“You’re good at what you do because you like it. You like takin’ what ain’t yours.”
He grins again. “Like that Hammond girl.”
“Watch yourself, Declan.”
He makes a tut-tutting sound as he wags a finger at me.
“So angry, kid. Maybe you should try some of that yoga shit your girlfriend is into.”
“She’s not my girlfriend.”
“Uh huh.”
He glances past me and smirks. I turn, my blood running cold before I see the pair of Ivy’s panties on the fucking floor of my room just inside the door.
Shit.
“Well,” Declan shrugs. “I hope she’s not, for the sake of whoever’s those are.”
I can feel my teeth grinding together, my blood running like fire.
“Get off my boat.”
Declan laughs. “With pleasure, captain.”
He takes his foot off the side of the boat with a dramatic bow.
“Listen, you get tired of being a bus boy for your crippled friend up at O’Donnell’s or playing fix-it man or whatever the fuck you’re doing for pity money these days, you come by and say hello, okay?”
I watch until he and his goons are out of sight down the pier before I head back inside.
Ivy’s waiting for me - dressed now, her arms crossed over her chest and a cold look on her face.
“You’re still talking to your Uncle?”
I frown. “Ivy, it’s not-”
She narrows her eyes at me.
“No,” I say evenly. “I’m not.”
“But he was here the other day?”
I peer at her. “He stopped by, yeah.”
She shakes her head, pushing her fingers through her golden hair.
“He knows about me, Silas.”
I reach out for her but she steps away, making me frown,
“He- no, not like that.”
“This was a bad idea.”
Her face is white as she goes to push past me.
“Ivy, hang on.”
“Silas,” she turns, her eyes looking sad. “I can’t do this right now.”
There’s a final look, a final lingering reminder of what we almost got back to here, before she turns.
And then she’s gone.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Ivy
“Late night?”
I jump at the sound of my dad’s voice from across the kitchen when I step in through the back door.
He chuckles as I whirl to see him camped out at the breakfast nook with a book and a mug of tea on the table in front of him.
“Sorry, sweetheart, didn’t mean to scare you.”
“No, it’s fine!” I half-lie, feeling my pulse hammering in my veins as the shock dissipates.
I’m suddenly reminded of other late nights where I came home by this door - nights where I thankfully did not run into my father.
He’d have killed me back then if I’d come home from where I was coming from at that sort of hour. Actually, he’d kill me now if he knew where I’ve just been.
He’d kill Silas for sure, in either scenario. I think even the good Reverend would look past scruples about that.
“Can we talk?” He closes the book as he reaches for the mug in front of him, cocking a bushy silver brow at me.
There’s that horrible feeling of having done something bad. It’s like sneaking half a beer when you’re young, and then sitting down for dinner with your parents, the guilt across your face.
Or like running around with Silas Hart in his pickup truck and then coming home to your family when you just know they know.
This is much worse than that, having just come from where I did, having just done what I did.
“Sure?”
“Have a seat.” Dad gestures to the chair across the table from him.
I swallow the lump in my throat as I do. Dad looks at me across the table, his hands steepled in front of him as if about to give a sermon.
“You doing okay?” He gives me a wry smile. “Stella spilled the beans about Blaine, honey.”
The funny thing is, I have to suddenly remember to be, or at least look, upset.
“Oh, yeah…” I trail off. “It’s fine, Dad.”
“I’m not your sisters or your mother, but you know you can talk to me about it if you want.”
I smile. “I know. I’m fine, though. It’s for the best.”
He nods, chewing on his words before he opens his mouth again.
“I’m worried about you, Ivy.”
I grin as I shake my head. “Dad, you don’t have to.”
“I do, I’m your dad.” He winks. “Sort of comes with the job.”
I smile and nod. “I know. I really am okay, though.”
“I never thought I’d say this, honey, but you’ve done pretty well leaving Shelter Harbor, after what happened to your brother, and with…”