Beneath The Ashes

Ivy's POV

It's been two weeks since they left.

Fourteen whole days without Xavier's presence. At first, I counted each hour like a kid waiting for Christmas morning. But now... I'm just trying to hold on to the little things that keep me steady.

They were supposed to be gone a week.

Just a simple deal, they said.

But the work got extended into more. Negotiations shifted, meetings multiplied, and suddenly, the days started bleeding together. He said Massimo will explain more.

But Xavier updates me every day without fail. Voice notes, long messages, pictures of the food he eats—usually followed by a comment like "wish you were here to yell at me for skipping veggies."

And if I take too long to reply? He calls. No hesitation.

"Amor," he always says with that rough, sleep-deprived voice, "you good? You didn't reply for two hours—"

Sometimes, I pretend like he's being dramatic, and I'll tease him a little, but inside? It makes me feel loved. Watched over. Important.

Felipe is no better—he sends me memes with dramatic captions like "Miss your cupcakes. I'm dying. Send frosting now." I reply with "Make it yourself." And he sends crying gifs like he's been abandoned.

Their absence isn't as loud as it used to be, but it's still there.

My brothers have all gone back to their routines. Mornings start early. Some days, they're all gone for meetings or fieldwork, sometimes only one or two leave. But not once have they left me completely alone. One of them always stays—always.

Declan sometimes just sits quietly with his laptop in the corner of the room while I study. Massimo brings his tablet and reads files next to me on the patio. Zayn plays music while he cooks us lunch.

Vale usually distracts me with wild stories from their younger days, and Jaxon pretends to be nonchalant but always ends up dragging a blanket over my shoulders when I fall asleep studying.

I have given all of them charms necklace, keeps me at somewhat peace when they goes out for work.

Lily's been a huge help with my college work too. Even though I'm attending online , she video calls every few days to help me through assignments. I miss campus sometimes. The library. The random laughter in corridors. The annoying vending machine that never worked.

Lily said, "I miss you during lectures."

And I told her, "Don't worry. I'll be back next semester. I promise."

It felt nice to say that. Like I had something to look forward to.

Present Day — Sunday Morning

Sun rays pours into the living room like honey, golden and warm, casting a soft glow across the marble floor. Sunday mornings are sacred here now. It's one of the only days everyone's home.

Which is why I decided it was the perfect time for a little art therapy.

"Okay, competition rules," I announced, placing three small canvases in front of Zayn, Jaxon, and Vale. "No copying. No peeking. No giving up halfway."

Zayn groaned dramatically. "Ivy, I'm an artist of charm, not paint."

"Then bring the charm onto the canvas," I grinned.

Jaxon rolled his eyes. "If this ends with glitter in my hair again, I'm walking out."

Vale had already mixed two shades of blue. "Watch and learn, peasants."