Chapter Eleven

22.2K 469 34
                                    

I was completely frozen, tears streaming down my cheeks. My body was numb with fear, unable to grasp onto the new information. A lump formed in my throat, tingling as I gulped.

"H-he's with y-you?" I whispered, suddenly feeling faint.

"Yes, babe. He's here." Skye responded, her voice shaky. A sob escaped my throat, attracting Ace's attention. I breathed deeply before responding.

"I'm out of town, right now. Please tell him to leave, because I'm not coming back until Sunday" Ace walked up to me, wiping away my tears with his thumb. I pressed the end call button and stared up at his concerned expression.

"What's going on, Love," He asked, taking my hand and bringing me to the couch. My lip quivered as I gazed at him, his brows furrowed with worry. "Tell me" He pulled me into his bare chest comfortingly, stroking my hair and squeezing my hand. I buried my head in the crook of his neck, sobbing. Knowing Alexander was so close gave me so much anxiety. Memories of his abuse flooded back into my mind, invading all my thoughts.

"H-he's b-back" I cried, pushing away from Ace. "He c-came back"

Ace nodded, understanding, and lifted me up onto his lap, wrapping his muscular arms around me. I hugged him tightly, shaking from the uncontrollable weeps.

"Hey, hey, hey, no crying! We are going to have an amazing week! Then, when Sunday comes, and if Alexander is still there, I'll stick by your side. Making sure he doesn't hurt you, okay?"

Ace stared at me sympathetically, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. I nodded, wiping away the hot tears.

"Yes, right... okay," I murmured, exhaling heavily. My confidence returning. "Th- thank you. All those old emotions just came flooding back in, and-"

"You don't need to explain yourself. I understand" He smiled, placing a soft kiss on my lips.

******

I walked down the next aisle, not waiting for Ace. The hats were very extravagant in this shop, and he created a game where we had to find the best one, then sprint to the entrance and tag the "No smoking" sign. I spotted a hot pink floppy straw hat with a teddy bear attached to it. Jackpot. I giggled, placing it on and spun around, admiring myself in the mirror. After the episode I had at the house, Ace decided it was a good idea to enjoy the outdoors, and drove me to the nearest town. It was beautiful, small stores scattered throughout the sidewalks, friendly people waved and greeted us as we wandered around. Everyone seemed to know Ace, which honestly didn't surprise me.

"I win"

I gawked at him in the mirror, laughter bursting out of me. I hunched over, chuckling like a maniac. He was wearing a Disney princess hat, decorated in the faces of Belle, Tiana, Rapunzel, and much more famous royalty.

"Well don't you look elegant" I managed out, controlling my breathing. Ace grinned, posing with his hands on his hips, earning another peal of laughter out of me. "This deserves a photoshoot" I smiled, taking my phone out of my pocket and stood next to him, snapping a few pictures. After, while he was off guard, I pushed at his chest, sending him back a few feet, and sprinted towards the entrance. I maneuvered around the aisles, focused on the "no smoking sign. Let's go, legs! Suddenly, I felt his arms wrap around my waist, pulling me to his chest.

"You really thought you'd win, Love? That's adorable" He snickered, gripping me tighter as I tried to wiggle out of his grasp.

"You're cheating! Cheater! Put me down!" I exclaimed going limp in his arms.

"Actually, I said to do anything you can to touch the sign first" The hat jiggled as he spoke, and I giggled.

"Really? Anything?" I asked, an Idea formulating.

His BloggerWhere stories live. Discover now