Chapter 55: Save Her

Chapter 55: Save Her

Andy

The party continued downstairs like nothing was wrong. Laughter floated up the stairs, clinking glasses, the low sound of music and cheerful voices celebrating my miraculous return from the brink.

I had slipped away with a mumbled excuse about an excruciating headache, pressing my fingers to my temple for dramatic effect.

No one questioned it. Why would they? I was the poor, injured fiancé who had barely survived Leo’s psychotic episode at the lake.

The hero of the hour.

But the truth was far uglier. I couldn’t think. Couldn’t function. My mind was a storm, circling relentlessly back to one image.

Ivy pressed against that car, Leo grinning down on her like a predator claiming his kill. Then her leaving with him. Choosing him.

She had picked Leo over me. Without a second thought.

I sat on the edge of my bed in the dim light of my room, staring at the floorboards. How did it come to this? I used to be so sure. Maddie was the one.

Beautiful, polished Maddie—the girl I had courted for years, the one I had proposed to with all my heart.

She was safe. Familiar. The future I had planned since we were teenagers.

So why did every thought now belong to Ivy?

I kept replaying the scene from earlier.

The way her fingers had gripped my arm during that desperate kiss. The shock in her eyes, the stiffness in her body that slowly gave way—not fully resisting, not pushing me away completely.

Was it possible I had been blind for years?

Overprotective, yes, because I knew what kind of man Leo was. A violent boxer with a reputation for destruction. But this feeling gnawing at my chest felt deeper. Darker. Like something I had buried long ago was clawing its way to the surface.

What if it wasn’t just protectiveness? What if I had always wanted her but somehow told myself I didn't?

I stood up abruptly, grabbing my car keys from the nightstand. My head throbbed for real now, but I didn’t care. I had to go to Leo’s house.

I would drag Ivy back if I had to.

It was for her own good. Leo would coerce her, manipulate her, take what he wanted and discard her like every other girl in his past.

Ivy was too innocent, too trusting. She couldn’t see it. She couldn’t think clearly when he was around her, showering her with affection and attention.

I would save her. She might hate me in the moment, but she would thank me later when she realized what kind of monster he truly was.

I was halfway to the door when it swung open. Maddie stepped inside, closing it softly behind her with a bright smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

She looked perfect, as always—hair styled, dress hugging her curves, the picture of the supportive fiancée. I shoved the keys into my pocket quickly.

“Going somewhere?” she asked lightly. “I thought you had a terrible headache.”

I forced a smile, the kind I had perfected. “Yeah. I just wanted to go for a drive. Clear my head. Get some fresh air.”

Her smile widened, and she crossed the room in three quick steps, reaching for my hand. “Take me with you! I want to go too. We haven’t had any time alone since you got home.”

“No!”

The word came out sharper than I intended. She flinched, eyes widening in surprise. “Andy?”

“Sorry.” I cleared my throat, softening my tone. “You mustn’t come. It might get cold, and I don’t want you catching anything. You know how delicate the weather’s been.”

She touched my cheek affectionately, her fingers cool against my skin. “You’re always so thoughtful. You take such good care of me, baby. I love you.”

“I love you too,” I said automatically, the words tasting like ash. I pulled away slightly. “But I don’t think you should come… with me.”

“Why?” Her frown deepened, suspicion creeping into her gaze. “You’re acting strange, Andy. Really strange.”

I retreated to the bed and sat down heavily, running a hand through my hair. Postponing my rescue mission until tomorrow was the smarter play. I couldn’t risk a scene tonight with the whole family downstairs.

Ivy would still be okay for one more night. She had to be.

“There’s nothing wrong,” I lied, leaning back against the headboard. “I just need some alone time. That’s all.”

Maddie didn’t leave. She walked over and perched on the edge of the bed beside me. I subtly shifted, creating a little distance between us.

She noticed—I saw the flicker of hurt in her eyes—but she didn’t comment. And I was grateful for that.

“I’ve noticed you’ve been distant lately,” she said quietly, twisting her engagement ring around her finger. “You haven’t even asked about the wedding preparations. The flowers, the venue confirmations… nothing.”

“I’m just getting home, Maddie,” I sighed, rubbing my temples. “The wedding is the last thing on my mind right now. I nearly died, remember?”

She looked down at her hands. “I understand. You’re still recovering. But I think we should schedule a meeting with the event planner soon. Winter isn’t that far away, and—”

“I think we should postpone the wedding, Maddie.”

The words hung in the air like a guillotine. She flinched as if I had actually slapped her. “You… want to postpone?” Her voice cracked. “Why? We agreed on this winter. That’s still months away. You’ll have plenty of time to heal.”

“No.” I kept my voice steady, even as guilt clawed at my insides. “I think that’s what’s best for us right now.”

“Best for us? Or best for you?” She shot to her feet, wiping away a tear that spilled down her cheek. “You’re hurting me, Andy.”

I reached out and caught her arm before she could storm off. “Maddie, wait.”

“You’ve changed, Andy.” Her eyes brimmed with fresh tears as she looked at me. “Do you think I haven’t noticed? The way you look at me now… it’s different.”

“Maddie, listen—”

“Do you even want to marry me anymore?” The question came out raw, desperate. “It feels like I’m the one pushing this. Forcing myself on you. Like I’m watching you slip away a little more every single day.”

I couldn’t answer. The words stuck in my throat.

Marrying Maddie would make Ivy my sister-in-law. Officially. Legally. Whatever these confusing, burning feelings in my chest were would become completely taboo. Forbidden.

The thought twisted something painful inside me. I don't want to become her brother-in-law.

Maddie let out a bitter laugh. “You can’t even answer me.” She wiped her tears roughly. “I knew it.”

I couldn’t meet her eyes. “I don’t know, Maddie. Maybe we rushed into things. Let’s just take a step back and try to—”

“This is about Ivy, isn’t it?” The accusation landed like a bomb. “I’ve had my suspicions for a while. Every time you fight with Leo, it’s about my sister.”

My head snapped up so fast my neck twinged. “What?”

“You don’t have to lie to me. You don’t have to deny it.” Her voice broke. “You’ve been cheating on me with Ivy, haven’t you? That’s why Leo is so possessive. That’s why you won’t touch me anymore. Why you look at me like I’m a stranger. You don’t want me. You want her—”

“That’s not true!” I stood up immediately, grabbing her by both arms. My heart pounded. “I’m not cheating on you! I haven’t cheated. I have never slept with Ivy. Ever!”

She stared up at me with tear-filled eyes, and the sight nearly broke me. “You won’t even touch me anymore. You won’t hold my hand unless I reach for yours first. You barely speak to me unless I start the conversation. At the hospital… you didn’t even want me the way you used to. You used to be crazy about me, Andy. What changed?”

“That’s not true. Of course I want you.” The words felt hollow even as I said them. Was I convincing her, or myself?

What the hell was I doing? This was Maddie. The girl I had loved for years. The one I had chased, won, built dreams around.

And yet here I was, my mind filled with images of her half-sister—her laugh, her vulnerability, the way she had looked at me during that kiss.

Maddie searched my face, tears streaming freely now. “You say you want me? Prove it.”

My stomach dropped.

She gripped my shirt tightly, pulling herself closer, her eyes locked on mine with desperate intensity.

“Make love to me like you used to. Touch me like I’m still yours. Like you can’t get enough of me.”

The room suddenly felt too small.

Her scent, that familiar floral perfume, filled my nostrils. Her body pressed against mine, soft and inviting.

I could feel the rapid beat of her heart.

For a moment, the old Andy—the one who had been head-over-heels for her—stirred. Memories flashed. Stolen kisses in her parents’ house, late nights in this very room, the way she used to moan my name every time I made love to her.

But overlaying it all was Ivy. Leaving with Leo. Her swollen lips from my kiss. The way she had looked at me with confusion and something else.

Something that felt like possibility.

Maddie’s hands slid down my chest, trembling. “Please, Andy. Don’t push me away. Not now.”

I swallowed hard, my mind a battlefield. Part of me wanted to give in, to lose myself in her and forget the chaos. Another part—the growing, obsessive part—knew it would be a lie. And Ivy was out there, alone with that monster.

Still, I pulled Maddie closer, tilting her chin up. “Maddie…”

She rose on her toes, pressing her lips to mine in a kiss that started hesitant and quickly turned hungry.

I kissed her back, trying to summon the old fire. My hands roamed her back, familiar curves under my palms. She sighed into my mouth, pressing closer, her body molding to mine.

For a few minutes, it almost worked. The muscle memory took over. I backed her against the wall, deepening the kiss, tasting the salt of her tears. She tugged at my shirt, desperate, whispering my name like it was the only thing she knew how to say.

But when I closed my eyes, it wasn’t Maddie’s face I saw.

It was Ivy’s.

I pulled back slightly, breathing hard. Maddie looked up at me, hopeful, her lips swollen and eyes shining with fresh tears of a different kind.

“See?” she whispered. “We’re still us, Andy. We can fix this.”

I didn’t know what to say. The guilt was crushing. The confusion worse. Downstairs, the party continued—laughter for a man who no longer recognized himself.

I kissed her again, slower this time, buying time. Trying to convince myself. Trying to drown out the voice in my head screaming that everything was falling apart.

And all the while, my thoughts kept drifting back to one house on the other side of town. To one girl who had walked away with my enemy.

I had to save her.

Tomorrow.

“Make love to me, Andy.” Maddie begged. “Show me you still love me.”