Page 33 of Until Ace

I can’t deny it anymore.

I want it to work out.

I put my foot down yesterday, on my whole way of life. It was time. The relationships I had with my family became too toxic for me to go on normally. Still, there’s a part of me, a big part, that not only can’t give up on them. On my mother. I truly want to have a healthy relationship with her.

Now is the time for some good to come in. After that kiss, I have no doubt that Ace is what I want. I’m not going to try to run from him, not anymore.

And that’s freaking me out.

“What’s your favorite TV show?” Ace asks out of the blue.

I stop looking out the passenger side window and turn toward him. “What?”

“What do you watch to decompress?”

It’s such a weird question I don’t know what to do with it.

I stare at him, not knowing whether to laugh or ask him if he’s okay. I don't go with either option. Instead, I answer, “Get Organized with The Home Edit.”

“Get what?” he asks, glancing at me.

“Umm… you know, those two women who go to people's homes and clean and organize stuff by the rainbow color pallet?”

“There’s a show about cleaning? And that’s what you like to watch?” He grunts, and I can see he’s close to laughing his ass off.

“Well, they don’t clean-clean,” I explain. “They just organize stuff, and it always looks so pretty. Besides, those two are hilarious.”

“Maybe I should check it out.” I know he’s teasing me, and that small act makes my belly go all warm.

Still, I take his answer seriously. “You really should. They have lots of great advice on how to make your space pretty and access stuff more easily, instead of going through the mess. I try to do it like them but still haven’t done it successfully. But someday....” I shrug in a what-can-you-do gesture.

He stops at the red light and looks at me, not saying anything.

“What?” I whisper again.

He answers in the form of grunting, or more like coughing—one, two, three times. He then loses all control and roars with laughter.

Normally, I would be offended. No one should laugh at a person for liking a certain show or basically anything. But he takes the sting from it by grabbing my hand, taking it to his mouth, and kissing it.

“Fuck, you’re cute,” he murmurs as he releases my hand, shifts the car into gear, grabs my hand again, and drives us on.

And that too makes my belly go all warm.

* * *

With my belly full of delicious Mexican food and beer, I watch as Ace rounds the hood to open the door for me.

There was only one moment on the date that almost ruined everything, and that was when he asked the standard question, “What about your family? Are you close?”

I vaguely answered that I have two siblings and that, no, we’re not close.

I know it’s a lie, since they pretty much bully their way into my life, but that’s too heavy of a conversation for a first date.

I’ll need to prepare myself for that.

Besides, judging by the look in his eye and the ticking muscle beneath his beard, I’m pretty sure he knew I was lying but was giving me a reprieve.

Other than that, it went great.