The Kiss that Sparked it All novel Chapter 1946

"No, I looked for you, I just couldn't find you."

Ivy dutifully recounted how she was awkwardly hit on at the party, and how Nolan stepped in to help her.

"Hit on?" Balfour's brow furrowed slightly, and his face turned a shade darker, "Did someone give you a hard time?"

Realizing that he might be getting angry, Ivy quickly waved her hands dismissively, "No, no, it was nothing. He just chatted me up a bit too much. I was in a rush to find you and didn't want to get caught up with those people."

"Mhm." Balfour grunted, taking her by the arm, about to leave.

Ivy, aware that Nolan was still behind her, quickly tugged on Balfour's hand, "Balfour, wait. Can you give me a moment to speak to Nolan before leaving?"

Her words made Balfour halt in his tracks, and he turned to look at Ivy, "What do you want to say to him?"

"Just a minute." Ivy pulled away from his grasp and turned to Nolan, "Nolan, I... I have to go now. It was great seeing you here. Let's catch up another time."

Nolan looked puzzled as he watched the two of them, not quite catching up, "Ivy, do you know my cousin very well?"

He had thought they were merely acquaintances, the sort who would nod in passing.

But the hand-holding he witnessed seemed to suggest a far deeper connection.

"We..." Ivy glanced at Nolan's inquiring eyes, but suddenly found herself at a loss for words to explain her relationship with Balfour.

Nolan asked, "Ivy, are you guys good friends?"

Just as Ivy was about to nod and accept the label, Balfour stepped forward, his hand coming to rest on her shoulder, "Not friends."

"So, that's how it is," Nolan said after a few seconds, managing a bitter smile, "Then my cousin is right, I do indeed have to refer to you as 'cousin-in-law'."

Ivy lifted her head again, the term 'cousin-in-law' like two sharp knives, piercing straight into her heart.

For Ivy, the one unforgettable thing in her life was the warmth of the sunshine that had once brightened her darkest days.

Now, that very sunshine stood before her, and yet she no longer had the right to reach out for it.

Balfour looked down at Ivy in his arms, his eyes filled with mockery, "You seem to know my cousin quite well. Did you have a nice chat?"

Nolan sensed the tension between them and quickly laughed, trying to dispel the awkwardness, "We went to the same high school and haven't seen each other for years. Just happened to run into each other today and got talking."