Jacob brought the car to a stop in front of a hotel as Kieran had ordered him to. He stepped out of the car and opened the door for Ivy but she made no move to step out. Jacob looked at his boss for help.
Kieran, who had already stepped out of the car, turned back to the Ivy to see that she was still sitting in the car and looking at him.
"Are you okay?" He asked, sticking his head into the car.
Ivy nodded. She asked, "Why have we stopped at a hotel?"
Kieran looked at the hotel and then back to her. "You don't like it? Do we need to rest for the night?" He answered.
Ivy blinked innocently. "Don't you have a place to stay?"
"Huh?" Kieran shook his head. "It's a mess. We can't stay there tonight. I'll have it cleaned up by morning," he explained, scratching the back of his neck.
Jacob who was listening to them frowned even more. Why was his boss acting so stupid lately? First, they had been wearing rags since they returned to this city. Now, his house was a mess?
Jacob hissed and shook his head. He was now sure that his boss was out of his mind but why?
Ivy nodded in understanding. Kieran thought she would come out of the car but she said, "We can manage it. It's better than wasting money in a hotel."
Kieran pursed his lips. He had managed to lie through his teeth but this girl was not backing out. He stole a glance at Jacob for help but the latter simply looked away. Kieran sighed weakly.
"Well, don't worry about that," Kieran said. "I promised to take care of you and the baby. I won't go broke."
Ivy's brows rose in suspicion. "I don't mean to demean you but you don't seem like you have too much of a fortune. So, let's not waste it in a hotel," she said softly. "We will have a child soon and we will need to take care of the child. I don't work so, the weight is going to be on you."
She exhaled lazily. "Let's just go to the house. It doesn't matter. I'll clean it up tomorrow."
She couldn't watch him waste all his hard-earned money in a hotel. After all, they needed to prepare for the baby. It would be a sin to make the child suffer because of their thoughtlessness.
Kieran looked at the girl in the car. She seemed like one who had been raised in a well-to-do home even though she was dressed so simply. Yet, she was worried about spending too much money and even willing to spend the night in a 'messy' place.
He lifted his eyes to Jacob who nodded. But, Kieran shook his head gently. He lowered his gaze to Ivy again and explained, "We already made a reservation and there are no refunds. It's only one night, I can manage."
"Oh." Ivy sighed. She nodded, understanding the situation. "Since you've already paid, it'll be rude to let it waste," she replied and stepped out of the car.
Kieran felt relieved as they checked into their room. The room was a suite and to avoid any questions from her, he simply told her that the hotel had no free rooms so they had to take a suite.
Although she had stared at him suspiciously, he was glad that she didn't ask about it and quietly went to the bathroom.
A few minutes later, Jacob returned with a shopping bag. He handed it to Kieran at the door of the room before leaving again to return in the morning.
Soon, Ivy finished bathing and came out of the bathroom. She did not have anything to wear so she draped a bathrobe and sat on the couch. She was trying to think of what to do when Kieran held the bag before her.
Ivy lifted her eyes to the bag. "What is this?"
"Clothes," Kieran answered. "See if you can find something that would fit you for tonight. We can get some later on."
"Thank you." Ivy took the bag from him. She poured the contents on the bed after Kieran went into the bathroom.
The clothes were two pairs of pajamas and a blue dress, possibly for the morning. She smiled as she picked one of the pajamas and went to the closet.
After changing into them, she returned to the room and sat on the bed, unsure what to do. Her life had taken a drastic turn at once. She had made a single choice that was now changing her world but Ivy did not regret it one bit.
In fact, if she had to make such drastic choices again to avoid the kind of alliance her father was signing her up for, she would do it over and over again and without regret.
Ivy was already lost in her thoughts when Kieran came out from the bathroom. He had dressed in his own pajamas too and was ready for bed but there was something important that he had to do.
Kieran cleared his throat, causing Ivy to turn to him. He sat on the couch, across from her, their eyes locked on each other's.
"Let's talk," he said.
Ivy nodded. She had been expecting him to say that since from the car but he had been silent. She had even begun to wonder if he would even bother about it. As it turned out, he was.
"I'll go first," Ivy said and began. "I know this is sudden and unexpected. I'm sorry that things turned out this way. It was supposed to be a one night thing and then we'll never see each other again but it isn't happening that way. I'm sorry."
Kieran nodded. "I understand. You don't have to apologize. There's a baby involved so, I don't blame you for anything. After all, you didn't make the child alone," he responded.
"What I was going to say was that I don't know your name," Kieran said.
Ivy smiled faintly. "I'm sorry about that. My name is Ivy. Ivy Rhys."
Kieran's brow lifted. "Rhys?" He echoed and Ivy nodded. He nodded. "I had no idea the Rhys had an Ivy."
"Not a lot of people knew," Ivy breathed and whispered, "You aren't Declan, right?"
Kieran's lips curled. "Why?"
Ivy shrugged. "Your partner… he called you Kieran," she answered. "Is that your name?"
"Kieran Declan," Kieran answered, looking at her. "I didn't lie to you."
"I didn't think you would," Ivy replied. "You look like someone who wouldn't do so," she added.
Kieran smiled and said nothing. He kept a subtle gaze on Ivy, her eyes, and her hair. He thought she looked tired and as if it was a confirmation, he saw her yawn. Kieran scoffed.
"You should sleep. I'll take the couch," he said, going to pick a pillow from the bed but Ivy held him by the wrist.
She shook her head slowly. "We… we can share the bed?"
Kieran scoffed lightly. "Is that a question or a statement?"
Ivy shrugged as she nodded. "A statement," she clarified. "After all, we've shared a bed before."
The corners of Kieran's lips spasmed. "You say that so casually," he commented. "You don't regret?"
"Not one bit," Ivy said with a tight smile. She realized she was still holding his wrist and quickly pulled her hand away. "Sorry. I don't have a habit of regretting."
Amused, Kieran asked, "What's done cannot be undone?"
Ivy nodded. "So, we can share the bed. The worst that could happen has already happened," she answered as she moved to the left side of the bed and laid down.
For a moment, Kieran was still, staring at her back in utter amusement. He had thought the girl would be a hard nut to crack but he had thought wrong. She was maybe one of the easiest people he had ever met.
Kieran smiled and laid on the bed, next to her. He turned off the lights and went to bed with one thought in mind; maybe, this wasn't a completely bad idea?
As the room fell into darkness, Kieran found himself thinking about the turn of events. Ivy's straightforwardness had caught him off guard, and he couldn't help but admire her resilience.
As he lay next to her , he couldn't shake off the thought that this might not be as bad as he had initially believed. Ivy's willingness to adapt and her lack of regret caused him to rethink.
Silence lingered for a moment before Kieran spoke softly, "This is far from normal, but I'll make it work for both of us and the baby."
Ivy turned slightly. She could hear the determination in his voice when he spoke. She replied, "That's a relief."