From what Dad says, Grandma was ready to fight the guys a few rows over who were cheering on our competition after a penalty should’ve been called. “We don’t need any repeats, but that’s not why. We’re playing the Raiders and it’d be too much of a pain for you guys to all come since it’s an away game. Let’s plan for a late get together like we did last year.”
Mom knows the history of my Wilson Reed days, and even though she was disappointed in what I did to contribute to my failed college plans, she’s proud I picked myself up and tried again. Both my parents have been supportive since day one and I’m grateful for that. Not everyone can say the same.
“If it makes you feel better, your grandmother has plans already for Thanksgiving, so it’ll just be us.”
There’s a brief pause that makes me feel bad for trying to derail their holiday plans, so I try making it up to her. “Maybe I could bring someone home with me if it’s okay with you and Dad.”
“A girl someone?”
I roll my eyes at her sudden chipper tone and stop outside the classroom, glancing at the time on my phone before pressing it back to my ear. “Yeah. A girl. Don’t get your hopes up though, she’ll probably refuse to come anyway.”
“Why would she do that?”
A second passes.
Two.
A third, fourth, and fifth one.
“Aiden Joseph Griffith,” she chides in a tone I haven’t heard since I got into a fist fight in high school. “What did you do to the poor girl that would make her not to want to come with you? And who is she? Are you dating? How come I’m only hearing about this now? Does that mean it’s becoming seri—”
My fingers rake through my hair at her rapid inquisition, debating my options. I’ve held off telling her this long, but if Thanksgiving could include Ivy then she deserves to be reunited with one of her biggest fans. “It’s Ivy Underwood.”
Now she’s silent.
Gripping the back of my neck, I turn on the people entering the room to avoid their curious stares. “I didn’t want to mention it before, but she started at Lindon this fall.”
A small breath comes from the other end of the phone. “I-I had no clue. Wow. Her parents…”
“I don’t think much has changed between them,” I reply grimly, clenching the phone tight in my hands. “Which is exactly why I doubt she’ll want to come home with me. I know for damn sure she has nowhere else to go though.”
Mom’s heart gets the best of her like it always does in situations like these. She’s had a soft spot for Ivy since the day I invited her inside. Ivy’s first bakeware set was bought for her birthday by my mother. For Christmas, Mom bought her recipe books. Ivy admitted she had to hide them because her mother didn’t like her getting things from people, and I didn’t realize until much later that it was because her family couldn’t afford anything themselves. Birthdays were no more than a birthday card and song and Christmases were whatever they could scrape together for candy-stuffed stockings and a couple toys under the tree. “That poor girl. Nobody should spend a holiday alone, Aiden. What can we do?”
“There’s nothing we can do. Look, I need to get to class but I’ll talk to her later. She’s been staying with me and the guys for a little while. Maybe keep this to yourself for now, okay?”
“Aiden—”
“You know what Dad will say.”
He’ll tell me I need to focus on football, not women. He’s not wrong, but Ivy isn’t some co-ed I have class with or see at parties on occasion, and they both know it. That’s probably why Dad would worry I’d get distracted. You can’t let people who mean nothing to you get inside your head because none of them matter.
Ivy does.
She always has.
She reluctantly agrees. “Fine. If she doesn’t want to come here, I’ll understand. We can figure something else out.”
She’d want to?
As if she can read my mind, she says, “I never understood why her parents were so resigned with her. It always made me so angry. She was such a sweet girl, Aiden. You know how much I adored her. I doubt that’s changed any, but time…it can certainly impact a person.”
My jaw ticks. “For now, wait until I let you know what she wants before you bring it up to Dad. And don’t tell her parents, I know you still talk to them.”
There’s another momentary pause. “I ask about her, you know. But they never have anything much to say. That’s all we talk about in passing because somebody needs to ask about her in this town.”
I don’t know what to say to that.
“I’m glad she has you again, baby boy. She needs someone in her corner. That was always you for her, and I’m glad it’s no different now. Fate has a funny way of reminding us what’s important in life, doesn’t it?”
Squeezing my neck before nodding a few times, I click my tongue. “I’ll talk to you later, yeah?”
“I love you, Aiden.”
“Love you too.”
When I click the END button, I stare at the blank screen for a minute before sliding it into my back pocket and heading inside as the professor goes through attendance.
I already know what Ivy is going to say when I tell her about Thanksgiving, which means I need to convince her—tell her to think of herself for once. But I feel for her situation. If I were in her shoes I wouldn’t want to go back to that place either.
Someone bumps my arm, and I look up to see Caleb looking at me with pinched brows. He mouths, You good?
I can only manage to nod, paying attention to the lesson and telling myself I’ll figure shit out with Ivy when I get home. But the infectious woman with a fiery personality consumes me like always.
Some people grow from the chaos because that’s how they survive, and others thrive in it because chaos is all they know.
Ivy does both.
But being a survivor doesn’t mean she’ll want to come back to the house that holds most of our memories, and the more I think about it, the more I realize I’m not sure I want that either. We’re building new ones together that could mean ten times more if she’ll let it.
This is why I’m Chaos, she’d once said.
I don’t mind if she spreads her mayhem around me because I think it’s one of the things I missed most about her.
When I glance up again, I see Caleb smirking at me. I lift my middle finger enough for him to see and he has to clear his throat to fight off the chuckle that escapes his lips.
Fucker.
Chapter Fourteen
Aiden
By the time I get home from Everly’s, it’s pitch-black and quiet. Most of the guys are off doing their own thing, and Ivy is already curled up on her side of our bed. Christ. Our bed.
Dropping my shit onto the desk in the corner, I peel off my sweaty shirt and dig through my dresser for new clothes. “You’re in bed early.”
The bedding shuffles. “It’s not that early.” A moment passes. “I was tired but wanted to wait for you to get back. Caleb said you were mentoring someone tonight when I was making some dinner.”
I huff out a noise, tired from the long day and sore from the rough practices we’ve been having. “What else did he tell you?”