to tell him yet. But I will and soon.

Suddenly, a strange humming sound came from the door. Slight panic settled as I tried to figure out what it was.

Earlier today, Jace had told me about an alarm and the code for it. Was that what was going on? He specifically mentioned a white box, a little red light flashing when it was about to scream. But no matter where I looked, I couldn't see anything like that.

But then it stopped.

Panic over.

Till it started all over again. However, this time I used my initiative and checked my bag before freaking out. 

It was Calla ringing me and she had rung five times. Worried completely, I rang her back immediately.

"Come to the house," Calla announced, the panic in her voice clear as day. I jumped in my car and drove straight there.

-

"Hey, what's going on?" I opened the car door to ask as I saw Sydney rushing towards me with a sense of urgency. Something was very clearly not right and when she didn't answer and instead rushed me out of the car, I grew impatient.

"Sydney! Is everyone okay?"

She had this dazed look about her eyes which only made me feel worse. "I think so." Syd nodded her head to herself, it looked like she wasn't sure.

"Sydney," I took a hold of her shoulders and made her look at me, she wasn't going to hear what I was saying otherwise. "Is everyone okay and healthy or not?"

"No, no, everyone is okay. Just- Just hurry up inside and you'll see."

As I entered our home, I noticed how nothing looked different. Nothing seemed out of place or as if anything bad had happened, and when I finally saw Lucas, Darius and Calla sitting in the kitchen together, I relaxed a little. Nothing extreme had happened to anyone.

However, when they turned and acknowledged me, the smiles on their faces disappeared in an instant. No one was acting normal.

"What is going on? Why are you all acting weird?" Everyone glanced behind me and questioned Sydney with their eyes. Not only was I getting more worried with every unanswered question that popped into my head, frustration bubbled in the pit of my stomach too.

I'm naturally impatient, but when the people I love were involved, it was worse.

Darius took one calculating look at me to understand what I was thinking, "Don't worry, were all fine. It's just-" he paused. He picked up a letter off the table and jerked it towards me. "Read this. It'll explain most of it."

Confused, my eyebrows creased in the middle. I took the daunting but small piece of paper out of Darius' hand and unfolded it.

I glanced up, everyone was staring. I read it out loud.

I know you probably don't want to hear from me, I honestly don't blame you, but here's my number if you want to chat sometime. I will happily answer or clear up any confusion you have carried over the last almost decade.
Here's my number: 071234567
Call anytime.
Dad.

I straight away searched for Sydney. After all she was the one who knew the most about this all. We communicated with our eyes - I was asking her questions, she was trying to reassure me.

I hadn't heard from my Dad for years, frankly, I didn't need him. Even though I don't need him and never have, I was still needing answers.

"What? How? When? Sydney..." I pleaded with my eyes.

Darius' arms encased me in a tight, warm hug. I leant into his body at the sheer moment of me seeking comfort.

When Darius relaxed his arms from around me, I sat down in the stool in front of me. Sydney sat next to me. Everyone else left the room.

Sydney started talking, "Calla rang you as soon as we found out."

My head nodded, "But how- like- what happened?" I asked, finally looking up at her instead of the letter in my hands.

People may think I was overreacting, but everything I went through whilst this man was still in my life- I just didn't want to have to re-live all those emotions.

I could already feeling myself experiencing similar default reactions as I did from years ago; things I thought I had fixed.

"Um, so, we were out this morning. All four of us were going out for breakfast and when we came back, the back door was open and the letter on the table."

So he broke in? He broke into my- our home just to give me a stupid letter? What the fuck.

"No one was hurt. No one was hurt through him breaking in, just know that, okay?" Sydney assured me as if she could hear my thoughts.

We sat in silence for a long time.

To me, however, it was far from silence. I could hear every last pestering thought that was whizzing around inside my brain.

It was exhausting. I was exhausting.

Before I knew it, it was lunchtime.

"Hey, you okay?" Calla and Lucas asked, concern washed across both their faces.

I nodded my head and pushed a smile onto my face, pushing all the emotions - every last one - to the bottom of my stomach, I decided to deal with how I was feeling later.

"Yeah, I'm good."

Cals took my word for it, Lucas did not. But he knew better than to push me on it. Instead, he rested his hand on my shoulder and gave me that look. 'I'm here if you need to talk' look.

I grinned, showing him I understood. "Anyway, what does everyone want for lunch?"

"I want pancakes!" Calla shouted from a different room.

"You always want pancakes," Syd and Lucas shouted back. I genuinely laughed at the comfort I found in everyone around me.

-

The day passed in a blur. Nothing memorable happened. Nothing as memorable or as thought consuming as the morning.

I shut everything out all day to save myself from going insane with my own thoughts. But now that I was alone In Jace's apartment, I couldn't escape it any longer.

I threw myself onto Jace's bed, drowning in the comfort his scent brought me.

I didn't need Jace, I don't need anyone. But right now, I wanted him, so I picked up my phone and rang his number.

"Hey, Princess."

"Hey," I smiled. "How was your flight?"

"Boring without you, but bearable. How was your day? Did you miss me?"

Yes. Extremely.

"Maybe just a little."

"A little? Don't lie, you missed me lots. Anyway, how was your day?"

The question I was dreading but wishing for at the same time. I wanted to tell him but I also didn't want him to worry.

He must have sensed my hesitation as he spoke up before I answered, "Did something happen?"

"Kind of."

I heard movement from Jace's side of the phone, "I'm comfortable now. Tell me everything." I smiled at his words.

"So, you know that number that kept ringing me? It- I found out who it was today." Jace didn't say anything but rather waited for me to continue. "Yeah, it's my Dad and he wants to talk..."

Jace sighed, "Do you want to meet up with him?"

I thought about it for a second, "Um, I don't know. I think I will because I don't want to think 'What if I hadn't' you know?"

"Yeah, yeah. That makes a lot of sense and you never know, it might change things for the better. How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay." Lies

"Baby, are you sure? You can talk to me." His voice, I broke down and cried. Tears fell from my eyes even when I attempted to stop them.

"Baby," he tutted. "I wish I was there with you right now."

"I'm fine, I'm fine. I'm in your bed anyway so you kind of are." I told him, trying to calm myself down.

"Our bed," he corrected, pulling my lips up at the sides. "Did that make you smile?" I heard the grin on his face as he spoke.

I chuckled, "Yes it did."

"Good because that's all I want to do, make you happy." I didn't think I could smile any harder, but I somehow did. "You know what?"

"What?" I questioned, wondering where he was going with it.

"You should meet up with your Dad, not tomorrow, but the next day."

I frowned, "The day you come back?"

"Yeah. Because no matter what happens, I want to be there when you get back. I will be there for you."

My heart fluttered at the pure thoughtfulness. He really does care about me, huh?

I turned onto my side and pulled the covers right up to my eyes. "Ew. Don't ever say that again but thank you."

Jace's boisterous laugh echoed through the phone, making me warm inside. "Don't lie, you loved it."

"I didn't, but I love you."

I heard a slight gasp as the words I said settled in the air. I held back a laugh as I waited for Jace's reaction.

"I love you too, baby." My heart swelled. "Well, I'll let you go and sleep as you're probably exhausted after today. Goodnight, gorgeous. I love you."

"Goodnight, handsome. I love you too." I waited a few seconds before hanging up.

My phone unexpectedly vibrated in my hands and I lifted it to read what it said.

A text from Jace saying, "I love you the most."

I picked out the letter from my pocket and saved the number to my phone. I sent a text quickly to my Dad suggesting meeting up in two days. I screenshotted it and sent it to Jace.

My phone rang again.

"I'm so proud of you," Jace whispered and cancelled the call before I could say anything back.

He's proud of me.

(A/N) Don't forget to vote, comment and share!! The support from you guys has been crazy recently so thank you all so so much.

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