by KJ Swann
“This is it.”
Neveah nodded and wrote down the number of the swatch with the other two and headed to the back to bring out for the vests.
“They all look great, and they match well,” Vivian said.
“Excellent. I’ll grab the ties and meet you at the front counter.” Neveah nodded.
After everything was paid for and placed in the appropriate vehicles, Michael turned to everyone and asked, “Does anyone want to go out and get something to eat?”
At the mention of food, Jace’s stomach rumbled, and everyone laughed. “As much as I’d like to sit down and eat, I think Ivy and I are just going to grab something and return to Shaftsbury.”
Michael nodded to the rest of them. “What about you guys?”
“I’m game,” Tessa said, adding to Derrick, “What about you?”
“Sounds good to me. Where do you want to go, Michael?”
Michael turned to his wife. “What do you suggest, my dear?”
“Since it’s about lunchtime, why don’t we find a little diner and have a small lunch? Then we can make a decent dinner tonight.”
Everyone nodded. Ivy and Jace waved as they climbed into the truck and headed toward Shaftsbury.
11
As Jace and Ivy neared Shaftsbury, Ivy breathed a sigh of relief. Jace smiled over at her.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m glad we get to have some time away for just a little bit longer. It was weird to see Dad the way he was.”
“Yeah, no kidding. Something is going on there for your dad to give up the type of control that he had over your family.”
“Did you happen to see the look on my mom’s face? It’s like she had some secret, but she wasn’t going to share it at that point in time.”
“No, I missed it. Do you think your mother has something over him that would make him change like that?”
“No idea!”
“So, let’s focus on the ball instead.”
Ivy laughed. “Why do you want to focus on that?”
“Well, neither one of us has been to one. It’s something new for us. And I for one am excited to do something new.”
Ivy turned in her seat and narrowed her eyers at Jace. “I’m confused. You’ve always stayed away from stuff like this. You even tried to get out of prom.”
“True, but I’m trying to change for you and for me. Is that so bad?”
Ivy cocked her head. “No, babe, it’s not. I wasn’t expecting it is all. I’m proud of anything you do.”
Jace reached over and put his hand on her leg. Ivy intertwined her fingers with his. She was pleased with how far they’d come in their relationship and wouldn’t imagine it any other way.
They finally pulled into the driveway of the cabin about thirty minutes later, the first to arrive. The place was eerily silent.
“Ah, the calm before the storm,” Ivy quipped.
“Yeah, it won’t be long before the rest of them get back. Maybe an hour or so.”
Ivy nodded and carried their bags upstairs to their room. Jace followed slowly behind with the ball gown and tux in his arms. “Where do you want these?”
“Lay them on the bed, then I’ll hang them up in the closet.”
“So do I get to see your dress or do I have to wait?”
Ivy tapped her finger to her chin in thought. “I think I’m going to make you sit tight. I believe Tessa is going to do the same thing to Derrick.”
“That’s not fair. I’ve been with you for a longer time. I think I should be able to get a peek.”
“Technically, you did get a peek. You have a light purple vest and tie, correct?”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t tell me what else it looks like.”
Ivy grinned. “Seems you’re going to have to use your imagination until the ball.”
Jace shook his head. “Once again, you aren’t playing fair.”
Ivy placed her hands on both sides of Jace’s face. “Baby, I want to see the expression on your face when you see me the night of the New Year’s Eve ball. It’s only a day away. I’m sure you can wait that long.”
Jace groaned. “Ugh. I hope I can wait that long. Otherwise I might have to peep.”
“Don’t you even think about it.”
An evil smile crept over Jace’s face. Ivy shook her head and crossed her arms. but he gave it right back to her.
“You know, babe, just because I threaten to do something doesn’t mean I’m going to do it. I just say it to see the look on your beautiful face.”
“Just make sure you don’t touch this dress until you see it on the thirty-first. Got it? Jace, are you going to answer me or just stand there grinning like an ass?”
“Stand here grinning like an ass.”
“Figures.”
Jace went to put his arms around her, when she pushed him away. “Oh no you don’t. Keep to your side of the room.”
“What the hell did I do?”
Ivy smiled devilishly. “Two can play your little game, my dear. You want to steal a peep at my dress, then I don’t want you near me if you’re going to try.”
“I was joking. I promise I won’t.”
“Uh-huh, sure. I’ve heard that before.”
“That one time I peeked at your prom dress. You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”
“No. Especially since you said you weren’t going to peek. I mean it, Jace. I want this to be a surprise. How often do we dress up?”
Jace held up his hand in front of his body. “Okay, okay. I understand this means a lot to you. I won’t peep, and I’ll stay away from everything. I’m sorry if I pissed you off. You know I love it when you get all dolled up.”
“You realize you aren’t getting off that easily. But thank you for the compliment.”
“Damn.”
Ivy burst out in a fit of giggles. “Damn you. I can never stay mad or upset with you for too long because you always know how to bust down that wall of mine.”
“Always glad for that.” Jace smiled.
Ivy shook her head, pulling the clothes and other stuff out of their bags. She put the dirty clothes in a pile on the floor and placed her makeup bag on her vanity table.
After she got everything put away, Ivy turned to Jace. “I’m going to go make a sandwich. Would you like one?”
“I would love one. Your parents should be home soon. Let’s enjoy the time while we get it.” Jace jumped off the bed and ran after Ivy as she headed down to the kitchen.
A few minutes later, while Jace and Ivy sat in the kitchen eating their sandwiches, the front door opened, and Ivy heard her parents arguing as they walked in.
“You never know when to quit do you, Michael? You like to keep pushing, and one of these days, everything will spill out.”
Ivy got up, walked toward the door, and stood with her arms crossed. “I’ve had about enough of this. I want to understand what the hell is going on between you two, and I want to know now.”
Michael stopped in his tracks, shame written on his face.
“I can’t keep up with this anymore. No more. It’s time to let everyone know what’s been going on.” Michael turned to Vivian, who looked relieved.
“Once everyone is settled, meet me in the den, and we can all sit down and talk,” Michael said, wiping his hands on his jeans.
Ivy whipped around to face her mother and started to say something, but Vivian shook her head and stopped her. Tessa grinned beside their mother.
“I’m going to go finish my lunch, then I’ll meet you all there in a bit,” Ivy stated.
Jace gazed up at her from his chair, his face questioning. “What’s going on?”
“I guess we’re having a family meeting. Dad called it and says he can’t keep up with it anymore. Tessa was all grins, so she knows what’s up.”
Tessa and Derrick came into the kitchen. Ivy acknowledged her sister with a nod. Ivy had to roll her eyes as Tessa sat there, not saying anything. “Do you have something
you need to say? Otherwise why are you sitting here?”
“Well, I think this talk Dad wants to hold is going to be a doozy.”
“Oh really?”
“Yep, I walked up behind them when they didn’t think I was around and overheard a little bit of their conversation. But when they realized I was there, they quickly quieted down.”
“So, what did you hear?”
“Not sure if I should say.”
Ivy looked at her sister with a raised eyebrow, and Jace laughed. “You, not say anything? You love to gossip about other people’s pain.”
“This is different. It’s our parents.”
“Yeah, our parents. It’s not like you’re going out and telling their friends or something, Tessa.”
Tessa sat and gazed down at her hands. Beside her, Derrick rubbed her back.
Tessa eyed her big sister. “Mom and Dad have been having some issues for a while now.”
“Well I knew that. What’s new about it?”
“The arguing has gotten worse, but they seem like I don’t hear anything. But I hear it all when the house is quiet.”
Ivy closed her eyes and shook her head. She stormed out of the kitchen to find her father.
“Ivy, where are you going?” Jace called after her but didn’t receive a response.
Ivy knew where she was going. She walked to her parents’ bedroom and stood in front of their door. She debated for a brief minute on whether to knock but decided not to, to just open the door and start.
“I don’t think it’s fair that you treat Jace like crap but then feel you could get away with this for God knows how long.”
“Honestly, this isn’t any of your business, Ivy,” Michael replied.
Ivy shook her head. “I can’t believe you. You hold yourself to a higher standard and expect us to follow your lead, and here you’re the one who isn’t leading by example.”
Michael stood in front of his daughter. “As I said, you have no say in this.”
“As always, you hate for someone to call you on something. God forbid we might be right.”
Michael’s face started to get red. “You ungrateful little bitch. I’ve raised you to be respectful to your elders, and this is how you treat me? I put food in your stomach, clothes on your back, and even put you through college. Yet I get no sympathy.”
“Ha. Why should I give you sympathy? You’ve treated us, all of us, like crap for years. You’ve made us do what you wanted us to do, not what we wanted to do. Yes, you raised us to respect our elders, but as of now you aren’t my elder. I no longer have any respect for you. You disgust me.”
* * *
Michael plopped down on the bed after Ivy took off. Running his fingers through his hair, he let out a huge sigh. What the hell had just happened? Michael sat there, letting the past few minutes play back in his mind as a memory from the past came back to haunt him.
Michael walked through the dimly lit hallway toward his father’s office.
“Never in a hurry unless it’s for your own purpose,” his father yelled at Michael.
Sighing and rolling his eyes, Michael picked up the pace. He entered the office, his father pointed to a chair for Michael to sit in. Michael sat and cast his eyes to the floor while his father glared at him.
“I received your grades from school, and I have to say I’m not pleased with them at all. I expected better from you.”
“I’m sorry. This quarter was hard—”
“I don’t care if it was or not. You spend way too much time with that so-called girlfriend of yours. Focus more on your studies, not on your social life.”
“That’s not true. I’ve been focusing on my studies, and you know it. I don’t think you’re being fair.”
Michael’s father snorted. “Since when do I have to be fair? I run this household how I see fit, so I don’t care if you think it’s fair or not. I want you to have good grades so you can get into a good institute and go to school for banking.”
“But that’s not what I want to do.”
“Since I’ll be paying for it, you’ll do what I tell you to do.”
Michael sat there glaring at his father, “You’re an asshole. I can’t wait to be out of this house.”
When the memory faded, Michael shook his head. He took his hands and rubbed his face. He knew he needed to make changes, but he couldn’t do it alone.
* * *
Ivy headed to her room, the one spot that always seemed to calm her. Sitting near the window, she gazed out over the snow, letting the scenery take away the anger and hostility that resided in her mind and body. Ivy took a deep breath and let it out. She couldn't believe her father. That was what he was to her now. He didn’t deserve the title of Dad. Tears streamed down her face.
The bedroom door opened.
“Ivy?”
Ivy held up her hand. “Tessa, don’t. I need time alone right now to process everything. I promise you I’ll find you and we can talk.”
* * *
Tessa nodded. Leaving the room, she backed right into someone.
“Oomph.”
“What the fuck? Jace?”
“I was coming up to check on Ivy and to see if she needed anything, but the expression on your face tells me a lot.”
“She didn’t want to talk to me, and I’m not sure she’ll want to talk to you. Something happened when she came up here to confront Dad. She doesn’t want to talk yet.”
Jace sighed. “I guess until Ivy comes out, the only people who knows what happened are your parents and Ivy.”
Tessa nodded, “Yep, and for now it’s best to go back downstairs. She’ll come out at some point. In the meantime, we might as well find something to do.”
* * *
A few hours later, Ivy came down the stairs and walked into the living room, where Jace and the others sat, watching a movie. It wasn’t long before Jace turned around and saw Ivy standing there.
“Hey, how long have you been there?”
Smiling slightly, Ivy responded, “Not long. Just watching you guys.”
“Everything all right?”
Ivy shrugged. Jace looked at her and patted the spot next to him. She slowly moved toward the couch. Ivy knew she needed to tell them what had happened between her and her father, but she didn’t even know where to start. As she sat, everyone was watching her.
Ivy cleared her throat. “First off, I want to apologize to you, Tessa, for pushing you away earlier. It wasn’t right.”
Tessa tried to say something, but Ivy held up her hand to stop her. Tears streamed down Ivy’s face once again. Jace rubbed her back gently. After a few moments, Ivy gathered herself and told everyone what had happened. The reactions that spread across the faces of her loved ones went from shock to anger.
“What the fuck? He goes and insults you? I can’t…” Tessa was the first to speak up.
“We can’t allow him to rile you both up. Knowing your father like I do, he’s going to enjoy seeing you’re all pissed off. For some reason, it fuels him. We need to focus on the ball. Even though the situation is bothering you, you have to act like it’s not.” Derrick counseled.
“The ball is in a day. All we need to do is stay of his way and mind our own business. I realize you girls want to support your mom and all, but let’s not confront your dad anymore,” Jace added.
“He’s always been cruel. It didn’t matter how old we were. I almost feel as if he had a rough childhood, so he wanted us to be raised somewhat like he was,” Ivy said.
Behind them, someone cleared their throat. Vivian. Ivy gasped. Vivian’s hair was disheveled, and tears stained her face.
Ivy ran to her mom’s side. “Are you all right?”
Vivian patted her daughter’s face. “To be honest. I haven’t been okay for a while now. But I’ve been dealing the best way I can for you girls. We’ll deal with everything that’s coming. But right now, let’s focus on the happy.”
“But Mom, he’s—”
“No.
I am aware he said some godawful things to you. He’ll come to regret them in time. He has to learn from his own mistakes, just like we have to learn from our own.”
Ivy looked over her shoulder at her sister who was grinning. Ivy rolled her eyes, realizing Derrick had been right after all.
“I understand, Mom. It’ll be hard with him in the house causing havoc at every turn.”
“All I ask is you girls stay out of his path and don’t cause any arguments if he does talk to you. Got it?” Vivian eyed her daughters.
Ivy nodded, but Tessa stood there with her arms crossed.
“Tessa,” Vivian warned.
“No, Mom. He went too far this time, and I won’t back down from him.”
Vivian sighed. “Tessa, I wish you wouldn’t.”
Tessa stood firmly in her spot and shook her head. Derrick walked toward Tessa, placed his hands on her arms, and lightly kissed her forehead. “As much as you want to go up against your father, I feel your mother’s right. We need to act as if nothing is going on. He won’t know how to act or will be always on his toes, expecting something to happen. Be nice to him. He sure won’t be expecting that.”
Tessa rolled her eyes but nodded.
“That’s my girl,” Derrick praised.
Vivian nodded and smiled. “With the ball coming up, we need to make appointments to get our hair done, unless you plan on doing it yourselves?”
“I thought about doing my own hair and makeup. I figured it would be less hassle that way. Plus if any of the places were running behind, we wouldn’t be in a rush to finish getting dressed,” Ivy said.
Vivian nodded thoughtfully at both her girls. “That certainly sounds like a plan to me. We all know how Tessa and you get right before a big event, so your idea of getting ready here is a good idea. Then once ready, we can decide if we want to go out to eat or go to the ball.”
Vivian then turned to her eldest daughter. “My dearest one, don’t let him tear you down. You are a strong one and always have been. But when I came into the room, I overheard you talking about your dad and how you thought he had a rough childhood growing up because of the way he acts. Well from what I do know, his father wasn’t a nice man. I don’t have all the facts, but from what I’ve heard, your grandfather would belittle your father. There were times your grandfather was going to hit Michael, but was stopped by your grandmother. Your grandfather ruled over the household, and if anyone disobeyed the rules, there were consequences. From what I have learned from your father, there would be times he would be locked in his room and wouldn’t get any supper. Other times he would have to go out in the yard and pick a switch from the willow tree for his dad to spank him with. He never had a choice in what he wanted to do in his life, just like you didn’t, Ivy. Michael’s path was laid out for him.”