Redemption

by Livia Lang

  "Oh, Ace. None of that was your fault. Come here," Martina said softly, wrapping herself around the hulking man, trying to encapsulate him in a hug. "That car accident was not your fault. There were a million things that could have gone wrong while she was driving, but none of them were about you. You were just being a normal kid; kids fight with their moms sometimes."

  "It's never felt okay. Everything since then everything has just felt…wrong," Ace whispered, burying his face in Martina's shoulder.

  "I know what you mean. Trauma can do that; it's normal and okay for you to struggle with feelings. Have you thought about talking to someone about what happened?"

  "I've only ever told you."

  Martina hugged Ace tighter, feeling the importance of such a confession. "And that was very brave. Thank you so much for trusting me. But maybe we could find you someone professional to talk to? I know finding a therapist can sound scary, but it was so helpful for me when I struggled with the stuff about my own mom."

  Ace shrugged. "Maybe. I'll think about this. But I'm sorry to lay all this on you. We only just started being friends, and then we kissed, and then I shower you with my crazy messed up past. I get it if you don't want to, like, do this anymore."

  "We've been together for two days." Martina grinned and kissed his cheek. "If this is as crazy as you get, I think I can live with it. But in all seriousness, I believe in you. You are a good man, and don’t deserve to hate yourself forever over this.”

  They were interrupted by the slam of a car door. Both of them snapped their heads up as the crunch of gravel sounded. A curvy, angry woman was storming up toward the house, her mouth set in a firm line. She pointed a finger at Ace.

  "You! I want to know what the hell you are playing at here."

  Ace looked at the woman with a mix of confusion and panic on his face. For good reason, because she looked ready to rip his dick off.

  Martina felt a stress headache beginning at the back of her skull. "Ace, I'm not sure if you remember my sister, Concetta. Looks like she has come to say hello."

  CHAPTER 17

  A ce took in the tiny hurricane in front of him. He hadn't seen Martina's sister in years, and even then it wasn't like they had talked much. However, he easily recognized the steely gaze that landed on him; Concetta was a force of nature and more than ready to pounce on him.

  "Hi, Concetta. It's nice to see you," he started, standing up to greet her.

  She snorted in reply. "I'm not here to play, Bennett. I want to know what the hell you think you’re doing to my sister. Did you not torture her enough in high school?"

  "Con, this is way out of line," Martina said sharply, also standing up.

  Ace put a hand on his girlfriend's shoulder, trying to reassure her. "Why don't you go inside? Concetta and I can take a walk and hash things out."

  Concetta's eyes zeroed in on his hand and narrowed. Ace had the realization that if she was an animal, she'd have already torn his jugular out. He kind of liked her style already.

  "I really don't think this is a good idea," Martina huffed. "Concetta needs to go home and cool off. We can all discuss things like adults later."

  "Don't worry. I'm a charming dude," Ace said, dropping his voice low. He ignored the way Martina rolled her eyes. "Just go in and relax. We'll be back soon." Ace gave Martina a final squeeze before jumping off the porch and walking toward Concetta. "Come on, let's go see the animals."

  The spitfire angrily stomped after him until they were some ways from the house. Only when he was sure that Martina was out of earshot did he turn to face Concetta. He braced for impact.

  "Are you playing a sick game with Martina? Because if you think something like this is funny, then you are an even bigger shithead than I thought." Concetta stood toe to toe with him, glowering up into his face.

  "How are you two even related? She’s a charming little mouse and you are a fucking tiger," Ace mused, shaking his head. "And no, I'm not playing games with Martina. I like her. Really, really like her."

  "Romantically? You like her?" Concetta looked unmoved. "After all the terrible teasing you put her through in high school, you've just decided that now you want to make out with her? Really?"

  Ace's stomach turned at the memory of what a dick he had been, but he kept his composure. "That's actually pretty much what happened, yeah. How did you hear about us anyway?"

  "The whole fucking town is buzzing about it! I had to hear Bruce talking about it in the grocery store. He went on and on about how he couldn’t believe his best friend could get bowled over by some nerdy woman. He talked about her like he’d never realized a woman could even have a brain! God, Martina dealt with enough of that as a kid, I can't believe that it's starting all over again now."

  "Nothing is starting over again. Did Bruce mention that part where I fucking knocked his ass out for talking shit about Martina? Because I did it once and I'm more than willing to do it again." Ace clenched his fists and looked back to the house. Martina was still standing on the porch, arms crossed in worry.

  Concetta's shoulders relaxed just a fraction. "You fought Bruce for Martina?"

  “I punched him. Hard.”

  She looked at Ace silently for a long moment before a small smile broke out on her lips. "I wish I could have seen that."

  Ace smiled back. "I won't lie; it might have been one of my greatest moments. Martina is still worried I'm going to mess up my probation because of it, but even if that happened it would still be totally worth it."

  "So you really do like her? You aren't just playing a prank on her, wanting to break her heart?"

  "Fuck yeah I like her! Martina is great. She's funny, and nerdy, and sweet. And for some stupid reason has the biggest heart in the world and has forgiven me for being a complete fuck up." Ace stuffed his hands in his pocket. "Yeah, I like her. I wish I was half the person she is."

  Concetta stuck her arm through his, and led him along the path. "You know, I think I'm starting to hate you a little bit less."

  Ace laughed. "Not bad for Day One. Give me another week and you'll be telling everyone how your sister has the coolest boyfriend in the world." He stumbled a bit on the word boyfriend, still feeling like it was a foreign concept.

  Concetta gave his arm a gentle punch. "You are already losing points again," she teased. "Knowing you are serious about Martina does make me feel a lot better, though. She could use some happiness in her life right now, and having you around might help lighten the load a bit. I've been so worried about her."

  "Because of the money issues with the sanctuary?"

  She nodded, gesturing around them. They were walking by an armadillo pen, where the little guy was frantically digging in the dirt. "Yeah, this is her life’s work. I know the pressure she's been under to keep it running, and I'm worried she'll just slip away if anything happens to this place. Losing this sanctuary might make her emotionally disappear."

  They stopped and watched the armadillo play in the dirt. It was completely oblivious to the world around it, and how its future hung so delicately by a thread. For the first, and probably last, time in his life, Ace wished he were an armadillo.

  "I think I can save the sanctuary," Ace said at last. He turned to Concetta and looked at her seriously. "Would you be willing to help me?"

  "How?"

  "Throw a party. If there is anyone in the world who knows about partying, it's me. In fact, that’s probably the only thing I really understand. So, I should embrace it. We'll get catering, a venue, and all the rich folks in town will want to come dance and drink. We'll price tickets outrageously, have an auction, you name it. Everything will go toward making the sanctuary's payments for the next six months."

  "We'll need more than six months," she said cautiously, although a light of understanding was coming into her eyes.

  "So we'll throw another party. And then another. We can make it work. Just tell me you'll help. Even if being around me will make you want to throw up." He shot her a cheeky grin and she sla
pped his arm again.

  "Ugh, fine. But are you telling Martina this grand plan?"

  Ace thought of Martina's brown eyes, full of trust. He didn't want to get his girlfriend's hopes up and then hurt her. As sure as Ace was of his plan, he needed to make sure it was foolproof before springing it on Martina. "Not yet. But soon."

  CHAPTER 18

  M artina pulled at the necklace around her neck. The fancy piece of jewelry felt foreign, considering she spent most of her time in jeans and muddy boots. God, she was even wearing a little black dress. How had she let herself getting talked into this?

  "Seriously, Ace. Where are you taking me? I’m getting nervous."

  Ace gave her a look from the corner of his eye, his lip curling slightly. However, he didn't answer. Instead he pointed to the stop sign ahead. "You need to turn left there. Then pull into the first parking lot."

  Martina grumbled about how much she hated secrets, but kept driving. She felt a pressure on her knee and quickly glanced down. Ace had placed his big palm comfortingly on it, which made Martina immediately relax. They'd only been dating a month at that point, and yet somehow Ace had become vital to helping Martin de-stress. Honestly, Martin hadn’t even been aware of how high-strung she was until Ace came into her life.

  She followed the driving instructions carefully, and soon pulled into a parking spot in front of a large brick building. She looked around in confusion, noting the football stadium, flagpole, and lines of lockers. "Wait, you’re taking me back to high school?"

  "You'll see. Come on, let's go to the gym."

  Ace hopped out of the car effortlessly, shooting a wide grin at Martina. He was wearing a green button down shirt that barely concealed his muscles, and black slacks that had been giving Martina heart palpitations all night. How could anyone's butt even look that good, Martina had mused more than once.

  Seeing Ace so dressed up, for possibly the first time in his life, was making Martina highly suspicious. And now that they were back in the last place she wanted to see, she was even more suspicious. Anxiously, she got out and followed her boyfriend toward the large metal doors at the front of the gym. But she stomped her feet in defiance the entire time.

  "I'm really not so sure about this," she muttered under her breath. "Why can't we just stay in and watch movies tonight like I suggested?"

  Ace stopped right in front of the door and put his hands on Martina's shoulders. "Do you trust me?" His eyes looked unflinchingly into Martina's, showing nothing but happiness.

  "Yes," Martina said, feeling the tension leave her body at Ace's touch. "You know I do."

  It was true. Their relationships had really blossomed over the past couple weeks and she felt closer than ever to him. He was kind and considerate to her, making her feel beautiful every day. She couldn’t find a reason in her heart to not completely trust him.

  He smiled lovingly at her. "Then let's go."

  Ace turned around and pushed open the gym doors with a flourish. Inside, a huge mass of people were waiting. As soon as they saw Martina, everyone began to holler and clap. It was completely deafening.

  Martina stood with her mouth open, trying to take in the spectacle in front of her. The entire gym had been decorated like a jungle. Green streamers hung from the rafters like vines, there were tons of potted plants and large ferns around the room, and a very large stuffed giraffe stood in one corner. In the middle of all the decorations was a dance floor surrounded by at least forty tables.

  Ace gently escorted her through the cheering crowd toward these tables. Martina noticed each one had a different framed photo of an animal on it, along with a large centerpiece of flowers wrapped in zebra print ribbon. One table had a picture of a large pig, the next a sunbathing wolf. As the creatures flashed by Martina suddenly was hit with a realization.

  "Wait, are these photos of my animals? I think I just saw Azul! Does this have something to do with the sanctuary?"

  Ace grinned at her, amusement written all over his face. "Once again you prove to be the smartest person I know. Yes, each table is fundraising for a different one of the sanctuary's animals. All night we are going to have pay-to-play raffles and games, with each table competing for prizes. Then there will also be a special auction to raise additional cash! Trust me, babe; when it's all over, you are going to be taking home a huge check for these critters."

  Martina's mouth dropped open. She couldn't even wrap her mind around how amazing this all was. They were fundraising for dozens of animals that night? And the gym was absolutely packed! The community support was beyond anything she would have ever dreamed. Had Ace somehow secretly planned all of this?

  Ace steered them to a small table which sat at the head of the dance floor. It only housed two chairs and didn't have a picture of an animal on it. Instead it had a large framed photo of Ace and Martina. It was a goofy shot, which Ace had made them take earlier that week. He'd claimed it was for his 'scrapbook', which in hindsight Martina realized should have been completely suspicious. There was no way Ace was the type of man to have a scrapbook.

  "Sit down, baby. I'm taking care of everything tonight and all you need to do is relax," Ace said, pulling out a chair and gesturing for Martina to sit.

  Around them, the rest of the crowd had gone back to having a good time. Music was playing from the DJ and couples were hitting the dance floor to get their groove on. Cheers were going up around the room as people began to play the various carnival games that were lined up against the walls. The entire party had a high-energy, fun vibe.

  As she gingerly sat down, Martina tried to hold back tears. She couldn't imagine all the work that had been put into this event. The catering, the table rentals, the invites – she had somehow been completely oblivious as a huge spectacle had been planned for her sanctuary.

  "You did all this for me?" she asked at last, the words coming out choked.

  Ace reached over and grabbed her hand tightly. "I had a lot of help. Especially from your sister." Ace pointed across the room to where Concetta was busting loose on the dance floor. "And my dad helped a lot too – the police department and their families make up at least half the guest list. They've donated a ton of money to the cause."

  "I don't even know what to say…"

  Martina was interrupted by a waiter who came by to put two heavily laden plates in front of them. A rich pesto pasta covered the dish, and by the smell of it, it was from her favorite restaurant in town. She looked at the food, then back up to Ace questioningly.

  "Yep, I got Michelangelo's to cater this," Ace said with a chuckle. "It's alright, you can tell me that I'm a miracle worker."

  "You're fucking amazing," Martina said, a huge smile spreading across her face. The shock had worn off and all she could feel now was the buzz of intense happiness. It was radiating from her chest, spreading across her body so quickly that she almost felt like she was on fire. "Why did you do all this?"

  "Because I love you." Ace said the words simply and firmly, dropping them like a heavy package between the two of them.

  Martina sucked in her breath, her cheeks becoming hot. She never thought she would hear anyone say those words, especially not the gorgeous man who sat across from her now. The man who had turned from childhood enemy to dreamboat boyfriend.

  But she knew he loved her. And she loved him. Every fiber of her being knew it, and every kiss they shared only sealed the deal. She had been a goner as soon as he had swaggered into her life.

  "I love you, too," she whispered.

  As she sat there in the gym, surrounded by a town trying desperately to save her sanctuary, she knew that only one man could ever make her happy. It was Ace, for all his cocky bravado, who completely owned her, body and soul. Perhaps he was always meant to be the keeper of Martina's heart, even from when they were angsty teenagers who didn't know how to express themselves. They had just needed to grow up a bit before they could make it work.

  Ace smiled lovingly at her, then cleared his throat. "And, there is an
other reason I did this. I realized that I needed to help pull my weight around here, too. I can't live with my father forever or have my girlfriend give me a job. I want to contribute to a life with you, not just be a parasite that lives off of your kindness and hard work. So, I thought about the things I excel at: having a good time, partying, relaxing, and smooth talking. All of those are a huge help in hospitality, and becoming an event coordinator just made sense. Not only can I do this to help the sanctuary, but I can also help other local charities plan their fundraising balls and stuff like that! This could be a real career for me, and a way to make you proud."

  "So you can party and help save the world all at once?" Martina smiled at Ace. He was so cute when he was excited like this.

  "Yes! It just feels like such a good decision, you know?"

  "It’s an amazing choice. Babe, I'm so proud of you!" Martina grabbed Ace's collar and pulled him close for a quick kiss. A series of hoots went up around the room as people saw their display of affection, and it made Martina blush horribly. "Oh man, maybe I shouldn't do that so openly," she whispered, backing off again.

  "Because you think I'm ashamed of you? Hell no. I want the entire world to know that I'm fucking crazy about you. Plus, I go back to the judge in just a couple days to be let off the work program, so I’m not too worried," Ace replied with a devilish grin. "Come on, let's give them something to really talk about!"

  Ace's strong hands were on her face, pulling her in for a passionate, long kiss. They sank into each other, their hands roving across each other's backs. Martina realized she was being claimed, and very publicly so. It warmed her heart, and she responded by kissing harder.