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"Is that your professional take on the situation?" I keptover It wasn’t even worth a heated whisper

"I never lied to you about what I do," Ivy said calive you some time to adjust"

"Consider me adjusted" I headed for the stairs She didn’t stopto ask Vivvie to clue reat Ivy Kendrick was acting like the stares and whispers I’d gotten all day at Hardwicke were no big deal

I took the steps two at a ti room, and then I froze On the coffee table, there was a plate of cookies, slightly burnt around the edges, laid out just so

"I had a plan" Ivy’s voice was soft as she followedin the doorway "I thought we’d sit Talk Eat cookies"

"You made me an afternoon snack?" I couldn’t quite wrap ood plan," Ivy defended

I picked up one of the cookies Ivy took a single step forward, then paused, like I was a horse that ht have been a better plan if I’d bought the cookies," she ad the burnt cookie in my hand

"You don’t bake," I inferred I , but two more words escaped my mouth "I do"

"You bake?" Ivy took another small step forward "I wouldn’t have called that one"

It was such a s, really--to tell so felt like losing a protective layer of skin I’d spent years building up my calluses I hated that a stupid plate of burnt cookies could take them away

Even as I clah them "Tell me what I can do, Tess To make this better"

This as in the new life she’d shoved ht? Or this as in us?

I couldn’t let myself wonder "You can tellto peel back one of her layers or testing her by asking for soive

"His naht Ivy would tell me "I used to work for him," she continued, each word carefully measured "We had a difference of opinion Noork for ets that sos happen" Ivy took her time with the reply, and I could alrandfather’sthe lines between s," Ivy continued "He has a lot of otten used to calling the shots behind the scenes"