Friends Or More?
Title: Friends Or More?
Series: The Hollows
Pairing: Ivy/Rachel
Disclaimer: All characters and locations are the property of Kim Harrison
Author: Crystal Harrison
A/N So I still haven't figured out how to link all the chapters together but I thought that I would put up the next chapter anyway. I hope that you all like it. I decided to change the POV this time.
Chapter 3
***Ivy***
As the light jazz flowed from the stage I closed my eyes trying to get a better feel of the music. It had been a decent night so far, dinner at my favorite sushi restaurant and now a dimly lit jazz club. Loren was proving to be good company. She kept the conversation light and constant, not awkward. There was plenty of silence but it wasn’t the loaded silence that I was used to. It was nice to be able to be myself.
However, regardless of how good the night was going, my thoughts kept returning to Rachel. She had seemed so hurt when she had walked into the kitchen. I just couldn’t fathom why. She’d made it perfectly clear that there was never going to be an us, that she just doesn’t love me like that. The pain and feeling of loss that had rolled off of her when she had walked in were very real though and they had hit me like a kick to the gut.
“ Are you okay?” Came Loren’s soft voice, pulling me from my preoccupation.
“Yeah, sorry I just got lost in the music.” I lied smoothly. I felt absolutely atrocious, here is this beautiful woman giving me her undivided attention and I couldn’t stop thinking about Rachel.
“ You just seem distracted.” She said as she traced the grain of the wood lightly with her finger.
“ I know. I’m sorry. I just hate fighting with Rachel. I hate feeling like she is keeping things from me. She’s my best friend.” I confided quietly.
“ You two seem really close. A little more than friends if you ask me. So my question is, why are you here with me and not with her?” She asked, finally looking into my eyes.
“ It’s complicated.” I said shortly, not liking where the conversation was going.
“ She obviously loves you. I mean I thought that she was going to curl up and die when she walked into the kitchen. I know you smelled it too.” she accused.
“I did, but Rachel has made it perfectly clear that she doesn’t feel that way about me. She loves me as a friend, nothing more.” I responded a little defensively. “ I don’t know why she got so upset. She wouldn’t tell me.”
“ She may not be able to admit it to herself yet but that girl loves you. You should talk to her again, when I’m not in the next room.”, she encouraged. “ Until then, I’m having fun with you. Even if you are here for all the wrong reasons. You are fun to be around, when you‘re relaxed.” she smiled.
“Thanks.” I said, a light blush coming to my cheeks. “ You’re not so bad yourself. I really have had a great time tonight. It feels good to relax.”
At that moment my phone rang. Letting out a breath that I hadn’t realized I was holding, I reached into my purse and pulled it out. When I looked at the screen I saw that it was Jenks and my stomach clenched tightly. He only called when Rachel couldn’t.
“ Jenks, what’s up?” I asked quickly upon opening the phone.
“ Where are you, Ivy?” he demanded angrily.
“Out.” I responded tightly. “ What is it?”
“ Have you seen or talked to Rachel?” He asked, sounding concerned.
“No. She said that she was staying home to spell tonight. Why? She’s not there?” I fired at him.
“ Tink’s titties Ivy, if she was here would I be calling and asking if had heard from her?” he asked sounding annoyed. “ She tore out of here about three hours ago, crying her eyes out. She said that she just needed to get out of here. Now she won’t answer her phone. I’m worried, you know how she gets when she’s upset.”
“ Why is she so upset to start with?” I asked, not knowing if I really wanted the answer.
“Um…..” Was all I heard.
“ Tell me bug!” I hissed into the phone.
“I can’t Ivy. It’s not up to me to tell you. I told her that she needed to talk to you. That’s why I was calling I thought that maybe this once she actually listened to me.” he stated simply.
“I’ll try to call her.” I said as I hit the end button on my phone.
What in the hell was going on? My nerves were fraying as I dialed her number. It rang only once before I was sent to voicemail. “ Rachel, it’s Ivy, call me back please!” I said softly as my voice broke at the end. I closed my phone and waited.
After fifteen minutes of waiting I decided that power calling was the way to go. Throughout the entire ordeal, Loren sat quietly listening to the jazz. Finally, on the sixth call Rachel answered.
“Heeellloooo Ivy.” She drawled into the phone as the sound of rock music played in the background.
“ Rachel, are you okay? Where are you?” I asked quickly.
“I’m gooood Ivy. I’m out. Where are you?” She returned the question with a soft giggle.
“Rachel, are you drunk?” I asked gently. Slightly amused, I waited for her response.
“ Not completely.” was what I got. “Not yet anyway.” she added under her breath.
“Rachel, where are you?” I growled, the tension quickly dissolving any amusement that I had been feeling at her state.
“ I jus don think that I wanna tell you, Ivy. Did you need something or did Jenks guilt you into calling me. I swear if he opened his mouth I’ll smish him.” she rambled on.
“ I need to talk to you, Rachel.” I pleaded.
“ So talk, I can hear you.” she quipped.
“ Not over the phone. Please Rachel, tell me where you are!” I begged. The nervousness of my stomach threatening to make me sick.
“ Does it really matter, Ivy?” she mumbled. “ Hey, aren’t you supposed to be on a date?”
“Yes it matters! And Yes I’m on a date! Damn it Rachel, will you just tell me where you are!?!” I hissed allowing a rare curse to fall from my lips.
“Fine, Ivy! Ugh, I’m at the Blood and Brew Pub. Now will you stop badgering me?” she said, sounding irritated.
“I’ll be there soon, Rachel. Please stay there. Please.” I begged again.
“ I don’t need a damn babysitter Ivy! I am a grown ass woman, and I can do anything that I want!” She shot angrily.
“I’m not coming to baby-sit you. I’m coming to talk to you.” I replied, trying to put her at ease so that she would stay put until I could get there.
“ What if I don’t want to talk Ivy?” she asked, sounding more sober than when we had started the conversation.
“ Well then I’m coming to sit silently in your company.” I answered sarcastically.
“Whatever, Ivy.” She growled as she disconnected the call.
I hadn’t brought my bike but luckily I was only a ten minute walk away from the Blood and Brew. She wouldn’t have time to get far if she decided to try to evade me. Putting my phone back into my purse I turned to Loren knowing that she had been able to hear both sides of the conversation.
“I’m sorry. I have to go.” I said hoping that she wouldn’t be too angry. She was a very nice woman, the timing just sucked. “ We can do this again another night if you’re up for it.”
“ It’s okay.” she said gently, a sweet smile on her face. “I don’t think that we will do this again though.”
Seeing the shock cross my face, she tried to comfort me, which I found utterly absurd. “Rachel needs you. I know that you love her, I can smell the worry and the love rolling off of you. You are a beautiful woman and you’re fun to be with, but I don’t think that this is going to work out. I actually suggest that you look a little closer to home.” she said smiling.“ Give it a little more time. She’ll come around, if she hasn’t already. She was in too much pain at just seeing you with me to deny it for much longer.” With that she rose from the table, motioning for me to follow. “ Come on, I’ll drop you off.” she paused “ You didn’t think that I would make you walk, did you?”
“ You really don’t have to that, Loren.” I said, hating myself for not paying more attention to her.
“ I know.” she said as she offered a gentle smile. “ I want to.”
“ Okay.” I said offering her a timid smile of my own. “ Thank you.”
As we walked out to her car my thoughts drifted back to Rachel. I had to hurry up and get to her. God only knows what kind of trouble could find her, especially knowing that she was drunk and without protection. She was a very strong witch, but she didn’t always make the right choices. That was another thing that I loved about her. It also gave me a little bit of hope because I wasn’t necessarily the best choice for her.