Ivy's Twisted Vine Redux (57 page)

“Distant? I’m not distant.”

“Yes, you are, Nicola,” Ivy protested. “I know that you are an aggressive man about life, about your work and your friends, but not about me. Not about my heart…just my body.” Ivy drew a deep breath. “I’m tired of being treated like a pawn in a chess game. I want it to be over already. I want to rest!”

“There you go, blaming this entire situation on me! It’s not all my fucking fault! What about the little games that you play with me and with Grey. You know, you can’t always have the both of us, Ivy. Eventually, you’re going to have to give one of us up completely. I mean, you act as though you don’t want to see me with anyone, but yet, you don’t want me yourself. What am I suppose to think? What am I suppose to do? You say that you’re a woman then make
grown woman
choices. You know that you don’t love that man anymore than I love Rachel…”

“I do love him,” Ivy snapped wiping crocodile tears from her eyes.

“But you’re not in love with him.” Nicola snapped back. “What are you worried about…what other people might say if you leave him this late in the game. Fuck that.” He grabbed her in his arms ready to kiss her open mouth again.

“Easy for you to say. You’ve never had one meaningful relationship in your entire life.” She seethed with anger. She stared into his eyes, instantly seeing the hurt.

“You’re right. I’ve had two.” Still holding her, Nicola loosened his grip. “But I’m tired of chasing you, Ivy. You know how I feel about you, but you never really say how you feel about me. Even in there, I confessed that I love you, but you held on to your feelings. And that’s just being selfish. Why should I tell you everything, destroy myself and everyone that I care about simply to be rejected again. I need some kind of wall to survive in this shit I’ve gotten into with you.” He released her reluctantly but inwardly still wanting her badly.

“I don’t
know
you. Tonight was a perfect example of how little I know about Nicola Michael Agosto. And that scares me. Everyone is always worried about their feelings…how this affects them. What about what I want…huh? Does anyone give a damn about that?” She touched her head, feeling a headache coming. “I’m tired of the being the bone that you and Grey fight over. I’m tired of my kids being subjected to it.” She wiped her tears. “
Grown woman decisions
, huh? Okay. How about I stick with what I know. It’s safe. It’s simple. It’s real.”

“It’s the easy way out, Ivy. You don’t have to think for yourself. Around him you’re all prim and proper, but that isn’t you. Sometimes, you just want to be yourself, let go, say what’s on your mind and not worry about it being in the gossip columns in the morning. You need room and time to be yourself, just like anyone else.”

“This is who I am!” Ivy screamed.

“Yes, right now. But look who’s here. Me! I bring the truth, the passion out of you. How many times do you actually scream when it hurts, laugh because it’s really funny, cry because it’s really screwed up? How many times does a man grab you by the hair and give you what you really need!”

“What do you think that I really need, Nicola?”

“You don’t want to hear what I think that you need.”

“No, I want to hear it.”

“You need a real man.”

“And is that man you? You think just because you keep me in the dark better than he does that makes it all better?”

“Hey, I’ll admit that I did back off, but I had my reasons and they weren’t selfish ones.”

“Another excuse!”

“You’re just pissed off, because I actually see you, Ivy.”

“And you’re pissed off, because I really see you.”

“But I’m the only one here that’s okay with that, and that’s the damn problem.”

“I’m glad that this entire situation is so easy for you to dissect all the way from the nose bleed section.”

“You mean to tell me that you’re actually going to sit here and tell me that I haven’t done more than my part in this shit?” Nicola shook his head and turned to walk away.

Ivy felt instant guilt but too angry to give up, she continued. “Don’t you dare throw that guilt trip on me, Nicola! Turn around and face me!” She darted in front of him. “Wait.” She tried to gather her thoughts. “I want you to see this from my side. Why should I play the fool again, when there is so much for me to loose? You and Grey could leave and be fine. No babies. No responsibilities. It would all fall on me.”

“So, you’re staying with Grey, because you’re scared to be alone.”

“No! Are you listening to me?”

“Yeah. You’re telling me that I’m a bigger gamble than a Grey.”

“But do you understand why?” she asked him softly.

Nicola looked her in her eyes for a moment silent. His brown eyes burned through her. “I’m a bigger gamble, because I really want to be with you, there is no ulterior motive involved.”

“You just think that you want me, Nicola. But want me how, as your friend, your girlfriend? I bet you can’t even think of me as your wife. You say that you love me, but you admit to being with other women.”

Nicola stood looking at her for a moment and then cracked a twisted little smile. “Are you serious?” He started to laugh aloud. He laid his large hand on her little shoulder. “I’ve had a few women since you and I hooked up. Yes. But here’s the thing, so has Grey.”

“Oh, you just love throwing that in my face.”

“It’s the truth. This is the man you’re about to marry. And even though he’s been cheating on you and doing his thing, you’re still with him. You’ve been with him the entire time. But all this finger pointing includes you too, because I still have your scent on me. And I know it didn’t get there by itself.”

“How dare you,” she cut her eyes at him.

“You’ve got to search your heart to find what you want in all of this. I know what I want. And I was telling the truth about waiting. I have. Grey knows what he wants too…
I’m not sure you two have the same reason for this marriage thing
. But it’s your choice. I won’t push you anymore.”

“I want Grey,” Ivy said in a low whisper.

Nicola looked away from her, trying not to let her see that she had just knocked the wind out of him. Finally, seeing that his reasoning with her had gone nowhere, he rested. Lifting her chin, he kissed her lips softly and rubbed her cool shoulders. “You keep telling yourself that and maybe you’ll be happy with him, being his fucking Pinocchio.” His voiced cracked, ached for understanding.

Trying to fight tears, she gathered herself. “Go to hell, Nicola, if you aren’t already there,” she said walking off quietly.

Nicola stood in his front yard watching her drive off into the sunrise, with her drop top down and hair flowing into the wind, running from him. Feeling the dew under his feet, he picked up his newspaper and dragged back inside of his house.
What a fucking night.

He was so close to breaking through Ivy’s defenses; he could finally feel them waning. So, what had happened? Santo wasn’t really the reason for her anger. Something else was driving her to push away. But he was so tired of fighting to figure it all out. After all, he had the love of his children. She had given more than her share to him. Ivy was right; it was time for her to be happy. Besides, Grey was still holding Trina over his head, even after Brooks’ death. It had been a stretch to ask for her tonight. If she had chosen to be with him for good, he would have surely cost Trina her marriage to Emerald and her friendship to Ivy, and more than likely he would have still lost Ivy. Slamming the door behind him, he walked pass Santo who had passed out on the couch and went up to his room.

Chapter Thirty-Two: Wake Up!

Chapter 32

Wake Up!

The early morning sun blasted into Grey’s room as he woke from a comfortable slumber. Rolling over, he felt for the warmness of Ivy’s body. Eyes opened, he realized that he was alone.

Why would she be here
, Grey thought to himself as he tried to sit up and fight what seemed to be a hellacious hangover. Pulling himself to the end of the bed, his feet snuggled into his plush carpet allowing him to hold on to the nightstand and pull up from the bed.

He stood over the sink watching the hot water cascade over the black marble and yawned profusely. Washing his face, Grey thought back to the previous night and debated on whether or not Nicola had truly drove him home. The whole notion was sort of hard to swallow. The guy he hated more than anyone else in this world was slowly gaining some of his respect. Maybe he could trust him? Maybe he was wrong about his intentions?
Okay, that wasn’t happening, but it was a square gesture all the same.

Peeling his clothes off of his body, he stepped into the shower to think further on the situation before church. He couldn’t miss service this Sunday. Today was Men’s Day at Tennessee Boulevard Pentecostal Church, and he had to be there to support his father, who was a guest speaker at eleven o’clock.

After a thorough cleansing, a hot breakfast and a little television, Grey headed out of his house clean-shaven and dressed immaculately in a black tailor-made Jones New York Suit with white dress shirt and tie and his favorite black Ralph Lauren dress shoes shining to perfection.

By memory, Grey drove through the quiet streets of Harbor Town trying desperately to remember how Ivy had gotten him to Nicola’s house the week prior. He didn’t call first or even think through his decision to visit him on such a short notice. If he had thought it through, he may have changed his mind. Spotting Nicola’s truck, he pulled into the drive and looked down at his watch. It was still only eight o’clock in the morning. Nicola was surely still asleep.

Walking to the front door, Grey could slowly feel his heart moving up into his throat. He had every reason to be nervous and every reason to feel stupid, but it was too late to walk away. Pushing himself to get pass his emotions, Grey quickly rang the doorbell and stood back anxiously awaiting a reply. Minutes later the door opened slowly and a man in black silk boxers and a black tank top opened the door.

“Can I help you?” Santo asked peering at Grey through his blood shot eyes.

“Yeah, I just wanted to come by and talk to you for a minute. I hope it’s not too early.”

“What time is?” Santo looked down at his watch. “It’s already eight?” He was stunned that he had slept that long. He was normally an early bird.

“Yeah, it’s eight,” Grey said confused by Santo’s strange reaction to him.

“Well, come in. You must want Nicola. I’ll get him for you,” he said opening the door wider.

Grey walked in and looked back at Santo. “You’re not Nicola?”

“No, I’m his twin brother Santo.” Santo offered his hand. “And you are?”

“I’m Grey Henderson…Ivy’s fiancé.” Grey instantly thought of the children. This was just one more secret that Ivy had kept from him.

“Oh,” Santo said shocked. “Okay.” He stared for a long minute before excusing himself to get Nicola. “Well, isn’t’ that something,” he said recalling Ivy’s disposition the previous night. It was a good thing that he had interrupted Nicola the night before or Ivy may have still been there on the couch with his brother. “I’ll be right back,” he said to Grey trying to repress a huge grin.

Opening the door to this brother’s room, Santo looked back once more before he went in and closed the door. This was more action he had seen on the home front since his big decision to marry his brother’s ex-girlfriend nearly ten years ago. Walking over to the bed where Nicola lay snoring lightly, he nudged his leg.

“Nicola, wake up,” he whispered. “Nico.”

“What?” Nicola said without opening his eyes. “What the hell do you want this early in the morning? You know I’m still mad at you for that shit you did last night.”

“You know, you really aren’t a morning person,” Santo said watching the slits of his brother’s eyes finally open, his coal black eyebrows arched in frustration.

“I’m just in a bad mood. Can’t you tell?” Nicola shifted slightly.

“Well, that’s been going on for thirty years.” Santo sighed. “Look, I told you that I was sorry about last night, but you did tell me that you weren’t going home with a woman.”
“Yeah. Did you wake me up to tell me this or what?”

“No. Actually, you have a visitor.” Santo sat down on the bed.

“Ivy?” Nicola sat up quickly.

“Close but not cigar. It’s Grey.” Santo tried to repress his smile and the overwhelming need to laugh.

“What the hell does he want?” Nicola laid his head back on his pillow and rubbed his aching temples.

“To talk to you. Evidently. Hey, maybe he wants to duke it you with you? Maybe he knows about last night?” Santo chuckled.

“You are really enjoying this aren’t you?” Nicola asked looking over at Santo excited as a five-year old boy on Christmas morning.

“I’m just watching in total fucking awe,” Santo said yawning. “Man, I miss being a bachelor.”

“Oh, it’s just great,” Nicola said sarcastically as he threw his pillow at this brother.

Still half asleep Nicola walked into the living room unsure of what Grey wanted to say. Did he know about Ivy’s little trip to his house last night? Did he know what they had nearly done? Going straight to the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee, Nicola looked at Grey for a moment before speaking.

“What’s wrong,” Nicola finally said coming to conclusion that there had been an accident.

“Nothing. Look I know that it’s early, but I need to talk to you.”

“Sure. Would you like some coffee?” he asked holding up the pot.

“No thanks.”

“Well, I’m gonna have some. Come on in and have a seat,” Nicola said pointing at the kitchen table.