An Ace Of Hearts (Book #1) (Completed)

Chapter 01: The Takedas

AHVI TAKEDA

A journal is supposed to be a book of memories, written in ink and a beautiful handwriting so that when you look back at it, it reminds you of the days that you survived, the days you were happy, and the days you were sad. My journal was different. It was written in my blood.

I wish I was kidding. I wish that I could start the next sentence with a 'Sike! Gotcha!" but I am dead serious. My journal contained my darkest secrets, starting from my very first one, the one I wrote in it when I was sixteen.

I was only a freshman in high school when I made a mistake but no one found out. I was twenty-one but even now, no one knew about what I had done, about the secret I had buried between the pages and my blood.

I blinked at the blade in my hand, twirling it between my fingers. The droplets of blood shone like ruby under the light of my lamp and I focused on the color of the blood, the beauty of it. I pressed the tip of my finger into the blade. As the sharp edge cut through skin and drew blood, I didn't even blink. I didn't feel the pain anymore. It had become a part of me by now.

"Ahvi." A knock on my door had me jolting out of my thoughts. The blade slipped from between my fingers and clattered softly on my study desk. I straightened in my chair as the knock came again. "Ahvi, dinner is ready. Come on." My brother, Ren's, voice bled through the closed door and I pushed away from my desk, getting to my feet.

"I'll be right there." I called back, pushing the blade into my journal and closing it. Opening the drawer in my desk, I placed my journal inside. Once I was sure that there was no evidence of my guilt, I walked into the adjoining bathroom of my room and washed my hands. The water turned pink as I washed off the blood. The wounds stung slightly but I found comfort in the pain.

Glancing once at my reflection in the mirror, I made my way out of the room. The smell of noodles hit me as soon as I walked down the hall toward the kitchen. My brother and I lived in an apartment in London. It was his apartment technically but he had bought it with me in mind. It had three bedrooms, a nice spacious living room and an open plan kitchen. Two of the rooms had adjoining bathrooms and there was one more which we called the guest bathroom.

I had moved in only two years ago, after I had finished high school and needed to get away from our hometown, escaping people and memories. It had always been the plan and Ren knew so he had told me that I could move in with him as soon as I finished high school.

I applied to Westminster School of Arts and got in. It was as if even fate wanted me to move to London. Now as I walked into the kitchen, I found Ren serving healthy portions of noodles on two plates. He wore a ridiculous, pastel pink apron that his best friend, Jace, had gifted him on his birthday because of how much my brother loved cooking.

"What smells so good, senorita?" I asked as I slid onto a stool by the kitchen island, pasting a smile on my face.

"Noodles, mi lady." Ren bowed dramatically as he presented the beautifully plated pasta in front of me. I chuckled as I took the plate from his hands and put it on the counter. "You're done with homework, kiddo?" He asked, sobering up as he moved to remove his apron.

"Yes, sir." I nodded my head before digging into my food. Even though I was twenty-one and Ren was only three years older than me, he treated me like a little kid. He checked up on me constantly, made sure I ate, did my homework, etc. He was basically everything that our mother wasn't for me.

"Good job." He praised me as he took a seat beside me. He took a bite of his food, before turning to me once more. "Oh by the way, I won't be able to drop you off to uni tomorrow. Can you ask Eman to pick you up?" He asked and I shrugged.

"I can use public transport." I responded. "And I'm way too old to be dropped and picked up to and from school, Ren." I added, rolling my eyes.

"I know you're a big girl now, Vi. But it doesn't mean that I will stop worrying about your safety. If you don't want to ask Eman, I can ask one of the boys to do it," He said, stabbing his fork into the pasta.

"I will ask Eman. I don't need your best friends to act like my personal chauffeurs. One of these days they are going to cut you off for making them babysit my grown ass." I joked and he shook his head. A smile played on his lips and his face lit up like it did every time someone mentioned the guys.

"They've been babysitting you since you were in diapers. I think if they were sick of it, they would have let me know." He replied and it was my turn to shrug now. It was true. The boys: Tariq, Warren, and Jace had been best friends with my brother since they were all in kindergarten. They moved to London after college and now ran a business together.

"I'll call Eman and if she refuses to pick me up, I will let you know." I finally gave in. Ren wouldn't let me out into the city alone so I wasn't going to try to argue with him when I had no chance of winning. I jumped down from my stool and walked over to the sink.

"Ahvi, are you hurt?" Ren asked suddenly and I paused. My heart jerked in my chest and I turned around, frowning.

"No, why?" The lie slipped from my lips easily.

"There's blood on the counter." He pointed at a spot in front of him and even from a distance, I could see the red stain on the white marble countertop. Shit. I glanced down at my hand to find that a wound on my palm had opened and blood was gushing out of it still.

"I think I scratched myself." I tried to act as nonchalant as possible. For a moment, Ren just stared at me as if deciding if he wanted to trust me or not. I held my breath, hoping he would buy my excuse. Goddammit Ahvi, you should have been more careful.

"You need to stop being so clumsy." He sighed at last and I almost sagged in relief. I nodded my head as I turned to the sink once again and rinsed my dish in record time. As soon as I placed the bowl and fork in the dishwasher, I hurried out of the kitchen, throwing a quick good night over my shoulder.

Only when I was in the safety of my bedroom did I let myself glance at my palm again. The blood had stopped flowing but the cut had turned an angry red. I sighed. Walking to my nightstand, I pulled open a cabinet and pulled out the first aid kit.

I bandaged the cut as efficiently as I could and blinked at the bandage once it was done. I didn't like to put anything on my cuts but I also didn't want Ren to get suspicious. A heaviness began to settle in my chest but I shook my head, turning to retrieve my phone from my night stand.

Dialing my best friend, I fell back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Eman picked up on the third ring, calling over her shoulder to someone before turning her attention to me.

"Yes, bestie?" She asked, imitating the influencers she liked to watch. The way she said it made me crack up every time. I snorted as I turned over onto my stomach before speaking.

"Can you pick me up for uni tomorrow?" I inspected the green highlights in my black hair, wondering what color I should dye it next.

"Yes ma'am, I can." Eman replied without missing a beat. "Why though? Is Ren busy? Did something happen to the four musketeers that you're asking me to pick you up?" She added, teasing.

I rolled my eyes at her nickname for my brother's group of friends. "The four musketeers are completely fine. I just don't feel like sitting in a car with any of them for half an hour."

"Not even Jace?" Eman gasped dramatically and I felt a flush creep up my neck. I used to have a crush on Jace Hyde, the third musketeer in my brother's group. I had made the mistake of telling my best friend about my crush one drunken night and she never failed to make me regret the slip-up.

"Not even Jace." I replied firmly. I didn't like him anymore. We were different people and well, he never saw me romantically anyway so it would be foolish of me to hold onto my feelings for him.

"If you say so." My best friend didn't sound convinced. I rolled my eyes even though she couldn't see me.

"Bye, bestie." I drawled before hanging up. I wasn't in the mood to talk about Jace Hyde tonight.