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

Chapter 13: The Return Of A Frenemy

AHVI TAKEDA

I tapped my foot against the concrete impatiently as I waited for Jace to show up. Eman had already left since she had gotten a phone call from her mother to be at home as soon as possible because her sister's in-laws were coming over. She had wanted to wait with me but I told her that it was fine. Now I was alone in the parking lot, waiting for Jace Hyde to pick me up.

Had he forgotten about me? I thought as I glanced at the time on my phone. It was almost three forty-five. The parking lot was almost empty now, only the cars of a few students could be seen. I gritted my teeth, unlocking my phone to call him and give him a piece of my mind when I heard the roar of a motorbike.

Jace pulled into the parking lot and I gritted my teeth, waiting for him to come to a stop. My cheeks heated as I stepped up to his bike, glowering at him.

"Thirty minutes? Really, Hyde?" I snapped as he pulled his helmet over his head. "Don't tell me you forgot that you had to pick me up."

He rubbed the back of his neck nervously and my eyes widened. "You did! Jace, I swear to God-"

"I'm sorry, Harley. I got...carried away." He looked away as he said this. His nervousness didn't sit right with me. For some reason, it left a sour taste on my tongue.

"Jace, what did you do?" I asked. When you had known someone for as long as I had known Jace, you recognized every little tick, every little gesture. Every expression meant something and right now, the way he wouldn't look at me, it meant that he had done something he wasn't supposed to do.

"Come on, it's getting late. Let's get you to the apartment so that I can go back to the office," he said, still refusing to look at me. The tips of his ear had turned red, another indication that he was hiding something.

"We were supposed to go to lunch." I reminded him. He did glance at me this time, his eyes widening. "You forgot about that, too, didn't you?" I sighed.

"I was just really busy and it slipped my mind. I am so sorry." He ran a hand through his hair. For some reason, his admission punched me in the gut. I had been thinking about our little encounter from earlier today all morning. The realization that Jace probably hadn't given a second thought to it made heat rise to my cheeks. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

"It's alright. You can just drop me off at the apartment." I responded, forcing my voice to sound as casual as possible. As if I had not been looking forward to lunch the whole day.

"Okay." He handed me the helmet and I put it on before climbing behind him. I didn't even feel an ounce of fear as I got on his motorbike. Perhaps it was because of the looming pit that had opened at the base of my stomach. I was getting stupid over Jace again. For some reason, I let him get into my head.

I tended to forget that Jace was a playboy. For him, the moment this morning meant nothing, it was a usual occurrence. But for me, who rarely took guys home, rarely ever went on dates, it was a moment right of a movie.

I was being a silly little girl who was living the side effects of her crush on him from years ago.  I wondered what was the reason for these weird feelings. I wondered if I hadn't experienced the punishment I deserved for what I had done. 

I shook my head in an attempt to clear the thoughts. Unlike this morning, the wind didn't drown out my thoughts. I didn't feel free anymore. This was me. This was how my life had always been. Uncertain. Unreliable. I didn't know what the next moment would bring. Ever. Like I didn't know if my mother would wake up when she passed out on the couch with drugs running in her veins. Like I didn't know if my father would return home when he had walked out on us all those years ago. 

There was a lot I didn't know and I didn't mind it usually. I was used to it. But not when it came to my heart, my feelings.

As Jace pulled out of the parking lot toward my apartment, I tried to get rid of this pathetic feeling. I didn't want to beat myself over this. God knew I was punishing myself for enough already.

Twenty minutes later, Jace pulled in front of the apartment building. As I stepped down from his motorbike, someone called my name. It was a female voice, one that I didn't quite recognize but that still sounded familiar.

I frowned as I scanned the front of the building, my eyes coming to rest upon a woman standing in the front.

"Who's that?" Jace asked as I handed him his helmet. I shrugged as I watched the figure come closer. "Then how does she know your name?" He added but I had stopped listening.

The woman was close enough now that I could see her face and it sent my heart tumbling to my stomach. My breath caught in my throat and I could have sworn my entire being shook. As she smiled at me, I realized why her voice had seemed so familiar.

"Hailey?" I breathed out as she approached me, a smile on her face. Her blonde hair was pulled away from her face, tied into a knot at the top of her head. She wore a summer dress that brushed her thighs and white sandals covered her feet. She looked far from the girl I had known in high school but somehow, exactly like her.

"Hey!" She said cheerfully, stepping forward as she engulfed me into a hug. My muscles tensed and all the thoughts went flying out of my head. "It's been so long." She pulled away from me, searching my face with that awfully cheery smile on her face.

"What are you doing here?" I kept my voice even as I asked, painfully aware of Jace's presence behind me. I could feel his gaze on us but I didn't dare look at him lest the truth showed in my eyes. I felt as if my guilt and crimes were scrawled on my face and if I looked at him, he would see them all laid out in the open for everyone to see.

"I told you that I needed a place to live for a few days," she said as if I was the one being crazy here. She was the crazy one, the creepy one.

"I told you-" My voice took on a sharper tone than I intended it to and I paused, inhaling once. Composing myself, I began again. "I told you that I would ask my brother and let you know." I forced a smile on my face. Hailey's eyes sparkled as she realized how much she was getting on my nerves. Bitch.

"You never called me back and I really need somewhere to live so I showed up here. If it's a problem, I can always leave." She mumbled, her voice awfully sad as she glanced at Jace.

"Yes, it is a problem-" I began at the same time Jace said, "I don't think Ren would mind."

I turned to look at him sharply, disbelief taking over my expression. "He would mind. He hates strangers at the apartment." I reminded him in the hope that he would keep his mouth shut. But Jace was Jace and he needed to speak at the most unfortunate of times.

"It doesn't seem like she is a stranger." He gestured at Hailey. I wondered if I should kill myself now or wait till I murder him before I do. I glanced at Hailey who was smirking at me as if to say, 'I told you so.'

"Come on, Ahvi. Help a friend out." She took my hand in hers and my muscles threatened to snap under the tension I felt.

"I will talk to Ren for you if that would help." Jace offered and I closed my eyes, defeated. He wasn't going to let this go and if I insisted, I knew he would get suspicious. Suspicion was what I was trying to avoid. I was trying to be normal, boring, grumpy Ahvi. I couldn't act out.

Blowing out a breath, I gave in. "Alright." Hailey's face lit up as she launched herself at me once again. I gritted my teeth as I let her hug me.

"Great. Now that it's settled, I'm going to leave." Jace grinned and I wanted to scream at him. He should have left fifteen minutes ago. It would have saved me a lot of trouble. "I will talk to Ren. Don't worry, Harley." He offered me one last reassuring smile before he started his motorbike and left.

I turned to Hailey who was grinning at me, too. I swallowed as sweat broke out on the back of my neck. What was she doing here? Why was she trying to force her way back into my life? I guess I was about to find out.