Julia, of course, will probably bring fuckface to my funeral, and the bastard will hover over my casket shirtless and flexing his fucking biceps.
Julia
Ace and Drew chat at the thermostat, picking through the settings to see if they can figure something out. Drew is calm and cheerful, his muscles flexing in every direction with even, subtle movements, but Ace seems agitated as he moves him out of the way.
He’s shirtless too, and the sweat that beads on the back of his neck makes his hair curl at the ends under his hat. Ace looks hot, as always, but his lack of smile is stirring me in a way I don’t expect. I love when he’s joking and smiling and in a good mood—but something about him looking serious is making him seem grown up in all the ways I’ve been avoiding.
He’s not the boy I played with anymore; he’s all man. I knew the transition happened, but right now, it feels like I’m really seeing it for the first time.
“Any luck, guys?” I ask, fanning myself with myCosmomagazine. “Maybe we should just call a repairman.”
“I know a guy,” Drew starts to offer, but Ace cuts him off.
“I already called someone, Lia. Why don’t you go hang out in my apartment until I either get it figured out or they come? Feel free to snag one of my sweatshirts if you get cold. I mean, you usually steal them from me and wear them anyway. My sweatshirts. On your body.”
I scrunch up my nose in confusion.What the hell is Ace even talking about right now?
“That’s okay,” Drew volleys back before I can answer. “Julia andI already had plans to go to the pool, so we can just do that while you wait for your guy to come.”
“Of course, Drew,” Ace comments. “Since you don’t want to hang around here being busy with adult man stuff, you go ahead to the pool so you can play in the water. I’ll wait here because I’d wait all day to make sure Julia’s AC is fixed. Hell, I’d wait all fucking week if I had to.”
“I’d wait all day too,” Drew comments. “Of course I’d wait all day. I’d—”
“Uh, guys…” I interrupt. “Why don’t we all go to the pool? I’m sure the landlord can let the repairman in when he comes.”
Ace stares at Drew for a beat before turning back to me and softening his face into a smile. It’s different from the ones I’ve seen him use over the years—maybe even a little sad around the eyes—but beautiful all the same. “That’s okay, Jules. You go have fun. I’ll see this through and make sure it’s working when you get back, okay?”
“No, Ace,” I refute. “There’s no way I’m leaving you here while I go to the pool.”
“Lia, go have fun at the pool,” he repeats. “I got this. I promise.”
“Are you sure? I feel so bad I charged over there demanding your help, and now I’m just going to leave you here to deal with it?”
“No big deal, babe.” He shrugs and winks at me. “That’s what best friends are for, you know?”
Drew frowns a little before grabbing his shirt from the kitchen island and holding out a hand. “Should we go?”
“Yeah. I guess,” I agree. “If Ace is sure?”
He nods. It still feels a little wrong to leave him here, but if I confirm that’s what he wants any more times, we’ll be dancing dangerously close to making the world’s most annoying sound fromDumb and Dumber.
“Let me just grab my purse from my room.” I pause. “Ace, you’ll call or text if you need anything, right?”
“Of course,” he says easily. “And I’ll see you tonight. When you get home. I’ll be here.”
“You can call me if you need to too,” Drew adds helpfully.
“She won’t need to because I’m right here, but thanks for the offer,” Ace replies.
“Okay,” I declare, feeling like we could be stuck in this loop of them offering to help me for hours if I don’t do something about it. I rush to my room, grab my purse and tank top and shorts off the bed, and then rush back out to the front door, scooping Drew out of the kitchen as we go. I wave enthusiastically at Ace and point to the front door behind me as we scoot through it.
Ace gives me the thumbs-up, effectively communicating that he will make sure the door gets closed if he leaves or the air gets turned back on or whatever.
I hand Drew my purse as we approach the elevator, stepping into my shorts and pulling my tank top over my head as we walk. “Thanks,” I say, taking the bag back as he holds open the elevator door for me to step inside.
“You’re welcome.”
He stares at the doors as I apply lip gloss, and we start our descent to the ground floor. This building is great but old, so it moves like molasses, and when we’re halfway down, he starts to talk.
