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J J  W O O D F O R D

"WHAT DO YOU SAY," Finn swats me in the chest as I chug down a glass of cold milk. "Party tonight?"

I stare back at him as he walks around the kitchen island to face me. "Sure," I nod. "People you know from school?"

Finn shrugs. "Pretty much," he bows his head. "Will be nice to see old friends who only come back for the summer. I can introduce you to them, it will be good for you to know a few familiar faces."

"Right," I say as I place down the glass.

Since I arrived yesterday I've barely seen Ivy today. If I knew any better, I would think that she's avoiding me or trying not to be in the house today for the exact reason of not wanting to talk to me.

I get it. She doesn't want Finn to find out. She doesn't want to remember our night together but I do. I want to ask why she left without saying a word. Is this what it feels like to feel rejected and neglected after a nice fuck? You take this shit personally. I know I sure have.

"Where's the party?" I ask Finn whilst she scrolls through his phone.

"On the beach," he nods towards the direction of the sea. "Bring your own beers. Standard around here. Why have house parties when you have an endless beach front?"

I nod even though he can't see me. Can't say I've ever been to a party on the beach but I guess there is a time for everything.

"Who's going?"

Finn peers up at me and frowns, those light brown eyebrows creasing. "You don't know anyone here. Does it matter who's going?"

"Oh, no, no," I shake my head and pretend to be interested in the marble counter. "Was just asking." Because I was wondering if Ivy will be there.

I don't say this. Obviously. But a part of me wants to know. How much will I actually be seeing her this summer in reality? If Finn hangs out with her friends or if Ivy hangs out with his friends then it's going to be a clear case of crossing boundaries.

Ones I won't be able to help because I can't make excuses to Finn.

"What time?"

"Around seven or eight," he says, finally looking up from his phone and locking it. "You wanna go into town? Do something before the party, even get some beers in before."

I take the glass and place it inside their dishwasher. "Sounds good to me."

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When we get home a few hours later, Finn instructs that we start to get ready and he takes far too long to do that. Longer than any girl I've ever met. I never know what he does that takes him hours to get ready, his hair never has any product in it and he doesn't take long to shower.

I blink away these thoughts because each to their own.

Music blasts down the hall and I know Finn's playing his one and only famous playlist that he listens to day-in, day-out. Once I'm ready and dressed down in a simple white t-shirt and cargo shorts with a pair of white trainers, I'm set. I fix my nose ring and adjust the necklace that hangs around my neck, centering it in the middle of my chest.

I step out of my room and turn down the hall, just as the door to the bathroom between my room and Finn's room opens. My eyes latch onto Ivy as she strolls out wearing nothing more than an olive green towel that showcases her light pastel skin. I am in no doubt that she could get a mouthwatering tan in the summer.

Her champagne blonde hair clings to her bare shoulders and chest in clumps, droplets rolling down her arms from the shower she just emerged. She still hasn't seen me, eyes glued to the phone that is between her fingers.

"You going to the party tonight?"

Ivy's body jolts and her phone almost slips from her hand–worse—her towel almost slips from her body. Not until she grips it back together so hard with an iron fist that her knuckles begin to turn white.

"Jesus–" she hisses through her teeth, staring up at me through damp eyelashes. "You scared me half to death."

A smirk covers my lips and I fold my arms over my chest, elongating my spine. "I see that."

She scowls at me and I hate that she looks so pretty doing it. I've never been into the mean-pretty thing because most girls are actually mean. But she just throws around these looks, covering the way that she wants to feel. A feeling that I am unsure of.

When she places a foot in front of the other and begins to walk at me, I step directly in her way. "I asked you a question."

Ivy's nose begins to flare as she studies me, giving me the perfect opportunity to admire her bare face. Never before did I notice how long those lashes are, despite them being fair and wet, they're stupidly long. A couple of freckles dot her nose, something she hides with makeup because I never saw them the night we hooked up.

Her skin is flushed from the heat of her shower even though it's about a thousand degrees outside. I'll never understand what it is with women and having boiling hot showers that your flesh actually slips from the bone.

"Maybe," she deflects, folding back her shoulders in a stance that tells me she's trying to be confident with her blunt answer.

When she moves to walk around me, I don't stop her this time. I stare ahead at the wall and smile to myself, she might think this summer is going to work out by ignoring each other but it's only going to make things more difficult.

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Finn has introduced me to far too many people, I don't struggle with remembering people, it's remembering their names. Especially when alcohol is involved. But I specifically remember his closest friends; Joel and Cal. They've all been friends since year seven and even though Finn left school nearly eight years ago, they're tight as hell.

He then introduces me to some girls he knows, it's obvious that he's into one of them but I don't push him because I'll pick a better time to grill him about his blatant crush.

The sun has now gone down and we're sitting around a fire on blankets, others on broken pieces of log. There is a speaker near the drinks table, someone even brought a keg. Never did I think beach parties would be this professional, I was convinced it would be a bunch of youths getting pissed out of their heads and trying not to drown at sea when they decide to go skinny dipping.

I'm pleasantly surprised.

As I sit between Finn and Joel, they're explaining to me something that happened as they both were growing up. I was interested, until I spot familiar blonde hair as it flaps through the wind, glow illuminating the strands from the fire.

Ivy doesn't see me sitting here, I haven't seen her this whole time but I guess there are a lot of people here and I didn't take a look at every single one. She approaches the drinks table and I clear my throat turning to look at Finn and Joel.

"I'm gonna grab another beer," I mutter.

Neither of them turn to me with suspicion, Finn only tilts his head back and cackles at something that Joel says. Giving me the green card to move away without being gunned down for what I'm about to do.

Ivy stands with her back to me, dressed down in some boyfriend shorts and a black crop top that reaches the bottom of her neck. I approach her slowly, glad that there isn't anyone else around.

I suck in a breath. "I can't believe you live here." I admit as I inhale the salty air.

The beach has never really appealed to me until now. Sand is rather inconvenient but listening to the waves as they crash against the shore seems like the new equivalent of listening to dolphin calling as a sense of calmness. Then there's watching the golden sun go down across the horizon of the ocean.

If peace could be a moment in time, it would be now. Even with the blasting music from the makeshift speaker.

Ivy turns her head towards me and I notice that she's covered those freckles with foundation, even made her lashes longer and darker with some make-up product. I inhale again because suddenly it's hard to breathe–even being outside.

When her eyes lay on mine she flicks her head over her shoulder, glancing around at anyone who could be watching us. I furrow my brows at the action, does this interaction really bother her this much?

I shove my hand into my pocket. "What... Am I not allowed to talk to you at all now?"

Ivy grabs her freshly made drink and draws her arms to her chest. "I don't want anyone getting the wrong idea." She mumbles under her breath, moving her eyes away from my gaze.

"Look," I huff out, trying my best to catch her attention again. "We're going to be living together for a few months."

"Months?"

I've always wished my eyes could take pictures as some form of high-tech equipment, precisely for this moment. Her reaction. When her eyebrows shoot up and her glossy lips fall apart, I know she's dreading the worst.

She probably thought summer was a couple weeks tops. But she's in for a surprise.

"Is that a problem?" I tilt my head.

Ivy recovers her expression and clears her throat, brushing a strand of golden hair past her shoulder. "That's an abnormal amount of time to stay for the summer, but you do you, JJ."

I raise a brow. I don't miss the way she emphasises my name at the end as if it were more of a threat than a statement but it still sends my mind wild.

"I realise this makes you uncomfortable," I address, twiddling the empty beer bottle between my fingers.

She glances away at my words. "Of course it does," she agrees. Part of me thought she would deflect what I said. I don't want to make her feel uncomfortable, especially knowing that we've shared an extremely intimate–and sexy–night together. "You're Finn's best friend."

Her final few words fill me with relief. Not that she's disgusted by our one-night stand but because she doesn't want her brother to find out. I mean some things might be lost in translation considering she upped and left after going on a date and exploring each other's naked bodies.

"But you're making it worse," I admit.

She's the one causing unnecessary drama. I'd be all for acting like nothing happened if she didn't act so damn strange around me.

"I'm not."

"You are," I laugh desperately. "God, so damn argumentative. You weren't lying."

Those soft blue eyes narrow at me, clearing remembering our date talk a week ago.

"I'm sure we can get through this summer without having to bump into each other or talk to each other. You'll be off with Finn and I'll be doing my thing." Her voice begins to raise and I realise I'm definitely into the mean-pretty thing as she continues to stand her ground by folding her arms and watching me through hooded eyes.

I can't stop the grin that meets my face. Ivy's eyes dart down towards the action. Then she flicks back to my eyes again and scowls at my reaction. "What?"

"Is there a reason why you left my apartment without saying anything?"

Ivy's eyes flash with the memories. She stands there for a few moments not saying anything, then she tears her eyes from me as if it's too much to even look my way. She glances down at the sand beneath her feet.

"Enjoy the party, JJ." She says as she walks past me, not raising her head for a second.

I turn to her and scoff. "You're not even going to answer the question?"

She exhales a soft sigh and finally she turns to me. "There is no point dwelling on the past. Is there?"

When I don't say anything in response she heads back over to her friends, I stand staring because I am pathetic. I want an answer and she can't even give it to me.

Was I shit in bed? Fuck no. There is no way I'm shit in bed.

Maybe I was too good, that's why she ran.

I turn back to the drinks table and grab another beer, using the edge to hit off the cap with my palm. A hand touches my shoulder and I turn to face Finn. "Ready for some beer pong, brother?"

"Ready as I'll ever be."

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Author's Note

Eeeeek. What did you guys think of this chapter?👉🏼

Ivy might be very standoffish but you'll soon realise why she's acting this way!

FINN CAN NEVER FIND OUT🫢🫢🫢

What do you guys think of JJ's POV? I love the way he describes her.🥹

Don't forget to leave a comment and a vote if you enjoyed! It means the world to me.

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