I watched her from across the room, my eyes following the subtle movements she made as she stood alone near the edge of the ballroom. Ivy was doing everything she could to blend into the crowd, but her presence was impossible to ignore. The midnight blue gown she wore was a bold statement in itself, the silver embroidery catching the light in ways that drew attention without her even trying.
I hated how my focus had shifted entirely to her.
Levi's voice droned on beside me, but I wasn't listening. I barely registered his words as he continued to poke fun, though his jabs had lost their usual sting. My mind was consumed by Ivy—by the way she looked tonight, by the quiet strength she carried herself with, and by the maddening fact that she had somehow managed to take root in my thoughts.
The gown… it fit her too perfectly. Every time I caught a glimpse of the bare skin exposed by the low cut of the back, my hand twitched with the memory of touching her earlier. Each time I had let my hand rest against her, it had felt like an indulgence I shouldn't allow myself. But I couldn't help it.
Levi finally stopped talking, probably noticing that I was no longer paying attention. His eyes flicked between me and Ivy, a knowing grin forming on his lips.
"You're completely gone, aren't you?" he teased, his voice low enough for only me and Archer to hear.
I forced myself to pull my gaze away from her, locking it onto Levi. "You're talking nonsense."
Levi's grin widened, clearly enjoying himself. "Oh, come on. Look at you, standing here all stoic and cold, but your eyes keep finding her. I don't need to be a mind reader to know what's going on."
Archer chuckled softly, the ever-rational voice of reason. "Levi's exaggerating, as usual, but he's not entirely wrong. You've been distracted all night."
I clenched my jaw, annoyed at how obvious it must've been. "I have a lot on my mind," I muttered, though I knew that excuse wouldn't hold up under Levi's scrutiny.
"Sure you do," Levi said, sarcasm dripping from his words. "And by 'a lot,' you mean Ivy, right? It's okay, Alex. It's about time someone got under your skin."
I shot him a sharp look, but it only made him laugh. The bastard was having too much fun with this.
Archer, as always, tried to smooth things over. "Levi, ease up. You know Alex doesn't do feelings."
Levi shrugged, clearly unconvinced. "Maybe he didn't, but that was before she came along."
I couldn't deny that Ivy had affected me in ways I hadn't anticipated. From the moment she entered my life, something had shifted. It wasn't just her beauty—although that was undeniable—but the way she carried herself, the way she challenged me without even trying. She had a quiet strength about her that was hard to ignore, and no matter how much I tried, I couldn't shake the effect she had on me.
Levi's voice cut through my thoughts again, more serious this time. "You've been different lately, Alex. Ever since she showed up. And if you're going to keep pretending like she doesn't matter to you, then you're fooling yourself."
I said nothing, my silence only confirming what Levi already knew.
Archer gave me a measured look. "What's your plan, Alex? You can't keep avoiding whatever this is."
I let out a slow breath, my eyes once again drawn to Ivy. "There is no plan. There can't be."
Levi raised an eyebrow. "Why not? You're Alexander. You make things happen."
"Ivy isn't like anyone else," I said quietly, more to myself than to them. "This isn't just some game."
Levi looked at me with something close to understanding for the first time that night. "That's exactly why you should stop fighting it."
I clenched my fists at my sides, torn between the weight of my responsibilities and the growing desire I couldn't control. Ivy had walked into my life as part of a deal—someone to help me with this… charade. But it had become so much more than that. The lines had blurred, and I wasn't sure where to draw them anymore.
She turned slightly, her eyes meeting mine for the briefest of moments before she quickly looked away. The connection between us was like a taut string, ready to snap at any moment.
I hated this feeling. The loss of control. The constant pull toward her.
But what I hated even more was the realization that I didn't want to stop it. Not really.
"I don't have the luxury of being distracted," I finally said, more to remind myself than to answer Levi and Archer.
"Distraction or not," Levi said, "you're already in deep."
He wasn't wrong. And that scared the hell out of me.
But no matter how much I tried to convince myself otherwise, Ivy had become more than just a distraction. She was something I couldn't ignore, something that made me feel alive in ways I hadn't in years.
And that made her dangerous.
As the night wore on, I found myself standing in the same place, my eyes continuously drawn to Ivy despite my best efforts. She was like a magnet, pulling me in without even trying.
I had built my life on control—on keeping my emotions buried beneath layers of ice and distance. But tonight, with Ivy standing there in that dress, looking both vulnerable and powerful at the same time, it felt like the cracks in my armor were finally starting to show.
And for the first time in a long time, I wasn't sure if I wanted to stop them from breaking.