Walking With The Outcast

Chapter 21 - Lucilia

I scream when Ace's fist connects with my father's face. It makes a thudding noise, followed by my father's groan of pain and surprise. I don't know what to do. I don't know why Ace did that.

I don't know why my parents are here.

Ace leans close to my father's rapidly discoloring face. "You have no right to call her your daughter after what you did." His voice is firm and angry, leaving absolutely no room for negotiation.

My father stands up, trying to staunch the flow of ruby blood from his nose. "And who are you to come into my home and assault me?"

"I'm the person who didn't abandon his daughter."

Silence reigns, and my mother stands just as shocked as my father that Ace has the audacity to speak to them that way. Or maybe she's still recovering from her husband's beating. Finally she recovers from her bewildered state and stumbles to my father, cooing about his now-crooked nose. Meanwhile, I walk to Ace and check his cracked knuckles that are steadily dripping onto the floor.

"Um." I shake my head, disoriented beyond belief. "Uh-let's get this cleaned up." Unwilling to acknowledge that my parents are actually here, I tug Ace towards the kitchen. Once there, I stick his hands under the faucet.

"I guess your parents are back," Ace says beside me, his gaze directed to the cabinets.

My shoulders droop. "Yeah."

"Is it a bad thing?"

I shake my head. "I don't know. I've wanted them back, but at the same time, we don't know how to be around each other anymore." I look into his murky green eyes. "It's hard for me to be around them when I feel like it's my fault they left."

Ace's hand feathers across my cheek. "It's not your fault, Luce. Please, know that."

I finish cleaning his hands, thinking about his words. I wish I could believe them. I want to believe them, but a year of guilt doesn't just fade away.

Right when Ace's hands are blood free, my parents walk into the room, eyeing Ace with undisguised disdain. "Get out," my father says.

My mother rests a calming hand on my dad's shoulder. She speaks stiffly, "What he means is that we need some alone time with our daughter."

Ace crosses his arms. "No."

"No?" My father roars incredulously. "This is our home, and you are the trespasser. You don't get to say no."

Ace adopts a smug grin. "It's not trespassing, if Lucilia gave me permission to enter."

Not the right time for an attitude, Ace.

My parents' eyes shoot accusingly to me. I clear my throat uncomfortably. "Mom, Dad, this is my friend, Ace."

"Hopefully not a friend for too long, though," Ace mumbles to me. I elbow him.

Unfortunately, my dad hears him. "What did you just say?" His voice is deathly quiet, a subtle clue that an explosion is about to happen.

"Well," Ace's smug grin reappears. "Seeing as how I took Lucilia on a date tonight, I don't think I'll be just a friend for much longer."

Confident, are we?

"Lucilia, please tell me you didn't go on a date with him," my dad practically pleads.

"I did."

His face goes red with withheld anger, and I turn to Ace at the sight of it. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"