Love, Hate and Hockey Skates

Twenty-Four

I slammed the phone down and the sound woke up Ace.

"Huh, what?" he mumbled.

"I just had a lovely conversation...with Amber."

That had him sitting upright in bed and wide awake.

"When did she call, what did she say?"

I glared at him. "Did you know that she went to high school with us?"

He was quiet and hung his head, silently answering my question. How long had he known? Why didn't he tell me? I wanted to ask him, but I was afraid of the answer. Things were getting complicated, and I wasn't sure what to believe.

Did things really play out the way he said they did? Or is there more to the story? Everyone always said there are two sides to every story, but even I could admit that sometimes one side was more than enough.

"What else are you hiding from me?" I asked.

"Nothing, I didn't think it mattered that you knew, she wasn't someone you would've remembered. Amber was a grade below us, she never crossed paths with you."

"How the hell would you know?"

He looked ashamed. "Because I made sure of it."

"You what?"

"She was obsessed with me even then, and she was the only one who knew I secretly had a crush on you. We had become somewhat of friends when she convinced me she could get you to like me, she said you liked dominating and tough guys. So, I always tried to act like that around you, but in the end, I was just bullying you. I never blamed her for that, it was my fault for listening to her. I pushed you away until you hated me, and she thought that was the perfect moment to try and sweep in. I rejected her, and she went mad and was going to spread a rumour that I was slandering you, I don't even remember what she was going to say..."

"You just didn't want me to think that you did it," I finished for him, and he nodded.

"It was my last year, I let her do whatever she wanted and act like we were a couple, then I dumped her graduation and saw her a year later here. She was still obsessed, and the rest you know."

"Is that really all there is? No other secrets that I need to know before this bitch comes after me?" I narrowed my eyes.

He clicked his tongue. "That isn't going to happen, I'm going to put a stop to this before it does, don't worry."

I pushed him away from me. "We're going to put a stop to it, and I know the best way to do it. But you have to trust me and do this with me, understood?"

"No, Isla, I'm not getting you messed up in this. Please, just let me handle this." He reached for me again, but I slapped his hand away.

"Look it how well that has gone so far? I understand the shame you might have felt that night, but you should've reported her and put an end to this then. Now, we're going to put her six feet under and make sure she never comes back."

Ace opened his mouth, then closed it.

"That was low," he mumbled.

"Yes, it was. But someone needs to say it, and I hate to be the one. Nothing is going to change until you face the issue head-on. The girl is psychologically insane, or at least it sounds like it."

He chuckled. "You got that right. Okay, what is your plan then?"

"We get her to drug you again, except this time it's expected and there is a camera waiting in this room. Plus, me and the guys will be ready to run in before anything happens and catch her in the act."

His eyes widened as I spoke, not seeming to like this idea.

"You want me to get date raped again? You can't be serious?"

I rolled my eyes. "I want her to attempt to do it, but we won't let her. We need to catch her in the act, and she knows she can't get you willingly. This is the only chance we have. Have a party this weekend after the game and have someone invite her from outside the frat house."

"This better work, Isla."

~*~

As we planned, after the hockey game that Friday the frat house had a party, and one of Chase's friends from Engineering invited Amber. Everything was set up perfectly for us to set her up and finally end her.

The only issue was Ace's anxiety. He was afraid something would go wrong and I would end up hurt, but I tried to remind him that he was her only target. If I wasn't in the way for her to wiggle her way to him, she wouldn't have any desire to come after me.

We were going to stage a big fight at the party, and I was going to storm off, giving her the chance to do what she does best – be an insane criminal.

I was waiting in the kitchen with Chase when she finally showed up, Ace was in the living room playing video games with the guys. To my utter shock, however, she showed up with friends.

Several guys, it seemed.

"Hey everyone, I hope you don't mind but I brought some friends from my old school. I thought this party could use some extra fun," she said and lifted a large case of beer with another guy.

The place hooted and hollered as she was welcomed with open arms, flipping her auburn hair like a propeller and batting her eyelashes like she was about to take off. I wanted to throw up just watching it.

She found me in the crowd and sauntered her way up, but I could see her eyes darting around looking for Ace.

"Well, we finally meet again. Remember me now?" she asked.

"Nope, can't say I do."

She snarled. "Nice, still as charming as ever. Well, I'm a lot better than that and I'm here to make amends. Won't you have a drink with me?"

"Yeah, from a closed can," I scoffed.

Amber glared at me and looked like she was going to pounce, but Chase got between us and stared her down.

"No one is offering Isla a drink except a member of the frat house. I think your boy toy is over there," he said and pointed toward Ace.

She hummed and flipped her hair before walking away. A few of the guys she brought with her kept weirdly eyeing me, and it made me uncomfortable. I grabbed a beer can from the fridge and cracked it, then wandered around the party to keep an eye on Ace and Amber.

As expected, she went up to him with a drink that was already opened, and he willingly took it but looked terrified.

'It's okay, Ace. I've got you, always.'

I kept watch as they talked and he took a sip of the beer, but nothing happened so far. I took a few more sips of mine and waited by the back window, although a few of the guys hovered around me. This just made me nervous and urged me to drink more until my head started to feel funny.

Once my vision started to go, I knew I needed to calm down. I headed to the upstairs bathroom to splash cold water on my face, but as I moved up the stairs, I started to wobble, and my head felt light. I barely managed to make it to the bathroom door before my legs gave out.

"What the...hellll..." I tried to speak but my tongue felt like lead.

'Oh no...it was my drink that was spiked. But how?!'

I crawled into the bathroom and closed the door, but I couldn't reach up and lock the handle. Suddenly, the door opened and three of the guys who had come with Amber walked in with sly smirks on their faces.

"Well, what do we have here?"