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

Chapter 62: The First Date

JACE HYDE

Three months later...

I was incredibly nervous. Ahvi had yet to open the door to the apartment and I was freaking out. Today was our first date, the one I'd her asked her out on three months ago. I know we were a little behind schedule but we had to wait until Ahvi was back on her own two feet before going through with it.

Actually, Ahvi got all better last month. Life kept getting in the way and it was way too hectic to make time for a date. And I wanted it to be perfect. Ahvi had already told me what she wanted for our first date to be. I had wanted for it to be a surprise but she told me after we came back from New Mulliton what she wanted me to plan for her.

We came back from our hometown three weeks after the incident. The Sheriff had completed all the formalities by then, cleared Ahvi's name, and also congratulated Hailey and her with medals for their bravery in front of the whole town. There was a celebration at the hospital itself since Ahvi couldn't go anywhere.

The gangsters were due for trial in a few months but neither Ahvi nor Hailey needed to be there for it. They had already recorded their testimony and the Sheriff was sure that they had enough evidence to pass a verdict against Polo that he didn't need the girls anymore.

Ahvi, Ren, and I came back to London shortly after clearing things up in our hometown, closing the chapter forever. Hailey decided to stay in New Mulliton and start her own antiquities business. She was good at what she did and wanted to give her own business a go.

The people of our small hometown had also opened a charity for orphans in Ahvi, Cam and Hailey's name after they got to know their story, about what had happened to them. It was an honor so great, Ahvi said, that she felt as if the past decade of pain and suffering was worth it, that it was forgotten.

Back in London, Tariq and Warren had grilled me about my lies until I admitted to them what I had told Ren in the hospital room. I liked Ahvi. I loved her but those were words I had yet to say to the woman. They had grilled me some more, asking me if Ren knew. Tariq's response to everything I'd said was, "I told you so." And he'd said it with the sickest, most smug smirk I had ever seen on him.

As things had settled between us, Ahvi had gotten better. She had started with short walks around the apartment, then the park, and now she was as good as she was before the incident. We'd spent more time together during her recovery, talking about what happened in New Mulliton. She told me about Kiara's death, the truth about it, that is.

We decided it would be best to put off our first date so I could come to terms with everything that happened. I took the time I needed and came to the conclusion that although I didn't like what Kiara did to me, it hurt me that she was gone, that she had been taken away from all of us by some sick man. I also started going to therapy to deal with my emotions and I felt better, less unsure of what I was doing with my life.

Ahvi also began learning riding a bike after her recovery. It was her way of telling herself that she was over her fears, she'd said when she'd asked me to teach her.

I had been thrilled. She was good at it now and had asked me to plan our date around it.

So, here I was, dressed in a leather jacket and black jeans, my helmet tucked under my arm, waiting for her. The door to the Takeda's apartment opened and Eman's face crowded the small gap in the door.

"Hello, Jace." She grinned at the sight of me, her eyes sparkling.

"Hey, Eman." I ran a hand through my hair, suddenly nervous. I was scared of Eman more than I was scared of Ren.