Neva tries to take a step around him, but he blocks her path.
“Tell me right now, why him?” He demands. “Why here, tonight?”
Neva glares over me, her eyes moistening with tears.
“It’s not like it was a one-time thing.” She takes a stiff step in my direction, the look of hatred ripe on her face. “We’ve been at this foryears.” Her lips curve with slight satisfaction. “How does it feel, Reese? Knowing the person you’re with thinks you’re nothing but trash?”
“Warren doesn’t think I’m trash.” I cut a glance out the blackened window before reverting to her venomous stare. “He thinksyouare.” I couldn’t help it. A part of me wants to hurt both Warren and Neva, and I don’t really understand why.
I bolt past the two of them and into the cool of night.
“Reese, wait.” Ace jumps down the steps and grabs ahold of my elbow.
The lake shivers in the background. The music is still at it, full tilt, across the way.
“Look”—my voice shakes as I break free from his hold—“I don’t know what the heck is going on but that was one hell of a birthday gift.”
“What?” He glances back at the boathouse as confused as I am.
“And your sister?” I say incredulous. “Why in the hell would you pull your sister into this? That’s just sick.” I take off running toward the lake and he’s quick to catch me.
“Reese, I swear I had nothing to do with what went on in there.”
I pause just shy of the boulders blocking our path.
“Then why did you ask me to meet you here?” I pant as I glance across the water at my birthday bash still raging away without me.
“I didn’t ask you to meet me here.” Ace grabs ahold of my waist, and I warm to his touch. “I have no clue what’s going on, and the last thing I would do is put Neva in that position with anybody. What made you think I told you to meet me here?” His breath plumes out in vapors.
“Neva.” I nod over at the boathouse. “She said your phone was dead, so she was relaying the message. When I got here I thought it was you and someone else.” I choke on that last half. “I didn’t see Neva.” I drop my head into his chest and let loose. I sob for what feels like weeks while Ace holds me under a violet-colored sky. I pull back and touch the long black streaks on his shirt left from my mascara.
“Sorry,” I whisper.
“Don’t be.” He strokes my cheek as he draws me in. Ace tucks his finger under my chin and gently lifts me to look at him. “I would never hurt you. I swear to God, I had nothing to do with Neva or Warren being here tonight. Reese”—he studies my features with a patina of hurt in his eyes, but there’s something deeper in them that makes my heart race—“I haven’t been honest with you all summer, and I think there’s something you should know.” He swallows hard. A smile curls in the corner of his lips. “I know that the intentions of what went on between us was platonic, but that’s not how I feel.” He pauses and the night clots up with silence as if all of creation had bent its ear in this direction to hear what he might have to say. “I love you, Reese Westfield—with all my heart I do. There’s nobody on this planet for me but you.”
My mouth opens and closes. The noise from across the lake, the horror of witnessing Neva on her knees for Warren, it was all plaguing me, and, now, Ace has said something and I think I’ve misconstrued the words.
“I’m sorry.” I move in so close I can feel his warm breath on my lips. “What did you say?”
His grin widens as he takes me in under the angel wing moon.
“I said I love you.” He presses into me with those deep knowing eyes. “I would never in a million years hurt you, and”—he pauses to land a soft kiss over my lips—“there’s nobody for me but you.”
Tears glide down my cheeks in long, hot tracks.
The sound of glass exploding rocks us out of our love struck stupor.
“Shit.” Ace pulls me along as we race up the dirt trail to find Neva sobbing on the porch after what looks to be a self-induced tantrum. The glass from the boathouse window has been reduced to shards. “Let’s get her home.”
Neva shoots a look to us, and her eyes burn wild with fire. “I’m not going anywhere with that bitch.”
“You know”—I take a step back—“I think I’ll head to the party for a while.” I lean up on my tiptoes and press a kiss just shy of Ace’s ear. “Come to my room when you’re through.”
His dimples go off and my entire body dissolves under the leadership of his smile.
He lays his lips over mine, and I greedily take him into my mouth, kissing him as if it were the first time our lips ever met.
Brylee was right. Everything is going to be so much better now.
