Roderick pressed the button for the ground floor in the elevator. Ivy glanced at the display screen before shifting her gaze to him.
"Why are you staying at the hotel?" she asked. "Wouldn’t it be better to go ho?"
Roderick nonchalantly answered, "I don’t feel like going ho tonight."
"Why not?" Ivy pressed, her piercing gaze fixed on him, searching for an answer he didn’t seem willing to give.
"I don’t think we’re at a point in our relationship where I need to explain everything," Roderick replied in a firm tone.
Ivy arched an eyebrow, her arms crossing across her chest. "I thought we were in a relationship where we could share everything with each other," she countered. Before he could respond, she added, "Fine. I’ll spend a night with you."
Roderick blinked, caught off guard by her sudden declaration. "What?" he asked, a dry chuckle escaping him as he glanced at her. "You’re joking."
"I’m not," she said with a determined gaze.
Roderick shook his head in amusent. "Go ho, Ivy. Isn’t your mother sick? Shouldn’t you be with her?" The elevator chid softly as the doors slid open on the ground floor. He stepped out, his voice lowering as he continued, "What would you even do here with ?"
Ivy followed him out as she tilted her head, a small, knowing smile playing on her lips. "Maybe I’d remind you that you don’t have to keep everything bottled up," she replied softly before she dragged him back to the elevator.
"Which floor?" Ivy asked.
Few more people climbed in the elevator and pressed the buttons.
Roderick himself pressed the button on the panel and turned to look at her.
"You should go ho, Ivy," Roderick said.
"Dad is with Mom. And in their eyes, we are together, so there’s nothing to worry about," Ivy said in a low voice and pulled out the phone from the pocket of her handbag. She typed a ssage to the driver, asking him to leave.
Roderick held his tongue until they reached the 16th floor, where he was staying in a suite for the night. As they exited the elevator and approached his room, Ivy pulled out her phone and dialed her father.
Harvey Stone answered almost imdiately.
"Dad, I’ll be with Roderick tonight," Ivy said without hesitation. "Please let Mom know so she doesn’t worry about ."
Roderick froze, his brow furrowing. "What are you doing?" he asked, his voice low but filled with restrained frustration.
Ivy ended the call and slipped her phone back into her bag. "I already inford my father," she said calmly, turning to face him. "So, you’ll have to take responsibility for keeping with you tonight. I even sent the driver ho."
Roderick let out a long, exasperated sigh, his eyes narrowing slightly as he stared at her in disbelief. Without saying another word, he walked to the door of his suite, swiping the key card against the lock. The door clicked open, and he stepped aside, motioning for her to enter.
Ivy walked in, her steps confident and unbothered. Roderick followed, shutting the door behind him. He kicked off his shoes near the entrance before making his way further inside.
Ivy trailed after him, her gaze wandering over the spacious suite. The soft hum of rain against the floor-to-ceiling windows drew her attention, and she found Roderick standing there, hands in his pockets, staring out at the downpour.
"You can go to the bedroom on the left and get so sleep," Roderick said while continuing to stare outside the window.
Ivy, however, didn’t move. Instead, she tilted her head slightly, studying him. "What’s bothering you?" she asked softly. "I won’t tell anyone," she added and walked to him.
She stopped when she was standing beside him, her shoulder almost brushing his. Roderick didn’t respond imdiately.
"Sotis, it’s good to share," Ivy said after a mont. "It helps to lessen the burden. I’m not here to judge you, Roderick. You can trust ."
"Tomorrow is my dad’s birthday," Roderick finally revealed. He kept his gaze on the rain, as if speaking to the storm made it easier to confess. "I don’t want to go ho because... because it reminds of that ti. The last birthday we celebrated together."
He paused, swallowing hard before continuing. "He promised we’d go hiking on his next birthday. But that next birthday never ca." Roderick turned to look at Ivy, his eyes clouded with vulnerability. "I act like a baby, don’t I?" he asked, his voice faltering.
Ivy held his gaze, her own eyes soft with understanding. "Every child acts like that," she said gently. "It’s not wrong to miss your father, Roderick. It just ans you loved him deeply. And there’s nothing childish about that."
"I couldn’t beco like my dad. My grandpa, my mom, even my uncle—they all looked up to , expected so much from . But I didn’t carry a single trait of my father. Instead, I beca the complete opposite. I took everything for granted and never worked hard."
His shoulders slumped slightly, his words filled with a deep regret as he suddenly reflected upon his mistakes.
Ivy watched him. "You’re only 25," she said softly, trying to reassure him. "You can change yourself if you want to. And... yes, maybe you do have so faults, but you’re not that bad either."
She hesitated, unsure if her words were enough to comfort him. A mont passed, and she found herself stepping closer. At first, she hesitated again, uncertain if it was the right thing to do. But the sight of his vulnerability pushed her forward.
Finally, Ivy wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a gentle hug. Her hand moved slowly, patting his back in a soothing rhythm. "You can still beco the person you want to be. If your dad were here, I am sure he would have been proud of you even for your smallest achievents. Don’t feel low and cheer up. Live up to your own dreams and make your father proud."
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