But Martha shook her head firmly, a faint crease forming between her brows as she spoke.
"I don't have a boyfriend," she said quietly. "I only said that because I was afraid Kael would continue to hate me if he thought there was someone else."
Hearing those words, Ivy let out a long sigh of relief.
A weight she hadn't fully realized she was carrying finally lifted from her chest.
Earlier, when she had revealed Kael's feelings to Martha, guilt had gnawed at her, the fear that she might be breaking apart an existing relationship lingering in the back of her mind.
Now, knowing there was no such person at all, her heart finally settled.
"That makes sense," Ivy said softly. "It was never about you lacking charm. You just built walls too high around your heart."
She paused, her gaze thoughtful.
"You were never brave enough to chase the people you truly liked," Ivy continued gently. "Not because you didn't care, but because you were afraid of being rejected."
