Falling to Pieces (5 page)

However, her mom found out
that she'd snuck out, and she got grounded. I didn't see her for a whole month. If only she had gotten grounded during the school year and not in the summer, then we still would’ve seen each other. It was during that month that I started dating Peyton. I knew it was a dumb move even then, but I was bored and she kept pushing herself on me. Not the best excuse, but it's the truth. That ended up being my longest relationship, and she was completely jealous of Ivy. Therefore, Ivy and I hardly saw each other for months, and at some point she ended up getting together with Cam. I often wonder what would have happened that summer if we had never gone to that concert. Maybe it would have prevented the series of events that happened afterward. Perhaps, but I’ll never know.

I wake up, a faint dream of Ivy lingering at the back of my mind. For a minute I try to fall back asleep so I can fully experience the dream. If it’s about Ivy I want to remember i
t. Only I can’t get back to it, so I toss my covers off, and hop out of bed. After putting on a shirt and a pair of pants, I head downstairs. The scent of bacon drifts from the kitchen, beckoning like fingers drawing me forward. I think bacon is one of the few smells that can overpower the potpourri, and for that I’m grateful.

When
my feet hit the tile in the kitchen, Mom’s head whips in my direction from where she stands over the stove. A red apron is tied around her waist covering her sweats, and her hair is pulled back in a clip.

“Good morning,” she says
, moving the spatula over the bacon sizzling in the pan.

“No work today, Mom?” I feel a little disappointed. I assumed Mom would be busy all day at the office where she works as a legal secretary.
After I got home last night I realized that I never got Ivy’s phone number. My plan is to try to catch Ivy at her apartment again, and I seriously don’t feel like having to explain that to Mom.

“Oh, no, I’m going into the office in a little bit. I just thought I’d make you a little welcome home breakfast first.”  She smiles at me like I’m five years old
, and I give her a smile back just to appease her.

I scoot into a chair at the breakfast nook, and Mom brings me a plate piled high with eggs and bacon. “Coffee will be ready in a minute
.” The coffee maker rumbles from the counter.

I take a bite of the piping hot eggs
, and they burn my tongue. After swiping a napkin across my mouth, I ask, “Did Dad already take off?”

“Y
eah, you have to wake up early to catch him, you know that.” Mom slides a mug of steaming coffee in front of me.

I nod, knowing she’s right.
Dad’s in construction and he goes to work before the sun comes up sometimes, especially in the summer when it’s hot.

“Enj
oy your breakfast.” Mom squeezes my shoulder with her hand. “I’m going to change. Let Reece know there’s more for him whenever he gets up.”

“Sure thing,” I say, picking up a piece of greasy bacon and crunching down on it. Mom heads out of the
kitchen, and I hear her feet as they travel up the stairs. A knock sounds at the side door, and I jerk my head in the direction of it. In the little window I spot the familiar dark hair and imposing build of my next door neighbor, Cole.

Pushing my chair back, I get up from the table. After wiping the bacon grease from my fingers
, I head to the door and swing it open.

“Hey, man.
” Cole grabs one of my hands and pulls me into a one armed bro hug. “I saw your bike in the driveway, and I assumed you must be home.”

“Good to know that no one else is using it while I’m gone.” I grin.

“Nah, no one else in your family is crazy enough to.” He laughs. “Are you home for the summer?”

“Yeah, I am.”

“Cool.” He smiles, shoving his hands into the pocket of his black pants.

Cole and I have been close friends since we were kids. “Come in, man. Mom made enough food for a small army.” I indicate the contents on the stove and countertops.

“Nah, I gotta take off or I’ll be late for work.”

That’s when I notice his shirt
, bearing the emblem of the gym where he worked in high school. “So, you still work at the gym, huh?”

“Yeah, you should come by and work out sometime.”

“I’ll do that.”

Cole runs a hand over his short black hair.
“ Great. Wanna hang out later tonight?”

“Sure. Just text me.”

“Sounds good, man.” Cole waves, and walks back toward his house.

As I watch his retreating back, I wonder what he’ll think if he knows I’m hanging out with Ivy again. He was one of the first people who told me I needed to s
tay away from her. In fact, it took weeks after the incident before he’d even look me in the eye again. Eventually he forgave me for what I did, but I don’t think he really ever understood. Then again, he’s not alone in that. I don’t think anyone does.

I feel nervous as I knock on Ivy’s door. I’m not sure how she’ll react to having me show up unexpectedl
y again. When I left last night she didn’t exactly encourage future visits. Behind the closed door I hear the shuffling of feet, and then the sound of the lock opening. I take a deep breath as the door swings open.

“Oh, hey
, Asher.” Billie leans against the door-frame, a smile on her face. She’s much more covered up today, sporting jeans and a t-shirt with a picture of some rock band I don’t recognize. Her hair is tousled, and she isn’t wearing any makeup. I realize that she actually is really pretty with her smooth pale skin and dark eyes.

“Hi
, Billie. Ivy around?”

“No, she’s at work.”

“Okay, maybe I’ll come by later.”

“She’s working until late tonight and then
she’s heading over to her grandpa’s.” Billie gives me a rundown of Ivy’s day.

I smile. “Well, then I guess I know where I’m having lunch.”

Billie gives me the once-over. “You might want to change first.”

I glance down at my cargo
shorts and t-shirt, and nod in agreement. “Good call. See you later, Billie.”

Sunny’s
Steakhouse is much nicer than its name implies. The first time I ever went with my parents I assumed it would be a greasy diner, but it’s actually an upscale restaurant. It’s the place everyone in town goes on their birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions. Based on the high priced menu, I’m sure that Ivy and Billie make a killing in tips. That must be how they can afford an apartment in Folsom. I know rent’s not cheap. I think that’s why most of my friends who stayed in town still live with their parents.

But Ivy was
one of those girls who couldn’t wait to be on her own. If it weren’t for her grandpa’s condition, I’m sure she would’ve went away to college. Honestly, she’s too smart not to.

It’s late afternoon, and it i
s stinking hot outside. Sweat rings the armpits of my shirt. I wish I could still be in shorts and t-shirt, but Sunny’s has a dress code, so I’m wearing black pants and a white collared shirt. I enter the restaurant and am immediately blinded by the hostess’s impossibly white smile.

“Welcome. How many in y
our party?”  She glances around as if she’s expecting another person to walk in any minute.

“Just one,” I say
, and realize this probably doesn’t happen very often.

She tosses a strand of her bleached
blond hair over her shoulder and bats her eyelashes at me. The girl is probably seventeen or eighteen, and is pretty cute. She’s no knockout like Ivy, but I’m sure her charm works on plenty of guys.

“Really? What’s a guy like you eating alone for?” She leans over the little desk that she’s standing behind.

“Everyone’s gotta eat, right?” I shrug. “Hey, is Ivy Johnson working today?

The girl
's smile curls downward into a frown. “Yes, she is.”

“Cool. Can I get a table in her section please?”

“Wouldn’t you rather just sit in the bar area, since it’s just you? I mean, no sense taking up a whole table, right?”

I shake my head. “No
, I’d rather sit at a table.”

The girl nods, pursing her bright
lipsticked mouth. “Fine.” She picks up a menu. “Right this way.”

I follow the hostess toward an intimate table near the back wall. When I pass a table with a group of girls at it, they all turn in my direction. There are gift bags and presents clustered in the center of the table
, and I surmise that it must be some kind of birthday party. My heart drops when my gaze connects with the girl nearest the presents.

“Asher
Porter?” She leaps up from her table, and bounds in my direction.

“Hey
, Peyton. What’s going on here?”

She envelopes me in a perfumed hug, her fake nails poking me in the arm. “It’s my birthday, silly. Don’t you remember?”

“Oh, right.” I clear my throat. “Happy Birthday.”

She smiles at me, one hand still lingering on my arm. Peyton is even more fake looking than the last time I saw her. Her hair is so platinum it’s almost white, her teeth look like they’ve been through too many rounds of whitening
, and it’s a horrid contrast to her tanning obsession. I wonder what I ever saw in her. My eyes catch sight of her tiny waist and boobs hanging out of her shirt, and then I remember.

“Are you meeting someone?” Her eyes shift back and forth.

“No,” I respond honestly.

“Sir?” The hostess says
, and I jerk in her direction. I had completely forgotten that she was there. “Want me to take you to your table?”

“Yeah,” I say to her. Then I turn to Peyton. “Sorry, Peyton, I’ll talk to you later. Enjoy your birthday lunch.” Glancing back at the table
, I recognize a couple of the other girls from Peyton’s crowd and I wave in their direction.

“Wait.” She latches onto my arm. “Come join us. Please. It’s been such a long time
, and you don’t want to eat alone, do you?”

“I really shouldn’t.” I move away from her, attempting to pry off her fingers.

“No. It’s not a big deal, really. I’ll ask the waitress to get us another chair.” She smiles in a way that makes my stomach churn, and waves her hand toward someone over my shoulder. “Oh waitress, can we get another chair for my friend here?”

As soon as the words are out of her mouth I know exactly who she’s talking to and why. I shake her hand off and turn to see Ivy approaching with a chair.

Ivy smiles tightly as she drops the chair next to the table. “Sure. Here you are.” She glares at me.  “I’ll be back in a minute to take your order.” Then she spins around and stalks off.

“Well
, she’s friendly.” Peyton says sarcastically to her friends, and they giggle in unison. “Maybe I should complain to the manager.”

“That was not cool, Peyton,” I say through gritted teeth.

“What?” Peyton gives me her most innocent look. “I didn’t do anything wrong. You saw how she acted.”

“You know what you did, Peyton
, and you know why I’m not joining you for lunch.” I turn around to face the hostess. “I’m really sorry about that. You can take me to my table.”

“I can’t believe you’re still defending her,” Peyton calls after me, but I don’t bother turning around.

5

Ivy

My heart arrests when I see Asher with Peyton. It’s bad enough that I have to wait on her and her
band of stuck-up friends, especially when they keep teasing me about the past. But it’s going to be brutal to have to wait on Asher as well. Why didn’t he tell me last night that he was planning to come here for Peyton’s birthday lunch? It seems like that was something he should have warned me about.

I lean my head against the wall in
the kitchen and exhale.

“You oka
y?” Brandon, one of the busboys asks as he enters through the swinging doors with a pitcher of water in his hand.

“Yeah, fine.” I no
d, push myself off the wall, and mentally prepare myself to deal with Peyton. It’s not like I can stay hidden in the kitchen all afternoon, as tempting as that sounds.

I head out into the dining area
and walk straight into Asher’s chest. His musky scent swirls around me making me momentarily dizzy. I take a step back, and narrow my eyes at him.

“You could’ve told me you were coming here with her.”

Asher’s lips curl upward. “Are you jealous?”

Anger ignites in my gut, and I shove him away. “I need to get back to work.”

“Ives.” He grabs my arm, and his touch sends unwanted tingles rippling down my flesh. “I was joking. Look, I didn’t know she was going to be here. I came to see you.”

“Oh
, waitress,” Peyton croons from her table. “We need drink refills.”