Ivy looked out to the sea as she was being egged by everyone. She looked at them all. She cracked a smile and groaned at being convinced to do it. She took off her t-shirt and shorts as her bikini was underneath. It took a few moments for Nate to admire her body. Ivy pushed him "Eyes up here" she didn't say it out of embarrassment, she said it because Jesus was burning eyes into Nate's head. Nate looked down to Jesus who was cracking his knuckles. Nate laughed nervously and patted Jesus on the back. He knew how strong Jesus was and it was likely Jesus could give him a fair ass kicking.

Callie lent Ivy a bobble, as she propped up her hair she revealed two more tattoos. Two that no-one knew about before. The first one was on the back of her neck, it was a rather small black tree that had no leaves on it apart from six that were falling off it. The second one was on her right shoulder at the top, it was a quote that said
'Family, like branches on a tree, we all grow in different directions yet our roots remain as one' When Nate saw that he looked and her and smiled but she didn't notice.

"Whoa!" The kids stood up and examined them. Ivy stood there "Uh you guys done?"

"Ivy these are awesome is..." Jesus put his finger on the quote tattoo "Is that?"

"About you guys? Yes" Ivy looked to Callie and Jude "That means you two aswell" she then gave them a wink.
"I can't believe you're making me do this"

"What's so bad about the water? You used to love it"

"You think you can do that to my car?! I'll teach you a fuckin' lesson, I'm fuckin' gonna drown you and leave your cold body for your step-daddy to find"

Ivy rubbed her eyelids "Yeah I know, I suppose it'll be good to get back in"
"Yeah go!" Mariana nudged her. Ivy looked to her and then began to go to the water. She ran towards the water, her feet sinking in the wet sand. She looked down to the water.

"I...CAN'T BREATHE...STOP IT-"

Ivy took a deep breath and walked further into the water. As the rest watched her from a far, Jesus noticed her hesitation and commented "Do you know why she is hesitating getting in the water?" he asked anyone listening. And they all were, and they were all asking the same question.

"You saw that too?!" Mariana slapped his shoulder.

"Maybe she's nervous?" Jude said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Maybe" Nate shrugged back, he stared to her and tilted his head "Or maybe..."

"What?" they all asked him at the same time. Nate didn't want to worry to them, but he didn't want to lie to them either. He looked to them.
"There...there is a lot she doesn't like to talk about from when she was in San Francisco"

"Yeah but are there even beaches there?"

"Well yeah I'm pretty sure...but I wasn't exactly thinking of a beach, like maybe something happened-I dunno she's been through a lot from what I have heard about her mom and step-dad but I'm sure you know"

"Actually...we don't" Callie admitted speaking for them all. Nate looked to them confused, Callie nodded "Like you said there is a lot she doesn't like to talk about"
Nate nodded and looked back to Ivy. She was still standing there. Ivy looked out and couldn't do it. She slowly turned back around and began to walk back slowly, Nate sighed through his nostrils and mumbled "Well that's not right"

"So what about her step-dad?" Mariana asked.

"She told me that he could be an ass at times and then really nice to her, he was protective of her but it wasn't necessary him it was his friends, he and his friends were druggies and they used to come over to the apartment...that's all she would say about it" He quickly shut up as she came close enough for her to hear them.

"What happened?" Jesus raised his arms up, Ivy laughed "Waters too cold"

"Seriously?" Callie asked since it was so warm. "Yeah may not look it but it is"

Bit licked her bottom lip as she finished that sentence and it did not go unnoticed to Nate. A little later on, Jesus was sunbathing but didn't dare to take his vest off, Callie and Jude didn't know about the tattoo and he was scared that they could let it slip. Mariana was doing the same with her music in, humming along to it. Whilst Callie was helping Jude build a sand kingdom.

Nate came back from a swim, he asked Ivy to come with him but she past, she just watched him. When he came back, she threw him a towel and he sat next to her "So, you gonna tell me or?"

"What're you talking about" she knew what he was talking about.

"Come on Ives, I know for a fact that water was warm, I knew you were lying by the way you licked your bottom lip after you said it was cold, you always do that when you are lying"

"I don't want to talk about it"

"You never do, not yesterday or Friday or even when you were in San Francisco-"

"I get it Nathan" That's when he knew he was walking on thin ice, but he needed to push her "Let me understand"

"I don't want you to..."

"Ivy will you please just!-"

"He tried to kill me? Okay? Happy now?" Ivy turned to him and snarled, she tried to say it quiet for Jesus, Mariana, Callie and Jude not to hear. Nate gulped heavily
"What the hell are you talking about" he whispered grabbing hold of her hand softly, Ivy shook her head and closed her eyes, a tear fell down from her cheek that Nate quickly wiped away with his thumb.

"A friend of Dylan's he-one day he tried to feel me up, he touched me up and...I smashed his car up for him touching me"

"Yeah you told me this, you got him arrested"

"That's just what I told you and my aunts, yes he got thrown in jail...but it didn't necessary happen the way I said it did"

"Why did you lie? Well not lie I mean twist it?"

"Because the truth is how I almost died, the truth is why I can't get in the water" Ivy raised her arm to motion the sea as she spoke with more tears falling down her face. Ivy wiped her face with her wrists and sniffled.
"It happen about two days after I smashed up Eddie's car..."

I was home alone, Kath and Dylan were at their lay paying jobs whilst I was at home. It was like he knew, in fact he did know. I was in my room as usual, for my bath to be done. A knock at the door went, when I opened it I thought Kath or Dylan forgot something but I was wrong...It was Eddie. He was pissed, clearly, I tried to shut the door on him but that son of a bitch was strong, he kicked the door open and grabbed me from behind...his arm was wrapped around my chest and his other was wrapped around my waist so there was literally no escape from him, sure I kicked and yelled but nothing. I said 'What the hell do you think you're doing' and he said 'You think you can do that to my car?! I'll teach you a fuckin' lesson, I'm fuckin' gonna drown you and leave your cold body for your step-daddy to find' clearly Eddie and Dylan had fallen out over the car smashing, so he took my into the bathroom, and my bath was full. I don't know why he even thought of going in the bathroom but he did. He stopped the bath from over flowing and began to dunk my head in the water...to drown me. I told him to stop as he raised my head every now and then to scream abuse that I couldn't breathe...

"Luckily he didn't get the chance to actually kill me since Dylan walked in and found him doing it, Dylan grabbed him and beat him black and blue, I fell unconscious but Dylan did CPR and I was okay but..."

"But you can't get in the water because you're scared of drowning" Nate said with his bottom lip wobbling ever now and then. It was really getting to him, and what scared him the most is that this was only one of many things she had to go through. Ivy nodded still wiping falling tears "I just feel that he's going to jump up from the water and drag me under"

"It'll never happen, baby"

"But I still fear it, even if I know it won't happen"

"Hey, look at me"

She looked to him, he gave her a little reassuring smile "I got you"

She gave a grateful smile and rubbed his hand that was locked her hers.
"I know you do"

"So on another note, what about these tattoos ey, story behind them?" He was trying to change the subject to try and make her less upset. She cracked a tiny smile "Well, the quote is clearly about my family but so is the tree, you see the tree is empty because it has lost its remaining leaves, it shows that the tree has lost the very important parts that makes it what it is, and there are six leaves...I am the tree and the leaves are Stef, Lena, Jesus, Mariana even Brandon...and you, because you guys were the most important things that I had lost" Nate smiled and felt so moved, he kissed her softly "That's beautiful...I mean totally depressing but still beautiful" she smiled with his face close to his. Nate laid down on the sand and raised his eyes-brows "Come on, lets cuddle on the sand like the good old days" he was trying his best to cheer her up, and it was working. She giggled and lay down next to him. She turned her head to look at him
"How did I ever get through them five year without you?"

"I could ask you the same question" he then kissed her hand and gave her a wink.

Jesus opened her eyes and looked over to them, he saw both Nate and Ivy had their eyes closed. He slowly and sneakily stood up trying to to wake Mariana or Ivy and Nate, he walked away a little bit "Where are you going?" Callie asked as her and Jude were looking at him. Jesus shown his phone
"Gotta call Hayley"

He flat out lied. He called someone else.
*beep beep...beep beep*
"Hi baby"

"Mom"

"Jesus"

"There's something you and mama need to know...about Ivy"

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