Page 39 of Stranded
Dad's smile is genuine. “Your brand is making waves, Ivy. And we couldn’t be prouder.”
I squeeze Maddox’s hand as tears cascade down my face. “Thank you.”
“And Maddox, it sounds like your carving business is doing well,” Dad adds.
Maddox nods. “Yes, sir. It’s taken off more than I expected. I’m struggling to meet demand.”
Dad smiles. “It’s always better to have too much work than not enough.”
“Agreed,” Maddox says.
Dad nods toward the bar. “Come and have a drink with me.”
Maddox doesn’t miss a beat as he stands and walks with my dad. Mom squeezes my hand. “Enjoy the festivities, sweetheart. I’ll catch up with you later.”
I take this opportunity to first approach Preston, deciding I should give him the benefit of the doubt. The girl may be an actress he’s paid for.
“Hey, Preston.”
He spins around and glares at me. “Hi.”
“Can we have a word?” I glance at the girl. “Alone?”
He looks frustrated but nods. I walk out of the dining room and into one of the spare reception rooms.
“What is it?” he snaps.
“Is the girl you’re with really your girlfriend?”
His eyes narrow. “Yes, why?”
“Because it’s not fair what you're doing to her. You need to come clean and stop stringing girls along.”
His jaw clenches, and he moves closer to me. “I’m attracted to my girlfriend because...” he trails off, brow furrowed and cheeks flushing. “And I will kill you if you tell anyone this, but she’s trans. Hailey used to be Harry. And she’s pre-op with no intention of having the op.”
My eyes widen. “Oh.”
“We’re happy together. And I don’t want anything to fuck that up.” His expression softens. “I’m sorry for how I handled everything and treated you. I was a complete dickhead. And I’m sorry.”
I smile. “Don’t worry about it. I just didn’t want you doing it to another girl.” I move closer, squeezing his hand. “I’m glad you’re happy. Do you think Hailey is it for you, then?”
He bites his lip, and his eyes light up. “Yeah, I’m going to propose to her.”
I smile. “Good for you.”
“I’m sorry, Ivy. For everything.” He squeezes my hand. “But I hope we can be friends.”
I nod. “I’d like that.”
“We best get back to the party,” Preston says.
I nod in agreement and return, quickly finding Maddox to tell him the news. “Hey, angel. Where did you go to?”
“I was confronting Preston.”
Maddox’s jaw clenches at the mention of my ex-boyfriend. “You shouldn’t go anywhere near that man alone.”
I shake my head. “It’s fine. Turns out there’s more than meets the eye with his girlfriend.”