Ivy's Twisted Vine Redux (30 page)

Too afraid to bare his true feelings for her, Nicola sat on the bed beside her and began to massage her shoulders as she ate. Nervously, she shied away for a moment causing him to stop.

Nicola was stunned. He didn’t mean to make her nervous. He had gotten too comfortable with her. Unsure of how to react to her, he put his hands down.

“I’m sorry,” Ivy said touching his thigh. “Don’t stop.” Feeling his embarrassment she put his hand back on her shoulder. “Please,” she said softly. As awkward as that brief moment had been, she wanted to move past it without it being such a big deal.

“So, have you been handling the pregnancy well?” Nicola searched for something to say to her as he rubbed her shoulders.

“Pretty well,” she said closing her eyes and relaxing.

Nicola coached himself quietly. Why was he so nervous? This was just a woman, like all the others!
Maybe not just alike
, but not so different that he had to fee like this inside.

“I was reading in one of those pregnancy books that massages are good for you,” Nicola said needing a massage too.

“Massages are good at anytime.” She laughed. “Nicky, I never thanked you for being here did I?”

“The lunch was nothing.”

“No.” She touched his hand. “I mean, thank you for being here period. I can’t tell you how much I’ve needed it. I know with your hectic work schedule and your personal life, it can’t be easy to deal with me, too. But you do it. So, thanks.”

“I don’t have a lot going on in my personal life.” Nicola reflected on his emptiness.

“Come on,
Italian lover
. Keeping the ladies pleased must be a full-time job.”

“Trina must be talking about me again.”

“Actually, no. She hasn’t said anything lately. But I can tell that you aren’t practicing celibacy.” Ivy smiled.

“Why should I be?” Nicola stopped massaging her shoulders and made her turn towards him.

Ivy searched for the right words. Staring him the face, it was a lot harder to say what she felt about him. “Well, sometimes celibacy clears the mind. And if you’re waiting for the right woman, you can see her better if you’re not caught up in the motions.” She smiled. “I’m not trying to lecture you. You’re a good man. It’s just my opinion that good things come to those who wait.”

“Maybe the thing that I’ve wanted for a while came and went without my control.”

Ivy tried to respond but her mouth wouldn’t move.

“But I get your point. It’s a coincidence, really. Just this morning, I swore off women and sex
for a while
.”

“You?” Ivy giggled.

“What?” Nicola smiled. “You don’t think that I can do it?” He laughed.

“I think that you can do anything you set your mind to.”

“What if I’ve set my mind to proving myself to you?” He didn’t smile.

Again, Ivy was silent. “You don’t owe me anything, Nicola.” She looked down at her shaking hands realizing that she and Nicola were actually in her bed having a conversation. She became acutely aware of her position at the same time that she became acutely aware of Nicola.

“I want you to love me, Ivy.” Nicola couldn’t believe that he was allowing himself to say the words that he had kept in the back of his mind for months. He tried to catch them before they slipped deceitfully from his tongue, but they leaped forth with such intensity that he had to submit to his unconscious will.

“I do…love you.” Ivy looked up from the bed holding on to her engagement ring.

“You do?” He was startled and elated by her response.

“Yes, but…”

“No,” Nicola put his index finger on her lips. He wouldn’t allow her to ruin this moment with their crude reality. “No stipulations. No clarifications.” He shook his head. “You love me.” He smiled at her, and she smiled back.

“Ivy?” a man’s voice said as the front door closed interrupting the tense moment.

“In here,” Ivy said blushing at Nicola. Emerald had perfect timing. She needed someone to save her from making a total fool of herself. “That’s just my big brother.”

“Great,” Nicola said frustrated. He took a deep breath on the brink of an explosion.

“Sorry it took so…long.” Emerald stopped at the doorway of Ivy’s bedroom. What in the hell had he interrupted?

“Emerald, this is Nicola, my friend,” Ivy stood up beside the bed. “Nicola, this is my brother Emerald.” She could see Emerald’s confusion.

Getting up off the bed, Nicola went over to the doorway and shook Emerald’s hand.
“Nice to meet you, man” Emerald said grinning slyly. So, he wasn’t the only one that had been involved in an interracial relationship. Strangely enough, he would have never guessed it for Ivy. In fact, he would have never guessed anyone for Ivy except her beloved Grey. He was glad for the change.

“Like wise,” Nicola said picking up on Emerald’s smirky grin.

“So you’re the cop that our family has been buzzing about.” Emerald instantly liked Nicola. He seemed sure of himself. Maybe he could be good for Ivy?

“That would be me,” Nicola said leaning on Ivy’s entertainment center. He was still relaxed and unconcerned for the moment basking inwardly at the possibility of what may have happened if they were not sorely interrupted.

“Yeah, my fiancé Kakeline used to be the talk of the family. It’s good to finally meet someone that can take her place in the spotlight.” Emerald smiled at Ivy.

“I’m sure that I won’t be in the spotlight for long. Once the babies get here and wedding takes place,” Nicola stopped to look at Ivy. “There will be a lot more to talk about than little old me.” There was no since of blowing his cover.

“Babies?” Emerald had not yet heard the news. “There is more than one?”

“
She’s
having twins. I won’t know if I’m having twins until after they get here.”
“And we won’t know until the test,” Grey interjected, standing at the door listening with a keen ear. No one had heard him come in only a second before; so he sat quietly listening to the conversation awaiting a slip up and a perfect time to surprise them.

“Grey!” Emerald said trying to take the instant tension out of the room. “How are you doing, man?” Walking over to Grey as he emerged out of the hallway, he hugged him warmly. Emerald laughed. “Shit it’s been what…two years?”

“Almost that long,” Grey said smiling. “And man, a lot has changed, huh? You look great. Did you do go over to Hawaii and get buffed?”

“I tried.” Emerald flexed playfully, but inwardly he knew that this was not a laughing matter. Ivy had developed some serious issues while he was away.

“How long have you been lurking over in the corner?” Ivy asked offended by his prowess.

“Just a moment…not long enough, I’m afraid.” Grey kissed Ivy on the cheek and looked over at Nicola in total disapproval.

“Well, I better go,” Nicola said looking at Ivy. “Call me if you need me for anything.” His eyes searched hers for the fervor he had seen only minutes before, but it was gone. Now, only a cool calm was present. It was then he knew just how strong of a hold Grey had on her feelings.

“I will,” Ivy said as her heart skipped a beat. She was sure that an argument would soon ensue between she and Grey once everyone had left. Recalling Nicola’s words she smiled again. It would be worth it.

“I’m here. I don’t think that she’ll need you.” Grey’s smiled disappeared as he heard Nicola’s offer. How dare this bastard be so cocky? If it weren’t for Emerald being there as a witness, he would have surely lashed out on them both the way that he really wanted. But there was also their interaction at the Black Tie to consider. No, he should wait. A better time would present itself soon enough.

“Hey, you never know,” Nicola said walking past Grey with their eyes planted on each other. “Nice to me you, Emerald. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you again. Ivy, see you later.”

“Yeah, nice to meet you too,” Emerald said picking up on the hatred between the two men. He was glad he had been there to keep peace. Otherwise, he could only imagine what would have happened.

“Grey, get some rest.” Nicola said laughing. Grey’s little antics barely bothered him now. With a last look at Ivy, he turned and headed back to the precinct. The race was on now, and he was officially in the lead.

“Well, little sister,” Emerald said as Nicola closed the front door behind him. “What are we getting into today?”

“I’m too sick to really go out,” Ivy said wishing that both Emerald and Grey both had stayed away.

“You weren’t too sick to have company though,” Grey said walking to the kitchen to relieve some of the tension that had overcome her bedroom like a thick fog.

“Well then, I guess we’ll have to stay in together and play catch up,” Emerald said sitting on the bed beside her. He was not about to leave Grey alone with Ivy for one minute after that.

“You should plan to spend the night if you plan to get all the way caught up on what’s been going on here,” Ivy said softly as she crawled back into the bed and pulled the covers over her body. Patting the bed, she motioned for her brother. “Come watch television with me.”

“Oh, I’m not leaving your side,” Emerald said kicking his shoes off and diving in her bed. It was good to be home. He could see perfectly that he had come at the most needed time. Ivy was in no shape to fight this battle alone, but he could add balance. And he would.

Chapter Fifteen: Strategy

Chapter 15

STRATEGY

“
You should have been there the other day
,” Emerald said whispering on the phone to his father. “I came in after Nicola, and Grey came in after me. I truly believe that if I had not been there, they would have tried to kill each other.”

“Damn, I always miss the good stuff,” Madison said whirling around in his office chair like a mischievous child. He wouldn’t have cared if they had killed each other for what they were doing to his daughter. “So, how is Ivy?” He hated to think of his darling little girl losing her perfect shape and dealing with motherhood alone.

“She seems to be fine…nothing to worry about. So, when are you coming this way?”

“In another few months or so. I sent Ivy a little something to help her until I get there though.”

“Care to send me anything?” Emerald asked jokingly. He had not yet told his father or anyone else except Ivy about his marriage to Kakeline.

“You’re a grown-ass man with only your mouth to feed. I’m not sending you anything. Hell, you need to be trying to send me something. Speaking of which, you did pay your mother back that five hundred dollars, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Emerald said dismissing the beginning of another of his father’s tirades. “Look, remind me to tell you something after you get here. Not that I’ll likely forget.” He was bursting to tell Madison, but he didn’t want the spotlight to be taken from his little sister in her time or need.

If no one knew that he and Kakeline were married, there was no reason to be upset about of lack of attention. However, if everyone knew and no one seemed to care, he feared it would sour the entire experience.

“Why can’t you tell me, now?” Madison hoped Emerald had not gone and done something stupid.

“It’s a surprise.”

“Are you still on my phone talking long distance?” Sadie asked walking into the den where Emerald was sitting on the couch. This was his cue to cut the conversation short.

“It’s Dad,” Emerald explained hoping it would cause a change in Sadie’s mood.

“All the more reason to say goodbye. Ask him if he can read and if he can then email him.” She always got a kick out of insulting her ex-husband.

“No, she didn’t just ask if I could read?” Madison asked hearing her remark. “If you weren’t my son, I’d tell you to tell her something.”

“What did he say?” Sadie asked standing over Emerald cutting her eyes.

“He said if…if you only knew how he loved you, you wouldn’t say those type of things.” Emerald wanted them back together as badly as Ivy did, but they were a lost cause.

“Liar,” Madison said doodling on his notepad. “Tell her I said buzz off.”

“Tell him, if he loved me so much, he would send for you and Key lime Pie permanently.” Pushing his feet off her coffee table, Sadie walked off. She couldn’t stand talking to both of the men in her life at the same time. They both were too much of an annoyance.

“What’s with her?” Madison could sense an unusual tone in her voice.

“Probably the change. Plus, I brought Kakeline home with me, and she thinks we’re shacking up. She gave her Ivy’s old room and insist that we come back and visit sometime again.”

“You guys really need to get a hotel.”

“Not you, too. Okay. I’ll look into today.” Emerald recalled his mother’s attitude. “Somehow I think things would be different if you were here.”

“Somehow, I think they would be worse.” Receiving a message for another call holding, Madison ended their conversation. “Can we pick this up later?” He loved to talk with his son, but never seemed to find the time.

“Yeah, we need to get out of here and take care of a few things anyway,” Emerald said standing up and stretching.

“Just call me later
collect
, and tell your mother to cool out.”

“You tell her,” Emerald said jokingly. No one told Sadie what to do.

**

Sadie simply couldn’t understand all the turmoil that had come into her family over the last few months. She had been praying and steadfast. She and Madison had sent the children to good schools. They had grown up in better social circles than most. They both had received a hand up in life and yet, here they were both spinning their wheels. Ivy was a single, pregnant college girl, and Emerald was shacking up in her house with an islander. She shook her head in despair and tried to fight back the tears. Somehow, she was sure that all of this was Madison’s fault in some way.