Hello, Ex! I Finally Found My Worth!-Chapter 124: A Workaholic

Ivy ran into her living room, her mind reeling with what had just happened.

What had she done? She had crossed a line she swore she wouldn't, but there it was, happening. She leaned back on the door, pressing her hands to her forehead, trying to make sense of her emotions. Her heart was still racing, the echoes of his lips lingering on hers.

What was that? She thought. Why did I kiss him back? Why didn't I stop him?

Her fingers trembled as she raised her hands to touch her lips. She couldn't stop thinking about how his lips felt against hers, how his hands had felt on her skin.

Ivy's mind was a mess. She had spent so long convincing herself she didn't need anyone—convincing herself that opening up to someone like Hunter would just lead to disappointment because he was a player.

And now, after everything, what? She had fallen for him. She had kissed him, and that action would tell him so much. What was that she had seen in his eyes? Love too?

She let out a shaky breath and dropped her head into her hands.

But before she could gather her thoughts, a knock echoed through her apartment. It was soft, tentative, but it made her heart skip anyway.

She straightened up, heart racing again as she slowly opened the door, hoping it wasn't Hunter wanting to explain.

She feared she wouldn't be able to keep her emotions in check if it were him and she might just do something drastic.

Her heart skipped several beats when she opened the door and saw Hunter, standing just outside, looking as uncertain as she felt.

"Hunter?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"Ivy, I—I need to tell you something," he said, his voice low and steady but filled with an urgency she hadn't expected.

Ivy's stomach flipped. Tell me something? What was it? That he loved and wanted her as much as she wanted him? That had to be it. She thought looking deep into his eyes, her blue eyes holding all the emotions surging within her.

Unable to control herself, Ivy surged forward and kissed him again. This time, the kiss was more desperate, more consuming. She could feel the heat between them as she pressed herself against him, her hands threading through his hair.

Hunter froze for a second, as if caught off guard, but then his lips softened, and he kissed her back, a deep, urgent kiss that sent shivers down Ivy's spine. It was everything she had imagined and more.

Though he wanted to pull away and tell her about all the lies and deception he carried within him, the desperation in Ivy's kiss and the heat surging through their body made him vulnerable as all he could think about was making love to Ivy and not thinking about anything else.

Telling himself he'd tell her the next day, he kissed her and let his hands roam around her body and before Ivy knew it, they were in her bedroom.

The world outside seemed to fade away as they gave in to the heat and the undeniable chemistry that had been building between them for so long. Their hands moved frantically over each other, as if they couldn't get close enough, as if this moment was all that mattered to them.

Ivy woke up to the soft light of the morning streaming through the curtains. She blinked a few times, her head still fuzzy from the night before.

When she turned, she noticed that Hunter wasn't in bed. For a moment, panic shot through her as she thought he had left after having his way with her, but then she heard the sound of water running.

She then sighed, feeling relieved as she rubbed her face with her hands.

What did we do last night? She asked herself. But the answer didn't come right away.

The truth was, she had wanted him for so long—maybe even longer than she'd admitted to herself. But now? She wasn't sure what was going to happen.

What if everything changed between them? What if he didn't like her as much as she did and she had acted recklessly? Wasn't it what he was about to her the previous night?

She stood up, stretching as she made her way to the kitchen, where the smell of coffee and bacon filled the air.

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"Morning," she heard Hunter's voice call out from the kitchen. He was standing there, fully dressed in hus clothes from the night before, a calm expression on his face as he placed a plate of breakfast on the counter.

"Wow, you didn't have to do this," Ivy said, her voice filled with surprise. "But thank you. It smells amazing."

Hunter gave her a small smile. "I thought it might be nice to start the day off right."

Ivy looked at him, her heart swelling with affection. She wasn't sure what to make of this new, tender side of him. He was always confident, always composed and arrogant but this was different. He was here, doing things for her. For me.

She sat down at the table, watching him as he took a seat across from her. She had a million questions, but her thoughts kept coming back to last night and how it felt just right.

Before she could stop herself, the words tumbled out. "Hunter, last night... you wanted to tell me something. What was it?"

Hunter froze for a second, then took a deep breath. He ran his hand through his hair, looking down at her plate for a moment as if trying to figure out how to answer her.

He opened his mouth to speak, but then he hesitated, his expression softening as he looked up at her.

"Ivy," he began, his voice steady but filled with emotion. "I don't know how to say this, but... I love you," he said telling himself he'd tell her about his deceit some other time.

There was no way he was going to spoil their morning after with such heartbreaking news.

Ivy's heart stopped. She stared at him, unable to fully process his words at first. "What?" she whispered. "You... you love me?"

Hunter nodded, his eyes sincere. "I've fallen in love with you, Ivy. And I can't keep pretending that I don't feel it. Not anymore."

Ivy's breath caught in her throat. She hadn't expected this. She hadn't expected him to say it, at least not so soon. But hearing those words come from him felt like a weight being lifted off her chest.

She had spent so long denying her feelings, telling herself that it couldn't happen. But now? Now it was real and she was going to go for it.

"I love you too, Hunter," she finally said, her voice barely a whisper. "I've felt it for so long. It's just that you kept getting on my nerves and.... it doesn't matter anymore. I love you and I'm glad I didn't mess this up."

A smile broke across Hunter's face, and he reached across the table, taking her hand in his. "You didn't mess anything up, Ivy. This is real. What we have—it's real."

Ivy squeezed his hand, feeling a warmth in her chest that she hadn't known she needed. She had found something in him, in them, that she had never expected. Something that felt like it was meant to be.

They sat there for a moment, just enjoying the silence, the shared connection between them.

But then Ivy broke the silence, her eyes flicking to his outfit. "Why are you dressed, though?" she asked with a playful smile. "Aren't you going to have breakfast?"

Hunter chuckled, but there was a hint of reluctance in his voice. "I have to go to work. I can't slack off, even if I'm in love with my boss."

Ivy rolled her eyes. "You're ridiculous," she said with a laugh. "You don't have to go today, you know."

Hunter just smiled at her, his gaze softening. "I know. But I wouldn't feel right taking advantage of the fact that I'm in love with you. I have to work."

"You're a workaholic," Ivy teased, but there was no anger in her words. Just affection.

"I am," he admitted. "And I don't mind being one either, as long as it's you I'm working for."

Ivy watched as Hunter stood, walking toward the door. She couldn't help but feel a tug in her chest as he left, but she knew this was just the beginning.

As the door closed behind him, Ivy smiled to herself. She had found love when she least expected it—and this time, she was ready to embrace it fully.