“Is this because of that bodyguard you were making a fool of yourself with the other night? Please tell me that you’re smarter than that. He doesn’t care about you, not like I do.”
It was funny that in his attempt to put Ace down he’d actually said something that worked in Ace’s favor. She hoped and prayed that if Ace cared about her, it was nothing like the way that Mason did. Mason only wanted her when it benefited him. He wanted her on his terms. He wanted her to be a prop in his life. He wanted her to be seen and not heard. That wasn’t the way she ever wanted to be cared about again.
She wasn’t going to explain that to him though, it would be a waste of breath. “Goodbye, Mason.”
When she tried to shut the door, he pushed it open and forcibly stepped inside. “Listen, just hear me out—”
“No.” She lifted her arms to try to block him from entering but he continued forward, knocking her hands down as he did.
She stumbled over her own feet and instinctively her eyes shut as she braced herself to land on the hard tile. Instead she felt an arm wrap around her waist and her feet leave the floor. The next thing she knew she was standing behind a wall of muscle that she immediately recognized as Ace’s back.
It took her a second before she realized he had Mason by the throat and was walking forward, forcing her ex out of the house. When both men were outside, Ace dropped his hand from its choke hold and it was Mason’s turn to stumble backwards.
“If you touch her again, it will be the last thing you do.” Ace’s voice was calm, deadly calm as he spoke.
Mason was able to regain his balance before ending up flat on his ass. When he stood straight again he threw the flowers that he still held in his hand down on the ground. “Is that a threat? Are you threatening me?”
Instead of answering him, Ace turned and walked back in the house and shut the door.
“Are you okay?” he asked, concern radiating off of him as he ran his hands up and down her arms, his eyes scanning her from head to toe.
“Am I okay?” she echoed as she snapped out of her momentary shock at what had just unfolded and shook her head slightly. “I’m fine. Are you okay?!”
Ace nodded but she could see that the exertion had taken a toll on him. His shoulders slumped slightly and there was sheen of sweat on his forehead. She needed to get him back to bed, check his wound, and give him pain medicine.
She ducked under his arm and draped it over her shoulder as she snaked her arm around his lower back. “Come on, let’s go.”
He didn’t argue and even leaned on her as they made their way down the hall. When they got to her bed, his breathing had become labored and he’d lost all the color in his skin. He’d hurt himself for her, to protect her.
The correct response would probably be to thank him, instead she heard herself lecturing him. “You didn’t need to do that. I was fine. Mason’s harmless, he just gets like that sometimes. He’s used to getting his—”
“Don’t,” he said through clenched teeth as he lay back on the pillow. “Don’t do that. He’s not harmless. You told him to leave, that he wasn’t welcome and he pushed his way into your house. That’s not harmless.”
She stared down at him for a moment as what he said sunk in. Ace was right. She’d always made excuses for Mason. When he’d told her what to wear, she’d justify it by telling herself it was because he wanted her to look nice. When he’d told her what to eat, she’d justify it by telling herself it was because he cared about her health. When he’d told her what not to say around his family and friends, she’d justified it by telling herself it was because he’d wanted them to like her.
But that wasn’t the truth.
The truth was Mason was a controlling bully and she’d been attracted to him because for once someone was paying attention to her. For once someone “cared” about her. For once someone wanted to “take care” of her. She’d believed that she loved him, but the truth was she’d loved the thought of someone loving her.
If she really wanted to take a fearless inventory, this was a good place to start.
“You’re right, it wasn’t harmless. Thank you…for everything.” Stephanie lifted Ace’s shirt and peeled back the bandage that was soaked in blood. His wound was inflamed and she cleaned it before placing a clean dressing on it.
“Can I ask you something?” Ace flinched as he lifted his shoulder.
“Sure,” she said as she adjusted his pillows to give him more support.
“He said that he knew you were grieving. What was he talking about?”
She and Ace hadn’t had much time to talk since he’d been back. This was by far the most lucid he’d been since coming home from the hospital. He was the only person she’d wanted to talk about it with since she’d gotten the call, she just hadn’t pictured it happening like this, him lying in her bed recovering from a gunshot wound.
“My dad died.”
“I’m so sorry.” He lifted his left arm. “Come here.”
As much as she wanted to, she shook her head. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“I need to hold you. Come here,” he repeated.
And so she did. She climbed into bed and snuggled up against his good side. His hand ran up and down her back and she closed her eyes and absorbed his strength. This was what she’d wanted from the second he’d left, to be in his arms again. She felt like nothing could hurt her there. It was the safest place in the world and she never wanted to leave.
* * *
Ace waited for her to say something, to explain what happened, as he held her close to him. His mind was reeling. Losing her father must’ve been why she’d lost weight and had dark circles under her eyes. He couldn’t imagine what she must be feeling. He wanted to take away all of her pain.
She shifted so that her cheek was lying flat against his chest and he wondered if she could feel his heart pounding like the drumbeat in a fast-paced rock song. It was still racing from the adrenaline that had surged through him when he’d seen Mason push past her. He’d wanted to kill him. Not hurt him, not threaten him, kill him. He’d never felt that kind of blind rage before. But it had all disappeared the second that he turned around and saw her standing in the doorway. In an instant all of the anger boiling in him dissolved and was replaced with…love.
She was the light in his darkness and he was drawn to her in ways even he didn’t understand. She was the good to his evil. She truly was an angel in a world filled with demons.
As they laid together, her body molded to his, he tried not to think about what would’ve happened if he hadn’t been there to stop Mason from coming in the house. It didn’t matter because he was there and he wanted to keep being there for her. He wanted to be the one that was there to catch her if she fell.
He’d never met anyone so selfless, so giving, so caring. Over the past few days she’d taken him into her home, fed him and taken care of him and he wanted, no needed, to do the same for her.
After several minutes of silence he asked, “Do you want to talk about it?”
“There’s not really anything to say.” Her shoulder shrugged. “He had a heart attack and died.”
“When?”
“A few weeks ago. His attorney called me to let me know the morning you left.”
“I’m so sorry. I know this is a stupid question, but are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” She snuggled in closer to him.
That wasn’t true, she wasn’t fine, but he didn’t want to push her. If she wanted to talk, he would listen. If not, he had to respect that. From the little bit he knew of her life, she’d had to handle things on her own, alone. All he could do was be there for her and hope to earn her trust so that she would realize she didn’t have to do that anymore. She wasn’t alone.
As he continued rubbing her back, he noticed that his own breathing had slowed to match hers as they laid together, inhaling and exhaling slowly in and out in perfect sync. Just like when they’d made love, it was like their bodies knew each
other, like they had their own silent language.
Time suspended as they lay in silence. Ace knew that this was what everyone searched for. It was intimacy. True intimacy. He would do anything to protect it and to protect her.
He wanted to tell her how he was feeling but knew it had to wait. She needed rest. When he was sure that she’d fallen asleep he closed his own eyes.
Before he drifted to sleep, he heard her continuing, “Or at least I should be fine. I didn’t know him, not really. I hadn’t seen him since I was six. He was nothing to me. He left. He didn’t want any part of this family. I shouldn’t care that he’s gone. So then, why do I?” Her voice shook and he looked down to discover tears falling down her cheek. “He doesn’t deserve me being sad. He doesn’t deserve any tears over losing him.”
“You’re right. He doesn’t, but you do.” Ace tightened his hold on her, hoping that she would feel his strength, his support. “You deserve to grieve. Your father chose not to be a part of your family, not you. You didn’t decide that you wanted to grow up without a dad. That choice was made for you. I’m sure that you always wished that he’d have made a different choice. That he’d have chosen you and your brother and sister.
“Maybe that’s what you’re grieving. Maybe you’re not crying over the loss of a man you didn’t know and didn’t deserve you. Maybe you’re crying over the loss of hope in that wish ever coming true.”
Her only response was a nod of her head against his chest as a sob escaped her. Ace ran his fingers through her hair and rubbed her back as she cried. He resisted the intense urge to tell her that everything was going to be okay or to try to fix it. He remembered his Grandma Lulu used to say that having a good cry was the best therapy in the world. She used to say that a lot of people could be a good sounding board, but few knew how to be a good crying board. She’d said that one of the greatest gifts her late husband had given her was a shoulder to cry on. He wanted to give that gift to Stephanie even if seeing her this upset, this devastated, broke his heart into a million pieces.
When her tears finally subsided, she lifted her head as she wiped beneath her eyes. “I’m so sorry. I can’t believe I did that.”
“You don’t have anything to apologize for.” He brushed a stray piece of hair that was stuck to her damp cheek off her face and tucked it behind her ear.
Her red-rimmed eyes were filled with wonder as she sniffed. “I think that you missed your calling.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, instead of being a professional badass, maybe you should’ve been a therapist.”
He loved that he never knew what Stephanie was going to say next. A smile tugged at his lips. “Professional badass?”
“That’s what it says on your cards, right?” she teased. “Need protection? For a professional call one eight hundred B-A-D-A-S-S.”
He laughed, but immediately regretted it when pain surged through him. His jaw locked and he hissed as he sucked in a sharp breath. Stephanie started to pull away from him, but he held her in place. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You’re not.”
She hesitated briefly, searching his eyes, before lying back down. Just as they were getting settled he heard a buzz of vibration beside him. He turned his head to the left and saw his phone, lighting up on the nightstand. He hadn’t noticed it before. Stephanie must’ve plugged it into a charger.
“It’s been ringing a lot,” she explained. “I wasn’t sure if I should answer it. I didn’t know if there was someone I needed to call.”
He looked at the number. “It’s just my brother.”
She started to get up again, but again he held her in place. Confusion swirled in her golden brown stare. “Don’t you want to get it?”
“No.” The buzzing stopped and he admitted, “I haven’t talked to my parents or brother for over six months.”
“Oh.”
She didn’t ask why, but he could hear the question in her voice. Ace was a private person. It took him years before he trusted someone, and even then he only did to a certain extent. But, Stephanie was different. He wanted her to know him. All of him.
The only way that was ever going to happen was if he let her in. It was scary because he already knew she had the power to obliterate him. But he’d never let fear stop him in the past and he wasn’t going to start now.
He took a deep breath and started talking. He told her about his childhood. How he never felt like he fit in with his parents’ socialite lifestyle. How he and his brother were never close. He told her about his Grandma Lulu and how close they were, what an important person she’d been in his life. He told her how devastated he’d been when he’d lost her. He told her about joining the Marines instead of going to an Ivy League school like his parents had wanted. He told her about Kendall. How they’d run into each other in Vegas and gotten engaged. He told her about the infamous Facetime call. He told her about the magazine article where his parents were quoted as saying they thought Kendall and Grant were perfect for each other and that she had ultimately made the right choice in brothers.
Unlike Tank, who wanted Ace to kick his brother’s ass, she didn’t judge him or his family. She just listened and added insights that he never would’ve considered. She made him see things in ways he never would’ve. They talked and talked and talked.
When they finished and were all talked out, a wave of exhaustion pulled him under its grip and his side throbbed painfully, but it was worth it. He’d never felt closer to another person.
Seeing his discomfort, Stephanie placed the back of her hand on his forehead, presumably checking for a fever. “You should get some rest. Let me get your pain medicine.”
“No.” He knew that it was time to take it again, but he didn’t want it. “I don’t need it.”
He thought for a moment she was going to argue with him, but instead she just laid her head back on his chest. As he ran his fingers through her hair he inhaled the fruity and fresh scent that wafted through the air. She snuggled closer to him and he was reminded again that this was all he needed. That all he needed was her.
Chapter 15
“Do you and my sister play naughty nurse and bad patient?”
Ace opened his eyes and sliced them towards the direction the voice had come from. Simone was seated beside the bed. Her arms and legs were crossed. He didn’t have to be a body language expert to see that she was in a defensive pose.
“Sorry I woke you up.” Her sarcastic tone indicated that the apology wasn’t sincere. “I don’t know how long my sister is going to be gone and I have some questions I want answered.”
“Did she get called in to work?” When he’d fallen asleep, she’d been in his arms. Waking up with her gone felt wrong.
“No. She had to go see Scott. I was here doing laundry when she got the call and she told me to check on you before I leave.”
“I’m okay.” He didn’t think that was actually what she was doing and if it was, her bedside manner left a lot to be desired.
“Good, but that’s not why I’m in here.”
“Okay.” He figured they might as well cut to the chase. “You have questions.”
“Yes.” She nodded.
“I’m not sure I have answers.” He didn’t kiss and tell, but even if he did there was no way in hell he would have that conversation with Stephanie’s little sister.
Undeterred by his reluctance, Simone clapped her hands in front of her enthusiastically. “Yes. You do have answers and I want them. First off, are you using my sister?”
Glancing at the clock he saw that it had been over twenty-four hours since he’d taken his last pain pill, but his head still felt like he was under the influence. He wasn’t thinking clearly. His mind felt blurry. If he could reschedule this Q&A he would, but judging from Simone’s demeanor, he didn’t think that was an option. His best bet was to get this over with as quickly as possible. “Using her for what?”
&nbs
p; “I don’t know. You tell me,” she demanded.
He still wasn’t sure where this line of questioning was going, but it didn’t change his answer. “I’m not using her.”
“Really?” Stephanie’s head tilted to the side and her eyes narrowed. “Then what are you doing in her bed. Letting her wait on you hand and foot?”
Good point.
She leaned forward and pointed her finger in accusation. “I don’t know what game you’re playing, but I’m watching you. None of this adds up.”
He was honestly trying to follow along, but he wasn’t having much luck. Either his brain was still mush from medication or she wasn’t making any sense. If it were anyone else sitting next to him, hurling vague accusations in his direction, he’d be done with this conversation. But Simone was too important to Stephanie for him to simply dismiss it.
In an attempt for clarity he asked, “What exactly are you accusing me of?”
“That’s my point.” Her hands flew up in the air. “I don’t even know. All I know are the facts aren’t adding up. I come home from school for a visit after only being gone a month. You’ve moved in next door. My sister swears she doesn’t know you. That you’re virtual strangers. You turn down every woman in the town, including me. You and my sister do your best Dirty Dancing remake at the reopening. You guys hook up. The next morning you’re gone. You don’t come back for weeks. Then, I come home again and you’re in my sister’s bed and Mason said you threatened to kill him last night.”
Ace pushed to a seated position. “Mason was here?”
“What?” Her brow creased as if he’d totally missed the point in her rant. “No. Lori told me.”
“Who’s Lori?”
“She works at the gas station on Main.”
Small towns.
“I saw her this morning and she said Mason went in there last night saying that you threatened to kill him and that he was going to call the police because he was scared for Stephanie’s safety.”
All He Needs – Ace & Stephanie (Crossroads Book 10) Page 13