Tangled Love

Emily's POV -

"Hey! I've missed you," I say happily, pulling her into a hug. Ivory rang me a few hours earlier asking if she could stay with me for a few days and Pops agreed to it.

"As long as you two don't be throwing wild parties here then it's fine by me Elly," he said before wondering off down his garden to the little allotment he spends most of his time in.

"Are you sure I'm okay to stay with you? I have a few other places I can go if it's any bother," Ivory says, looking at me gratefully. I shake my head —

"No way, you're practically family," I smile, feeling relieved to have some sort of distraction away from Jake.

"Why have you been kicked out?" I ask, taking her bags off her and setting them down beside the couch. She scrunches her face up, popping herself down on the couch before letting out a breath —

"Tobias kicked me out for a few days. . . Something that he and Jake had to do apparently."

At the mention of Tobias, I remember how he'd kissed me and my hands flew to my lips, tracing my bottom one.

"Are Jake and Tobias okay with each other?"

"Yeah they seem a lot closer, do you want some pizza? My treat." Ivory grins at me and I nod at her silently, causing her to fist pump the air before leaving the room to make the call.

So it seems Tobias hadn't told Jake about the kiss.

for him, he should know. If I've learned anything over these past few months, it's that secrets always find a way to be discovered and they would often tear relationships apart once bought to light.

taking a seat next

ordered the pizza, should be

extra

and I hold my palm out for a high five. Ivory slaps me back, a wide grin spreading across her face.

tone turning serious. I sigh,

now. . . I miss him so much." I say truthfully and Ivory pouts, giving me a sympathetic

too, you guys should talk," she encouraged me and I shake my head, talking isn't what we need right now. We need to have some distance between us, time to sort things out for

smile. She nods at me

blurts out, slapping her hand over

couch. She crosses over her legs and I

"His name is Ben and he's really nice," she starts off and I can tell by her face she's already in love with him. Her eyes shine brightly and her entire expression beams as she speaks

off somewhere into the distance like a

Earth to Ivory-Bear."

me for teasing her.

for her. She deserves the

party. He goes to a different college but he's a friend of a friend of Tobias'. I haven't

they can't be that bad," I respond . She gives me a questioning look before replying —

was a year ago. When they found out I lost my virginity to him, they kidnapped him from his house in the middle of the night and left him stranded in the next town over... They stripped him naked and left him without a phone. He broke up with me the next day and I was so mad but the boys acted like they had done nothing wrong. Apparently, he had it coming the whole

my

out, choking back