Ivy's Twisted Vine Redux by Latrivia Nelson (books to read for beginners .TXT) 📕

Nicola for an explanation. Why was there two of him standing in his living room?

“Nicola?” Ivy asked confused. “What is…going on?” She held her mouth, dumfounded.

“Oh, I’m sorry, man,” Santo said caught off guard. He stumbled over his own feet.

“Ivy, this stunnad is my twin brother Santo. He’s staying with me while he and my family are vacationing here in Memphis. They came to see our kids.” Nicola looked sternly at Santo after he pulled on his shorts. “Santo, this is Ivy Winters, the mother of my children.”

Santo stood stupefied by his clumsy interruption and Ivy’s beauty, not to mention the presence of an otherwise engaged woman in the intimate embrace of his brother. Beat red with embarrassment, he closed the front door and smiled sure that Nicola would kill him later.

“And it is nice to meet you, maim,” he said giving a weak wave. He knew better than to walk to close too the couch. “I’ve heard such wonderful things about you.” Words slurred, he gave a big Agosto smile, revealing their signature dimples.

“Well, I wish that I could say the same, but I’m afraid I didn’t know you even existed until now,” Ivy said pushing Nicola away from her. She grabbed her sling backs and purse and walked towards the door still barefoot. “What else have you failed to tell me, Nicola?” she asked furiously.

“Wait, Ivy,” Nicola said wiping her lipstick off of his face, hating the mood change.

“I’m out of here,” she said with her face in a scowl. Her voice drifted off. “Santo, it was nice meeting you and to find out that you exist.”

“Nice to meet you too, Ivy,” Santo said sitting down on the accent chair dizzy and drunk.

“I’ll see you out,” Nicola said rolling his eyes at Santo before he followed Ivy to the door.

“How thoughtful of you,” Ivy said condescendingly.

Opening the door for Ivy, Nicola tried to move closer to her again, but Ivy pushed past him, elbowing him in the chest. Turning around frustrated, she sighed.

“You’re such a fake,” she said shaking her head. “Really, how long has it been for you, Nicola? Did you get you a little tonight at the Black Tie? How about the other night with Rachel?”

Nicola huffed. “Why would I lie about something like that? You would have slept with me regardless.”

“Oh, really?” Ivy snarled. “Just who in the hell do you think that you are?”

“The exact same man that was making love to you a second ago. So, do we go on like none of this matters?” Nicola asked leaning against the door while she stood on the porch looking away in frustration.

“No, it matters, Nicola,” she said rolling her eyes. “More than you possibly know.”

“Why are you marrying him, Ivy?” Nicola retorted.

“Because I love him, Nicola. No.” She threw her index finger up in protest of Santo’s existence. “Because I know him. Is it not obvious that I don’t know you, after that little show in there? I didn’t even know that you had a twin brother!” She gasped. “That information may have been helpful during the pregnancy.” Pulling a strand of hair from her face, she placed her hand on her hip visibly agitated.

“What is it that you want me to say? I didn’t know you very well when we discovered that you were having twins…and it could have been sheer coincidence that I had a twin brother.” He walked towards her, lowering his voice. “I didn’t want to tell you and have you thinking the children were mine prematurely. But that’s beside the point. How can you say that you love him when three minutes ago, I was inside of you? For that matter, how can you marry him when I’m still inside your heart.” Nicola instantly felt cheesy for exposing himself, but he had to try to win her over.

Ivy stopped on her heals and hurled around. “I slipped. Sue me!” Beginning to walk away again, she heard Nicola behind her still following closely.

“Slip my ass. You didn’t slip!” Nicola exclaimed starting to raise his voice again. “You love me, and you know it! And I know that I love you! And you would rather marry this guy to save face than be with me, because I’m not some big shit want-to-be politician!” The neighbors’ lights came on as a few onlookers peered from their blind at the raging couple. He pulled her arm to him.

Snatching away, Ivy shook her head emphatically. “If you think that is the only reason that I’m marrying Grey then you’re terribly confused about me and this entire situation!” Ivy shouted.

“I’ve put myself on front street this entire time for you, Ivy. I don’t know how in the hell to reach you. What does it take? Please tell me for the love of God.” Nicola’s voice was laced with sarcasm.

“Reach me? Reach me?” Ivy’s voice streaked. “When have you ever even asked for me? How do I know that getting to me isn’t really about getting to Grey? How do I know anything about you, Nicola? Every time I think we’re getting close, you pull away. And what reason do you have? Why are you so distant?”

“Distant? I’m not distant.”

“Yes, you are, Nicola,” Ivy protested. “I know that you are an aggressive man about life, about your work and your friends, but not about me. Not about my heart…just my body.” Ivy drew a deep breath. “I’m tired of being treated like a pawn in a chess game. I want it to be over already. I want to rest!”

“There you go, blaming this entire situation on me! It’s not all my fucking fault! What about the little games that you play with me and with Grey. You know, you can’t always have the both of us, Ivy. Eventually, you’re going to have to give one of us