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James makes a garbled sound in the back of his throat. “What have I done?” he cries, tears pooling in the corners of his eyes. “I have lived with what I did every second of every day. I thought I could bring them here and things would get better. But Ace hated me from the minute he stepped foot in the door, and it was like Charlie was still here, forcing a wedge between us... but he is. He’s alive.”
“You should have talked to them. The second they got here, you should have sat them down and—“
“Do the twins know?”
I shake my head. “Ace is trying to protect them. But maybe it’s time for everyone to know the truth.”
“You’re right. Of course, you’re right.” He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “There are so many things I wish I’d done differently. But I can’t fix the past, Remi, no matter how much I want to.”
“You’re right.” I stand up. “You can’t fix the past, but you can try to fix the future. Ace has spent most of his life feeling inadequate and abandoned. His dad died. His mom turned to alcohol and drugs. And you left him there to pick up the pieces, only for him to discover that everything he knew was a lie. That kind of trauma isn’t just going to go away. He needs people to look past the tattoos and piercings and bad choices and see the lost little boy inside. The boy he’s too afraid to show anyone.
“He needs people to give him a chance. And he needs people to stop letting him down.”
James rakes a hand through his hair, and for the first time, I see Ace staring back at me. “You’re a good girl, Remi. And I’m truly sorry for trying to get in the way of you and my son. He needs you. I fear after all this, he’s going to need you more than ever.”
“And I’ll be there for him.” I hold my chin in defiance. “I’ll always be there for him. The question is, will you?”
I didn’t go home. After leaving James with some soul-searching to do, I texted Mom and told her I would be staying at the Jaggers. She was still worried about my relationship with Ace, but I was past caring.
He needed me, and I wasn’t about to be another person who let him down. So I waited in the pool house, praying he’d come to me in one piece.
After a while, I gave up watching television and got into bed. I’ve been lying here for what feels like hours, staring up at the ceiling, imagining where he is. I want to believe Ace will do the right thing, that he won’t fall back into old habits, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried.
As I lose the fight to sleep, I whisper into the darkness, “Come back to me, Ace.”
Almost as if in answer, I hear footsteps outside. Jolting upright, my breath catches as the door creaks open. “Ace?” I run my eyes over his face and down his body, looking for any signs he’s hurt.
“I’m okay.”
He doesn’t sound it.
Ace pulls off his hoodie, kicks off his boots, and unbuttons his jeans, letting them slide to the floor. I watch as he stalks toward the bed, his eyes swirling with indecipherable emotion.
“Where did you go?” I ask, unsure I want to know the answer.
Ace pulls back the cover and slips into bed. His arms go around my body as he fits me against the hard lines of his. I feel him relax, the tension seeping from his muscles as he breathes me in.
“Ace?” It comes out small.
“I’m okay,” he whispers against my hair. “I’ll be okay.”
“Where did you go?”
“Nowhere really. I just got on my bike and rode. It wasn’t until I reached the Heights I even realized where I was going.”
/> I go rigid, fear trickling down my spine.
“Shh,” he soothes. “I’m okay. I didn’t stop. I doubled back around and went down to the beach. There’s something about sitting on the sand and looking out at the sea... It calms me.”
I ease out of his hold and crane my neck to look at him. “Did you find what you were looking for?”
“No.” A faint smile plays on his lips.
“No?”
“You see, I realized something. I realized I had all I need right here, waiting for me. You ground me, Remi. You.” Ace dips his head, brushing his lips over mine. “I’m sorry I ran.”
My hands slide up his chest as I touch my head to his. “I’m sorry your dad is such a fool.”
