Chapter 11

Ivy stood up from the plush, white sheets of Dario's penthouse bed, her heart pounding in her chest. She couldn't believe what had just happened between them, the intense connection they shared leaving her breathless and dizzy. But as she looked at the clock on the nightstand, panic set in.

"Oh my God, Max!" she exclaimed, running her hands through her tousled hair.

Dario sat up, a look of concern on his face. "What's wrong? Is everything okay?"

"I completely forgot," she said, her voice strained. "Max and I were supposed to go on a date tonight. He's waiting for me at the train station."

"A date? Is there something going on between you and Max?" Dario asked, his tone serious.

"Dario, you have no right to ask me about my plans with Max," she said, her voice firm.

Dario looked at her, his expression darkening. "What do you mean I have no right? You're seeing another man behind my back, Ivy. I have every right to know what's going on."

Ivy felt a flash of anger rise within her, fueled by the hurt and betrayal she felt. 

"First of all, we're not a thing! And secondly, what about your girlfriend, Dario?" she asked, her voice rising. "Do you have any right to be with me while you're still with her?"

Dario looked at her, his eyes narrowing. "That's different, Ivy. I told you, it's complicated," he said, his tone defensive.

Ivy shook her head, feeling a surge of frustration. "No, it's not different, Dario. You can't have it both ways. If you want to be with me, then you have to end things with her. And if you're not willing to do that, then you have no right to question me about my plans with Max."

Dario looked at her, his eyes narrowing. "That's different, Ivy. I told you, it's complicated," he said, his tone defensive.

Ivy shook her head, feeling a surge of frustration. "No, it's not different, Dario. You can't have it both ways. If you want to be with me, then you have to end things with her. And if you're not willing to do that, then you have no right to question me about my plans with Max."

Dario looked at her, his face clouded with indecision. Ivy knew that he was struggling with his feelings for her, but she also knew that she couldn't keep living in this limbo, waiting for him to make a choice.

Ivy's heart was pounding in her chest as she hastily adjusted her clothes and hair. Her mind was racing with a mix of emotions - anger and frustration. 

She picked up her bag from the ground and turned to Dario. "I'm leaving," she said, her voice strained.

"Ivy, wait."

But Ivy wasn't in the mood for any more of Dario's games. She stormed past him towards the door, her heels clicking on the floor as she walked. "No, Dario," she said firmly. "I can't keep doing this. You have a girlfriend, and I have a date with Max."

Dario looked at her, his eyes darkening with anger. "So, that's it? You're just going to walk out of here and go see him?"

Ivy turned to face him, her eyes flashing. "Yes, Dario. That's exactly what I'm going to do. I can't keep being a part of this mess. You have to figure out what you want, and I have to figure out what I want. And right now, what I want is to go see Max and forget all of this."

With that, Ivy stormed out of the penthouse, her heels echoing through the hallway as she walked.

As Ivy stepped out of the penthouse, she reached into her bag and retrieved her phone. She felt a pang of guilt as she saw the numerous missed calls and messages from Max.

Ivy's heart sank as she realized that she had stood him up, and she knew that she had a lot of explaining to do. With trembling fingers, she dialed his number, hoping that he would answer.

After a few rings, Max finally answered. "Ivy, where are you? I've been trying to call you all night."

Ivy took a deep breath, trying to steady her voice. "I'm sorry, Max. I got held up."

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. Ivy could hear the frustration and disappointment in Max's voice as he spoke. "Ivy, you promised me we would go out tonight. I cleared my schedule for you."

Ivy felt a lump form in her throat as she realized how much she had hurt Max. "I know, Max. And I'm sorry. Something came up."

Max sighed heavily. "Is everything okay? Do you need me to come get you?"

Ivy shook her head, even though Max couldn't see her. "No, I'm fine. I just...I need some time to think."

There was another pause, and then Max spoke softly. "Ivy, is there something you need to tell me? Something that's been bothering you?"

Ivy hesitated, unsure of how much she should reveal to Max.

Ivy realized that she couldn't tell Max the whole truth about why she was late for their date. She didn't want to raise any suspicions.

"I'm fine, Max," she said, trying to sound as reassuring as possible. "I just had a bit of an emergency to deal with, but it's taken care of now. I'm so sorry I stood you up. I promise I'll make it up to you."

Max was quiet for a moment, and Ivy could tell that he was still processing everything she had told him. "Okay, Ivy," he finally said. "Just...let me know if there's anything I can do to help."

Ivy felt a pang of guilt in her chest as she realized how much Max cared for her. She knew that she didn't deserve his kindness, but she was grateful for it nonetheless.

"Thank you, Max," she said softly. "I'll talk to you soon, okay?"

"Okay," Max replied, his voice hesitant. "Take care of yourself, Ivy."

With that, Ivy hung up the phone and took a deep breath. She knew that she had a lot to think about, but for now, she just needed to focus on getting through the rest of the night. She slung her bag over her shoulder and hailed a taxi, determined to put some distance between herself and the mess she had made of her life.