Episode 16: Date Night-ish

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Episode 16: Date Night-ish

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Ivy’s POV

"It’s not a date, Carter."

That’s what Elena had texted me earlier. And yet, here we were—alone, driving away from campus, the city fading behind us.

I wasn’t sure what counted as a date in Elena’s world, but this felt suspiciously close to one.

Not that I was complaining.

I stole a glance at her, watching the way she effortlessly handled the wheel, her fingers tapping lightly against it in rhythm with the song playing low on the radio. She had this… presence. Like she owned every space she entered without even trying.

And it definitely wasn’t helping my situation.

My situation being: I was starting to fall for her. Hard.

Not that she needed to know that.

I shifted in my seat, looking out the window. "Are you sure you’re not kidnapping me?" I teased, breaking the silence.

She smirked, eyes still on the road. "If I was, you wouldn’t see it coming."

A shiver ran down my spine, but it wasn’t fear. It was something else—something dangerous and exhilarating.

She pulled onto a dirt road, driving up a small hill before finally stopping in a clearing.

I stepped out of the car and blinked. "Whoa."

The city stretched out below us, a sea of twinkling lights. Tall trees framed the view, making it feel secluded—like we were the only two people in the world.

Elena walked around to the trunk, grabbing a thick blanket. "Told you it was nice."

"This is insane." I turned to her. "You just… found this place?"

She shrugged, spreading the blanket on the grass. "Yeah. Needed a quiet spot. Ended up here."

There was something in her voice, something I didn’t quite understand. A weight, maybe.

I wanted to ask, but I didn’t want to ruin the moment.

Instead, I sat down beside her, hugging my knees to my chest as the cool night air wrapped around us.

For a while, we just sat there in comfortable silence.

And then, she turned to me. "So… you got all dressed up for me tonight, huh?"

I scoffed. "Shut up."

She smirked. "I’m just saying, for a not-date, you sure put in some effort."

I rolled my eyes. "Like you didn’t."

She arched a brow. "Oh? So you do think this is a date?"

I hesitated. That smug look on her face told me she knew exactly what she was doing.

I exhaled. "I don’t know. You’re the one who planned it. You tell me."

She leaned in slightly, voice dropping just enough to make my heart stutter. "What do you want it to be, Carter?"

I swallowed. Hard.

Her eyes were locked onto mine, unreadable but intense. And suddenly, breathing felt like a task I had to remember to do.

This.

This was dangerous.

Because if I answered honestly, I’d be admitting something I wasn’t ready to admit—not to her, and definitely not to myself.

So instead, I forced a smirk and looked away. "You’re impossible."

She chuckled, leaning back again. "And yet, you’re still here."

Yeah.

That was the problem, wasn’t it?

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Elena’s POV

Ivy was fidgeting.

Not a lot. Not enough for most people to notice. But I did.

The way her fingers toyed with the edge of her sweater. The way she kept shifting, like she couldn’t quite get comfortable.

She was nervous.

And I had a pretty good idea why.

This thing between us? It was shifting.

I had known that from the moment she got into my car tonight, looking at me like I was some kind of puzzle she couldn’t quite solve.

The thing was… I liked it.

I liked watching her get flustered. Liked the way her breath hitched when I leaned in just a little too close.

Liked the fact that, despite whatever inner war she was having, she was still here.

I smirked, reaching over to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

She froze.

I felt her inhale sharply, but she didn’t move away.

Interesting.

I let my fingers linger for just a second longer before pulling back. "Relax, Carter. It’s just a not-date, remember?"

Her breath came out shaky. "Right."

She looked away, but I caught the way her fingers curled into the fabric of her sweater, like she was trying to ground herself.

Cute.

She had no idea what to do with me.

And honestly?

I liked it that way.

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Ivy’s POV

I needed to leave.

Or breathe. Or something.

Because sitting here, next to her, with the night wrapping around us and the scent of her cologne mixing with the cool air?

Yeah. Not safe.

Not for my sanity.

Not for my heart.

Because the truth was, I liked her. More than I should. More than I was ready to admit.

And the way she looked at me sometimes—like she knew exactly what she was doing—wasn’t making this any easier.

I exhaled, forcing myself to focus on the view instead of the way her presence felt beside me.

"You bring a lot of girls up here?" I asked, aiming for casual.

She smirked. "Jealous?"

I glared at her. "I’m serious."

She tilted her head slightly, studying me. "No. Just you."

Oh.

The air between us shifted.

I forced out a laugh. "That’s a line."

She chuckled. "It’s the truth."

I swallowed, my heart slamming against my ribs.

Elena didn’t do serious.

She flirted. She teased. She made people stumble over their own feet just by looking at them a certain way.

But now… now she was looking at me like that.

And suddenly, I wasn’t sure I was ready for what that meant.

So I did the only thing I could think of.

I changed the subject.

"You’re awfully smug for someone who doesn’t even know if this is a date."

She chuckled. "Well, if it was a date…" She trailed off, her eyes flicking down to my lips for a fraction of a second before meeting my gaze again. "I’d probably kiss you right now."

My brain short-circuited.

I stared at her, completely and utterly frozen.

She smirked. "But it’s not a date, so…" She leaned back, stretching her arms behind her head. "Guess you’ll have to wait and see."

I exhaled sharply, my entire body betraying me.

This woman was going to kill me.

And the worst part?

I wasn’t even sure I’d mind.