Beneath The Ashes - Chapter 13: Chapter 13

Ivy's POV
The sky had turned a soft shade of lavender, the last streaks of sunlight slipping below the horizon. The air smelled faintly of grass and evening dew, and the garden was quiet, except for the faint rustling of leaves in the breeze. The perfect time for a little mischief.
I pushed up onto my elbows, glancing at Jaxon and Vale sprawled lazily beside me on the grass. Their arms were folded behind their heads, eyes half-closed. I grinned. Time to stir things up.
"I'm bored," I announced, sitting up abruptly. "I'm gonna climb that tree."
"Mm-hmm," Vale hummed absentmindedly, waving a hand in the air. "You do that."
Jaxon let out a noncommittal grunt. "Knock yourself out."
I rolled my eyes, hopping to my feet and brushing the grass off my jeans. They clearly weren't paying attention. Perfect.
I sprinted toward the tallest tree in the garden, its thick branches reaching high into the darkening sky. The bark was rough against my fingers as I grabbed the lowest branch and hauled myself up, heart pounding with excitement.
It wasn't until I was halfway up that Vale's voice cut through the air.
"Wait... WHAT?!"
I glanced over my shoulder to see them scrambling to their feet, their eyes wide with panic.
"Are you seriously climbing that tree?!" Vale shouted, already marching toward me.
"Yup!" I called back cheerfully, gripping a higher branch and swinging my leg over it.
"Get down! It's getting dark!" Jaxon barked, his voice sharp with irritation. "You're gonna fall and break your neck!"
I giggled, reaching for the next branch. "I've been climbing trees since I was little. I love seeing the world from up high." The wind tugged at my hair, and I inhaled deeply, savoring the crisp evening air. "It makes me feel free."
Vale cursed under his breath. "Massimo's gonna kill you."
"Massimo's gonna kill us," Jaxon corrected, glaring up at me. "I swear, if you fall, I'm not catching you."
"Such a gentleman." I laughed, pulling myself higher. The view was already beautiful, the garden stretching out below me in soft shadows.
"You know," Jaxon called up, his tone dry, "Massimo would get you a damn helicopter if you wanted to see the view. No need to risk your life."
I paused, glancing down at him with a playful smirk. "Where's the fun in that?"
Vale threw his hands up. "You're insane."
"Come up here, then! The view is amazing!" I called down, waving for them to follow.
"Yeah, no thanks." Vale folded his arms. "I am not suicidal "
Jaxon scoffed. "I'll pass."
"Well... suit yourselves." I shrugged, shifting my weight onto the next branch.
Then, feeling particularly mischievous, I deliberately let my foot slip. I gasped loudly, flailing my arms before catching another branch at the last second.
"IVY!"
Jaxon and Vale shouted in unison, their voices panicked. They rushed forward, eyes wide with horror, only for me to burst into laughter.
"You should've seen your faces!" I giggled, gripping the branch tightly as I rocked with laughter.
"You little —" Vale clenched his jaw, pacing back and forth like a caged animal. "That wasn't funny!"
"Could've fooled me," I teased, climbing even higher. "C'mon, loosen up. Live a little!"
Jaxon groaned, running a hand down his face. "Why did we agree to watch her?"
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I just grinned and continued upward. The view got better the higher I climbed — I could see the entire estate from here, the house sprawling below . The wind brushed against my face, tugging at my hair. I felt weightless, free.
The sound of the back door creaking open caught my attention, followed by heavy footsteps crossing the lawn. I glanced down and spotted three familiar figures making their way toward us. Massimo, Zayn, and Declan.
"Oh boy," I whispered to myself, watching them approach. As I lowered myself so I could hear what are they saying.
"What the hell is going on?" Massimo's voice was a low growl, his sharp gaze sweeping over Vale and Jaxon, who both looked guilty as hell.
Jaxon scratched the back of his neck. "Uh... she's in the tree."
Massimo blinked. "What?"
"Up there," Vale muttered, jabbing a finger upward.
All three brothers tilted their heads back, eyes squinting against the fading sunlight. When they finally spotted me, Zayn's face split into a grin.
"No freaking way." He burst out laughing. "She's a badass monkey."
Massimo pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering something under his breath. "And this is why I told her no adventures."
Declan, on the other hand, paled. "She's way too high." His voice was tight, his usual calm slipping into something close to panic. "What if she falls?"
"I'm fine!" I called down cheerfully, waving at them with one hand.
Massimo's jaw tightened. "Ivy." His tone was low and commanding, the kind of voice that made you sit up straight and listen. "Climb. Down. Now."
I sighed, glancing around one last time before starting my descent. "You guys are such party poopers."
Each step down was as easy as climbing up. My fingers curled around branches, my feet finding familiar holds. As I got closer to the ground, I noticed all five brothers watching me with varying degrees of horror and fascination.
When I was about ten feet from the ground, I got an idea.
"Catch me!" I called out.
"What?!" Vale yelped.
Before they could react, I pushed off the last branch, launching myself into the air. I heard a chorus of curses, and then —
"Oof!"
I landed squarely on Vale and Jaxon, knocking them both flat on their backs with a loud thud. We hit the grass in a tangle of limbs, their grunts of pain making me wince.
"Jesus Christ," Jaxon wheezed. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
Vale groaned, rubbing the back of his head. "I think I'm concussed."
I rolled off them, lying on the grass and bursting into laughter. The sound bubbled out of me, loud and unrestrained. Slowly, the others joined in. Zayn's laugh was loud and unapologetic, Massimo's more of a low chuckle, and even Declan let out a soft snort.
Jaxon shoved me playfully. "You're insane."
Vale shook his head, but a small grin tugged at his lips. "Completely."
I beamed up at the sky, the warmth of their laughter wrapping around me like a blanket.