Page 22 of Moonlight & Matrimony (Oak Ridge #2)

Ivy

? Narcissist - Avery Anna

“ O h fuck,” I curse as I plow straight into a rock hard body, coffee spilling over the edge of my mug, saturating my ratty pajamas.

“Shit. Sorry, Ivy.” Two strong hands grasp my shoulders to help steady me, but I’m too busy taking in the impeccable view.

My husband is standing in the hallway with nothing but a towel slung low on his hips, his toned chest glistening with the last remnants of his shower.

His dark hair is damp, and his jaw is set in a thin line as he stares down at where my coffee has spilled down the front of my t-shirt.

He pinches his eyes closed, muttering a curse. “I didn’t think you were home. I’ll just —” he gestures over his shoulder, and takes off into his room at the end of our hallway.

Fuck. I’m not going to survive this.

To be fair, I’m supposed to be picking up Rylin, so he had no idea I was home or he probably wouldn’t have been walking around the house looking like every girl’s wet dream.

I didn’t think to tell him my plans had changed when Evelyn offered to meet up with Austin in my place.

He’s the last person I want to see today, so I wasn’t about to pass up the offer.

Topping the list of people I’d very much like to see, again , is my super sexy, very wet husband.

By the time I’ve snapped myself out of my shameless thoughts, Luca isn’t the only one who’s wet.

I head towards the bathroom, intending to get cleaned up and change into something less caffeinated, but I pause outside of Luca’s door when I hear a faint groan coming from the other side. Is he…?

“Fuck,” he grunts, all but confirming my suspicions.

I hover a little too long, listening to his ragged breathing.

My jaw drops when the next word comes out of his mouth on a groan.

“Ivy.” My entire body heats at the sudden realization that Luca is getting himself off to thoughts of me.

I won’t deny that I’ve been tempted to return the sentiment, but I haven’t exactly had a lot of free time to get myself there, if you know what I mean.

By the time I crawl into bed at night, I’m already half dead to the world.

Realizing I’ve been standing here silently contemplating my next move for just a bit too long, I reluctantly take a step towards the bathroom and the floor creaks — loudly. Shit.

Panicking, I dash into the room, quickly closing the door behind me as quietly as possible before turning on the water, hoping with every fiber of my being Luca couldn’t sense me lurking outside of his doorway while he was engaging in his solo performance — a five star production, if you ask me.

I glance at myself in the mirror, cheeks flushed, nipples hard, and t-shirt damn near see-through thanks to the coffee incident.

I rush to clean up as best I can, then tiptoe to my room to change my clothes.

After throwing on a pair of jean shorts and a burgundy tank, I straighten my posture, puff out my chest, and speak positivity into the world, hoping to manifest something good out of this shit day.

I’m on my third “You’re a bad bitch” mantra when my phone vibrates in my pocket.

Evelyn: Austin’s sister is refusing to let me take her. You need to get over here.

Ivy: On my way.

I rush out of my room, snagging my purse and keys off the island in a frenzy. Rushing to the door, I grab a pair of my flip-flops and haphazardly throw them into my purse as I exit through the front door.

“Woah, woah, woah. Where’s the fire?”

“Austin —” I don’t even get the whole sentence out before Luca cuts me off.

“I’m driving,” he says, and I don’t have time to argue, so I meet him at his truck, and hop into the passenger side. “Tell me where I’m going,” he commands.

“Make a left at the end of the street, then turn onto Maple. It’s three streets up on the right.”

“Got it. Wanna tell me what the fuck is going on?”

“Evelyn texted. She said Austin’s sister is refusing to let Rylin leave with her.”

“Ok. Take a deep breath for me. You look like you’re going to pass out and we can’t have that.

” He reaches across the console, placing his open palm on my thigh.

I release my clenched fist and thread our fingers together, taking comfort in the feel of his skin on mine.

“It’s going to be okay,” he says, skating his thumb over the back of my hand.

We pull up to the extravagant home in midtown to find Rylin on Lori’s hip in the middle of the wraparound porch.

Evelyn is standing at the bottom of the stairs with a police officer and I’m instantly on edge.

It seems I’m not the only one because Luca has the truck in park and is barreling out of the vehicle before I even finish taking in the scene.

He bounds up to the cop, and I follow as quickly as I can, only now realizing I never put my shoes on.

I let fly a string of curses when my heel finds a jagged rock. All attention snaps to me and Luca doubles back, getting down on one knee. “I’m fine. Go check on the situation with Ry.”

Ignoring my request, he reaches for my foot. “You’re bleeding.”

“Mommy!” Rylin thrashes and kicks in Lori’s arms, successfully dislodging herself from her aunt’s hold before rushing to my side. “Mommy, you hurt?”

“I’m ok, Ry. Just a little ouchie.”

Evelyn comes over with a miniature pack of tissues and we get my foot cleaned up, and temporarily bandaged with a hello kitty bandaid that’s been lurking at the bottom of my purse for god knows how long.

“Ma’am,” the officer interrupts. “We need to discuss today’s incident with regards to custodial interference.”

“I beg your pardon?” Evelyn asks, a look of utter horror on her face.

“From the information I’ve been given, you are not lawfully allowed to pick the child up from visitation with her father.”

“That’s bullshit!” I shout. “Evelyn has picked her up plenty of times in the past. It’s never been an issue until now.”

Completely unfazed, though clearly irritated by my aggression, he continues his questioning with a touch of condescension. “And what exactly is her relation to the child?”

Standing my ground, I take a step towards Evie. “She’s like a grandmother to Rylin. She’s not blood related, but she’s the closest thing to family we have left.” Evelyn reaches for my hand, giving it a squeeze.

“Ma’am, if the custody agreement states a parent is to be present for all custody handoffs, then my hands are tied, and you must comply with the court’s ruling.”

“Then the same can be said for Austin. He’s supposed to be present, so where is he now?” I look over at Lori, who’s scowling at the interaction from her spot on the porch, not even deigning to grace us with her presence.

“Yes ma'am, I understand that. I suggest you both speak to your lawyers. In the future, the mother and father should be the ones to meet for the exchange. You can ask to have people added to your approved list at your next court date should you choose to do so.”

It takes every bit of my self-control not to lash out at Lori; she looks like she just won some fucked up prize for being a terrible person. “Thank you, officer. Can I take my daughter home now?”

“I just need to write up a report, then you’re free to go.”

“Sir. My name is Luca. I’m Ivy’s husband and Rylin’s step-father. How do we go about pressing charges if my wife’s ex-husband is stalking her?” The air leaves my lungs as Luca’s words sink in, the casual declaration leaving me momentarily stunned.

“Do you have substantial proof of this?”

“Nothing tangible, but I have witnessed it on multiple occasions, and I have several other witnesses who would be more than happy to testify.” I reach out and link my fingers with his, uncertain if I’m offering comfort or seeking it.

“I’m afraid I can’t do anything with baseless accusations. I suggest you get cameras and document any incidents. Until you can provide credible evidence, you should follow the court's custody agreement.”

Luca tenses, but I can’t help the pride that swells in my chest. He just claimed us in front of Austin’s sister and a complete stranger. Lori looks downright feral — the antithesis of Evelyn, who has a sly grin on her face.

Rylin is clinging to me, her curls tickling my neck as she buries her face there. “I missed you,” I whisper, smoothing a hand over her head.

“Missed you,” she murmurs, her voice a little sleepy.

“Let’s get you buckled into your car seat, my love.” It’s past her usual nap time and if it weren’t for the altercation, she would already be down and out. “I’ll be right back,” I whisper to Luca, placing a lingering kiss on his cheek to lay a claim of my own.

Once I have Rylin safely stowed in the truck, I return to the scene of the incident, noting that Lori has now joined the party. “Can we get a copy of this report?” Luca asks.

“Yes, that’s not a problem, sir,” the officer responds, his demeanor having changed now that he’s speaking to my husband. The blatant misogyny is not lost on me.

Lori is staring daggers at Luca, so I make a show of putting my arms around his waist, involuntarily inhaling his woodsy scent. He palms the back of my head and brings his lips to my temple.

“Is Rylin okay?” he whispers, and the wall I’ve built around my battered heart loses another brick.

My fake husband has shown more care and concern for my daughter in the last few weeks than her own father has in her entire life.

It’s a stark contrast, and I have to remind myself that I can’t afford to catch feelings.

I pull away, but not too far. I don’t want it to look suspicious.

“She’s alright,” I reply. “Just tired.”

Once the report is finished, the officer leaves, followed closely by Evelyn. Luca places a hand on the small of my back to guide me to the truck, but we don’t get far before a shrill voice stops us in our tracks. “Didn’t waste any time giving that girl a new daddy, did you?”