She knew Jamison still hadn’t shaken off the shadow of that day.

No matter how many times she promised him, no matter how she tried to comfort him. Maybe if she let him kiss her, hold her close–maybe that would heal him more than any words ever could. But right now, that wasn’t an option.

Katrina let out a huff. “You’re being totally dramatic. Dr. Ludwig just cares about you–he’s worried, that’s why he sits up all night watching over you.”

Ivy sighed. “I know. He really loves me. I’m sure he wishes he could take all this pain away and bear it for me.”

“Long as you understand. Be good to Dr. Ludwig, okay?” Katrina set down the fruit platter, hesitating as she fixed her gaze on Ivy. It was clear she wanted to say something, but the words caught in her throat.

Ivy picked up on it instantly and turned to give her a look. “Alright, what’s going on with you today? Just spit it out. Is your mom’s illness getting worse?”

Katrina shook her head. “No. She’s still in treatment. It’s… not great, but not any worse.”

“Do you have enough money? I can have Jamison’s assistant transfer you some later.” Ivy assumed her best friend was short on cash but too embarrassed to ask, hence all the hemming and hawing.

“No, no, Ivy, it’s not about money.” Katrina waved her hands quickly, realizing Ivy had gotten the wrong idea. She hesitated for another couple of seconds, cheeks pink with embarrassment, before finally blurting out, “There’s just… something I’ve been keeping from you for a while. I think it’s time you knew.”

“What is it?” Ivy’s curiosity was instantly piqued. After lying in bed for more than half a month, her days had grown painfully dull–finally, something juicy to listen to. Katrina hadn’t even spoken, and already her cheeks were flushed, her expression bashful. “Well, it’s just… Naylor and I… I guess you could say we’re together now.”

“What?” Ivy nearly jumped, stunned. “You two–“ She was so shocked she couldn’t finish her sentence. That was fast! Not long ago, Katrina had been fretting about not knowing how to make a move. Now, suddenly, she’d made it happen?

“Wait, what do you mean by ‘together’? Are you saying you’re officially dating, or… did you two sleep together?” They were adults–relationships weren’t as simple as they used to be, and Ivy knew it.

Sure enough, Katrina’s cheeks went even redder, her eyes darting everywhere except at Ivy.

Knowing her best friend as well as she did, Ivy raised an eyebrow. “So you guys just slept together?”

“Yes.”

Ivy’s jaw dropped. If she wasn’t still recovering in bed, she might have leapt up and shaken Katrina by the shoulders. “What happened? Did you make the first move, or was it him?”

Katrina swallowed hard. “Remember how you told me to look for opportunities to get close to him? Well… my mom started her cancer treatment, and the bills were piling up. So I went to him.”

“Why didn’t you ask me for help?” Ivy blurted out. But as soon as the words left her mouth, she realized she was missing the point. Katrina had already explained–she needed a reason to approach Naylor.

“When I asked him for a loan, he wanted to know why I hadn’t turned to you. He said you’d definitely help me if I asked. I told him you’d already done so much, loaned me a lot of money, and I just couldn’t bring myself to ask again.”

Listening to this, Ivy was genuinely impressed. All Ivy had done was make a few subtle suggestions, and Katrina had run with them–expertly.

“I said I’d pay him back with interest, or… if he preferred, I could pay him back with… myself.”

“And that’s all it took for him to sleep with you?” Ivy was shocked all over again. That was awfully straightforward!

Chapter 667