Double Jinx (Wattys2017)

Chapter 5

Ace was so tentative to let me go. His grip remained tight and his body remained close, almost as if he feared releasing me.

Creston said they had to leave nearly five minutes ago, that they were late, and Ace had agreed but he wouldn't move away from me. Holly stood as a statue near the front door, her eyes watching the two of us carefully. But she didn't say a word. She only stood there, arms crossed lightly, eyes awed in wonderment. She didn't appear necessarily upset with the scene before her, only intrigued.

"You should go." I encouraged him though his absence was the last thing I wanted. In reality, I wanted him to hold me tightly for the rest of the day, then move in so he could be near at all hours. But that was the most ridiculous thing my mind had ever come up with. Ace wasn't mine anymore, he belonged to Holly and to Creston.

Ace's fingers slid down my cheeks to my shoulders, then down my arms to my hands, his touch leaving sparks in it's wake. Goosebumps rose on my skin but I wrote it off as a chill from the air. Ace gripped my fingers tightly, his eyes piercing my own like needles, "I can stay if you want."

But I shook my head. Creston made it clear that they were late for something and the last thing I wanted was to get Ace into trouble. Besides, I needed some alone time to process everything that has happened today. And I still had homework to do, none of which would get done if Ace was sitting in the same room as me. Honestly, it probably wouldn't get done anyway but if Ace were here, I'd be too tempted to stare at him, etch every inch of him to memory.

That might be weird.

Ace watched me for a while longer then sighed and nodded, his thumbs rubbing the back of my palms, "You're right, I should go. But I'll see you tomorrow right?"

Would he see me tomorrow? Could I face day two of high school hell?

That was a dumb question. Of course. For Ace, I'd face hell every day of the week and twice on Sunday if it meant I'd get to see him again. Ten years had passed but I still felt the strong pull to please him just as I had when we were kids. I would have done anything to make him happy. Especially when I started to realize he was only happy when he was with Jason and I, never when he was at home.

The smile that curved my lips upwards was one I hadn't worn in a long time. My grin caught Ace's eyes, drawing them downwards. My hands squeezed his once more for emphasis before I nodded, "Yes."

He smiled too, that dimple appearing yet again. He returned the squeeze to my hands before he stepped backwards, his fingers trailing off the tips of mine, and returned to Holly's side. She had been watching this whole exchange with guarded eyes, though the smile now on her face was genuinely kind, "It was nice to finally meet you, Genevieve."

Creston grinned too and tipped an imaginary hat, "See you in the morning, kid." Then him and Holly retreated from the house. Ace stayed a moment longer, staring at me. Again, our eyes met and it was like the past decade never happened. He was the cute little boy who always looked out for me and I was the whiney little girl who always followed after him.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Bunny." He said quietly, his tone deepening when he spoke my nickname. But his eyes were alight with pure joy, that boyish charm radiating off of him in waves.

I nodded, my words returning to their dark corner within me. But Ace didn't mind. He nodded towards me one last time then disappeared through the front door, closing it behind him.

For a while, I couldn't move. All I could do was stand there, staring at the place where he stood minutes before. My mind raced through everything that just happened, from the time Ace arrived to the time he left. Had it all truly happened? Ace was alive and well, he had friends and even a girlfriend? He had moved on from that dreadful place we once were prisoners of?