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I have no fucking idea where I am.
Crap.
My heart races in my chest as I tiptoe out of the small bathroom and back into the bedroom. The air is sucked clean from my lungs when I find Ace sound asleep in bed—the bed I just ran from.
Oh god... did we?
No way. I would know if Ace had touched me. I’d feel... something.
“Stop overthinking,” he grumbles, cracking an eye open at me.
“What the hell—“
“It’s early, I’m tired.” His hand slides to the empty space beside him and pats the mattress. “Come back to bed.”
“You’re more deluded than I thought if you think I’m going to—“
“Stop making everything so fucking difficult and come back to bed, Princess.” His voice is heavy with sleep. Ace shifts onto his back, throwing an arm behind his head. His eyes are closed, and the rise and fall of his chest is heavy.
I can’t help but smile. He’s out cold again but looks so adorable—if adorable comes gift-wrapped in ink and shredded with muscle.
But as I watch him sleep, reality crashes down around me. Why am I here, in what I finally realize is James’ pool house?
Ace brought me here, that much is obvious.
But why?
Spotting my cell phone on the nightstand, I grab it and check for messages. There’s one from Mom, worried that I’m not in my bed. I quickly text her back and tell her I stayed at the dorms with Hadley. Speaking of my only friend, I open the text message from her.
Hadley: What happened to you?
Remi: Not sure. I have black spots.
Hadley: Shit, girl. Are you okay?
I glance over at Ace again. The sheet is thrown over his waist, but his upper body is on full display. Even in sleep he frowns, emanating danger. But his body is a work of art, literally. He’s so beautiful it hurts to look at him. And despite how he treated me, I want nothing more than to crawl back into bed with him and soak up his presence.
Remi: My head feels like it’s going to explode. Are you okay?
Hadley: I had a great night. Hayden walked me back to the dorms.
Remi: Hayden? You’re kidding, right?
He’s almost as bad as Bexley.
Hadley: I know, I know. But it isn’t like that. He’s just a friend.
Remi: Whatever you say. Just be careful, okay?
Hadley: Yes, Mom. Call me later if you want to hang.
I place my cell phone back down and, without overthinking it, slip back into bed beside Ace. I lie on my side, watching him. He doesn’t move, his gentle snores filling the room. It’s still early, and I have no desire to go home and face Mom. Not yet.
Smiling to myself, I turn over and close my eyes. I’m teetering on the edge of sleep when a hand curves around my hip and drags me backwards. Ace’s body fits against mine as if we're two pieces of a complicated puzzle. He rests his chin on my shoulder. “Sleep,” he whispers, his warm breath fanning my ear.
And this time, I listen.
When I wake again, Ace is gone. If it wasn’t for the trickle of the shower coming from the bathroom, I might think it was all a dream.
