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“This looks great, Ms. Tanner, thank you.” Ace wastes no time digging in, and I chuckle.
“Hungry?”
His eyes flash to mine and he grins. “Always.”
“You know, it’s nice to cook for more people than just me and Remi. Perhaps, when things calm down, you can all come and I’ll make a big pot roast.”
“That would be great.”
Mom shoots me a reassuring smile, but I can’t quite figure out if she’s doing all this for my benefit or Ace’s.
I know Cole’s outburst yesterday worried her. It was the first thing she’d asked me about this morning.
“How is Cole?” she asks.
“He’ll be okay.” Ace manages a half-smile, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “I’m sorry you had to see that yesterday.”
“I’ll be honest Ace, now I know the truth, I think James handled it all wrong. He should have sat you down when you first got here and told you.”
“Yeah, well... I didn’t exactly make it easy for him.”
“James loves you all very much. I know he hasn’t always shown it, but I think if you sat down and talked to him, then you’d understand things from his point of view a little more.”
“Mom,” I snap and guilt fills her eyes.
“I’m sorry, Ace—”
“It’s fine,” he says, surprising me. “You’re only telling me what I already know. Everything is so fuc—screwed up. Sorry about that.”
“Please, you’re not the first teenager I’ve heard cuss, and I’m sure you won’t be the last. Remi tells me you have a job with Ellen’s brother?”
“That’s right.” He nods. “It isn’t going to make me a ton of money, but it’s honest work. And who knows, maybe he’ll teach me a few things and I can work my way up.”
Pride swells in my chest. Part of me knows Ace took the job to prove to me—and everyone else—that he’s worth something. But I see the hunger in his eyes. He wants this too. He wants to turn his life around, and that is worth so much more than he’ll ever know.
“Well you should be very proud of yourself, Ace.” Mom takes a large gulp of her wine and sits back in her chair. “You know, I feel like I owe you an apology. I was quick to judge you, and that was wrong. Everyone deserves a chance.”
Ace looks stunned. I slide my hand up his thigh and find his own.
“I don’t even know what to say to that.” His confession hangs in the air.
“You don’t need to say anything. Just promise to always treat my daughter with the respect and care she deserves, and I don’t think we’ll have any problems. Oh, and birth control. For the love of God, please always use birth control. I’m not ready to be a grandma.”
“Mom!” My cheeks burn, and I want the floor to open up and swallow me whole.
“There is nothing wrong with taking about sex, Remi. You’re both adults.”
“Jesus,” I murmur, sinking further into my seat. I can barely look at Ace, but then his big hand finds my knee and squeezes.
“I can totally do that, Ms. Tanner.”
I peek over at him and he sits a little taller, a faint smile tracing his lips.
“There’s another thing you can do for me.”
I brace myself for whatever else is about to come out of her mouth.
“Anything.” Ace seems completely at ease. I don’t know whether to be unnerved or swoon.
