All We Left Unsaid by Natalie K Martin

Author:Natalie K Martin [Martin, Natalie K]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Published: 2021-11-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Two

IVY

February, two years ago

Ivy closed the door of the cottage behind her and looked up at the silver moon. When was the last time she’d been up and out of the house at quarter past six in the morning? She pulled the collar of a coat she’d found in the wardrobe up around her ears and jammed her hands into the faux-fur-lined oversized pockets. Catching a bus, plane or train didn’t count, and neither did hailing a taxi to get from a club to an after-hours party. Ivy yawned, sending her breath curling into the dark air like wisps of smoke. Frozen grass and clumps of earth crunched loudly beneath her feet as she trudged across the field. It felt as if the rest of the world was still fast asleep.

There was the tiniest part of her that wanted to stop and say stuff this, turn around and scurry back to the warmth of the cottage and her bed. Instead, she clenched her teeth to stop them from chattering in the freezing air. After shadowing Ruth for a while, learning how to use the studio software and understanding how things went, she’d been given her own set of keys. This morning, she was responsible for opening up alone. Going back to bed wasn’t an option.

Ivy’s belly tied in knots. She’d done all kinds of jobs before and this would probably be among the easiest of them all, but still nerves were flickering inside her like a defective light bulb. With each footstep, keys clinked against each other in her pocket. They were the only two keys she possessed – one for the studio and the other for the cottage. Both were places owned by someone who’d taken her in on a gut feeling of trust. It was a new, sweet and slightly intimidating feeling, but she liked it. Jess wouldn’t believe her eyes if she could see her now. Maybe she’d tell her about it, when she got around to replying to her email, which she would. Once things had settled down and she could be sure that she wasn’t going to be a chaotic influence in Jess’s orderly life.

Ivy carefully made her way down the steep slope to the studio with one hand trailing along the damp, cold grass behind her for stability. She slid a couple of inches in her wellies and made a note to get boots with decent grip as soon as she could. It would’ve been much easier to take the road, but at this time in the morning, every extra minute was precious. She’d had some serious jetlag and coming this way meant she could have almost a quarter of an hour longer in bed.

Ivy got to the bottom of the slope and brushed the dirt from her palms before cupping her hands in front of her mouth and blowing on her fingers. That was something else she’d need – a decent pair of gloves. Her fingertips were burning after being exposed to the air for just a few seconds.

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