AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Her body felt lighter without it and she didn’t say a word as she watched him slip from the covers. Shelby found his discarded clothes and pulled them back on. A single shoe was on one side of the room and the other several feet away.
“I’ll come with you.”
“No.” He waved a hand at her. “No, I’ll bring some back up. You stay here and stay warm.” The way he watched her as he slipped out the door made her wonder if he had plans to do more than eat breakfast in bed with her. Her cheeks ached as she smiled at the thought and realized she’d been smiling for what felt like hours.
She’d never had something with someone that felt so right. For a moment, she’d almost described it as ‘easy’ but she quickly remembered that nothing between her and Shelby had been easy except for their attraction to one another. And for the longest time, she’d thought that had only been one sided. She’d thankfully been wrong.
The air filled with her sigh of contentment as she lay and waited. Her eyes counted the wood beams on the ceiling over and over again until several minutes had passed and she began to question if Shelby would ever return.
Ace didn’t know whose home they’d ended up in, much less whose bed, or what she would find when she left the house, but she stood up and stretched before rummaging through some drawers to find trousers and a loose shirt to wear. She slipped it over her body and tightened it all to her with a belt. All she had were her thin slippers she’d worn with her dress so she put them back on left behind the room.
“Shelby?” Her voice carried through the house where she was only greeted with silence. Every step she took felt too loud for the early morning. Eventually, she found her way to an empty kitchen. Fruit and bread had been laid out across a counter, a knife set to the side.
A shout of laughter came from outside, urging Ace to walk through the home. She pulled open the door, hugging her arms around her body. There was more than a little nip in the atmosphere today.
Small groups of people were walking down the paths all heading in the same direction they had been last night. Perhaps Shelby had gone wherever they were going?
She hurried down the steps, making sure to avoid any of the gardens overgrowth as she went. The wind had blown the gate open leaving it rocking against the fence and setting her on edge. Scanning the small town of Glatton she was searching for whatever was giving her the notion that she was somehow being watched. She found no prying eyes or even so much as a curious glance from the passing townsfolk.
Yet, her steps were still quick to lead her all the way back to the town square. All the decorations and tables were still left out. Softer music played this morning as if they feared waking anyone early. A few people still danced in their gowns and suits as if they’d never stopped but most were seated eating the meal that had been replenished for breakfast.
Her gaze glazed over several faces, some familiar in the worst of ways, looking for the one person she wanted to see. Her brows furrowed as she looked again and did not find Shelby amongst the people. Where was he?
Motion caught her attention, a quick wave of a hand before someone was darting her direction. Margo’s dress had been replaced with a simple blue day dress that fit her thin frame perfectly. She glowed in the way that only someone who’d been starved for most of their lives and finally had a good meal could.
“Ace! Come sit with me and Rehan!” The girl took Ace’s hand and led her to the table where her fiancé had stood to make her a plate.
The closer she got to him, she suddenly realized that she wasn’t wearing her ring any longer. She let her sleeves fall over her fingertips to hide her hands as she came to a stop at the table. A few faces looked up at her before turning back to their meals and conversations.
“Come eat.” Rehan set a plate down.
Ace took another look around hoping to see something of Shelby and sighed when she still found nothing. She shivered but lowered herself into the seat.
“Where did you go last night?” he asked, a brow raised.
“Yeah, we couldn’t find you. I was so sad Rehan had to dance with me all night to keep my spirits up,” Margo said through a mouthful of food.
“I bet he did.” Ace smiled as Rehan gave her a wink. Her mind raced with ideas of something to say but she didn’t want to think on it too hard for fear that Rehan might listen to her thoughts. Eventually, she settled on the partial truth. “Shelby and I got in a big fight so I left.”
“Oh no!” Margo sounded truly devastated as she placed her hand on Ace’s arm.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Rehan said but Ace didn’t think he truly meant it. He was probably relieved. “Are you cold? Here.”
There wasn’t time to even protest before Rehan had slipped out of the cloak he wore and handed it to Ace. She hadn’t realized she shivered again as the breeze bit through the all too thin shirt she’d put on.
“You look like you’ve been run over by a carriage.” Rehan lowered back into his seat. “Are you okay?”
“Rehan! You can’t say that to a lady,” Margo hissed before she turned to Ace. “You look like shit.”
“Margo!” Ace whispered.
The girl looked around, her braids swaying. “What? My mother isn’t around is she?”
“No, but she probably should be,” Ace muttered as she tied the cloak around her neck.
“Where is your ring?”
Her spine went stiff. “What?”
