Was this what relationships were like? A series of unbelievable highs and devastating lows, sometimes in a matter of hours? The tension between us in the car now was so thick that it was a wonder I could even feel him there at all.
So it was with a resigned flick of my wrist that I flipped my blinker on to exit off the freeway toward Dylan’s place, where somehow I knew he would stay.
19
TAKE MY BREATH AWAY
GOD
, NEVER IN my life had a night passed by so fucking slowly. After Ace had dropped me back at my place, we’d parted ways with little more than a nod in each other’s direction, and now here I was, sitting in exactly the same place I’d fallen down when I’d finally gotten inside my apartment and kicked the door shut behind me.
I was still wearing my jeans and t-shirt, but my jacket lay in a heap on the floor, where it had landed after I’d tossed it in the direction of the counter, and missed. My head was thumping with one hell of a headache, and my stomach growled even though I had no desire to eat.
At some point I knew I needed to call Ace and apologize, but I hadn’t worked out yet what the hell to say. I mean, what could I say?
Sorry I was a total dick yesterday—I know you were only trying to help
? Yeah, right. I’d be lucky if he ever spoke to me again.
I was an ass. There was no question. I’d let the mere mention of Brenda unravel me, and I’d lashed out at the person who least deserved it. That alone made me hate the bitch even more than I already did. How dare she think she could waltz back into my life after all this time and contact me. She had some fucking nerve, that was for sure. But there was no way I was going to let her near me, not ever again. I’d managed to rid myself of that disease long ago. There was no way she was going to infect me all over again.
I stared at the phone I’d tossed on the couch beside me and wondered what Ace was doing right now. We had the weekend off, and we’d discussed spending it together. But that was before I’d managed to ruin one of the best days I’d ever had.
Jesus, stop being such a coward
, I told myself, and reached for the phone.
Just call him.
What was the worst he could do? Not answer? Answer and hang up? Answer and yell at me? Hey, that was what I deserved.
I picked the phone up and stared at Ace’s number a little longer than I should’ve, and then I finally made myself call. On the second ring it connected, and when Ace’s voice came through the line, I let out a sigh of relief.
“Dylan?”
The concern in his voice tore at me, because I knew I’d put it there. I’d put it there with my reaction on the phone, my shitty response to him trying to understand, and ultimately the way I’d left things between us in silent unrest when I’d exited his vehicle the night before.
“Yeah…uhh, hi.”
God
.
I sound so lame.
“Hi.”
Fuck. Well, this is fantastic. Just say what you called to say and let the poor guy go.
I squeezed my eyes shut and rested my head back on the couch. “Ace—”
“I wasn’t sure you’d pick up if I called; that’s why I didn’t. Call, I mean,” Ace said, adding to the guilt I already felt over yesterday’s awesome display of idiocy.
“Yeah, about that. Look, I’m—”
“Dylan, you don’t have to—”
“
Ace
,” I said, needing him to be quiet and let me get this off my chest before I pussied out. I had this horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach that I’d ruined all the headway I’d made with him recently. That in the blink of an eye, I’d erased all of the trust he’d extended to me, because the vault in which I kept my past tightly locked away had threatened for the first time in years to buckle. “Please, Ace. Let me say this.”
There was a beat or two and then he said, “Okay.”
I swallowed and draped my forearm across my eyes as I tried to work out a way to explain to him a good enough reason for my meltdown yesterday. A good enough reason that didn’t involve showing him all the ugly that lay just beneath the pretty facade the rest of the world saw when they looked at me.
Ha. If only they knew the truth.
“I’m sorry for the way I treated you yesterday.” I paused and mulled over my next words carefully, weighing just how much of my dirty laundry I wanted to air. Would my past make Ace run? Would it make him wary? I had no clue. But if I didn’t open my mouth and say something soon, he’d likely end things anyway. “Sunshine, well…she caught me off guard. And I know that’s no reason for me to have treated you the way I did, but there are things about me—”
My words got stuck in my throat as I tried to push them out, to tell him something, anything that would excuse what I’d done, but nothing was coming.
“Dylan?”
I let my hand fall down to my leg and gripped it tightly. “Yeah?”
“You don’t have to explain to me.”
I sat up straight on the couch, instantly alert at those words.
“I understand how it feels to need privacy to work through emotions, especially when you’re so completely blindsided by something, as you were yesterday. If anything, I should be apologizing to you.”
Huh?
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Here I was trying to work out the best way to apologize to this man for treating him like utter shit, and he was busy apologizing to me…for what? Being concerned?
“It was obvious that Sunshine told you something that upset you, and instead of giving you space, I acted like a pushy paparazzi trying to get a scoop.” He gave a humorless laugh. “Ironic, isn’t it? The first time I wanted to know information about you that you weren’t willingly telling me, I pushed. I acted like a vulture. Guess I’ve learned from those around me. Sad that that’s the only example I have to draw from.”
“Ace.” I sighed and dropped my head into my hands. Just when I didn’t think he could be any more right for me, the guy proved me wrong. “Can’t you just let me feel like an asshole for at least ten minutes?”
“I’m pretty sure you’ve been beating yourself up all night, if I know you. Am I right?”
He was, damn him. But the fact he knew me so well had the corner of my lips twitching. “Maybe.”
“Mhmm, exactly what I thought. Well, you have ten more seconds to cuss yourself out, and then you have to stop.”
I frowned and glanced at the clock on my phone. It was just about to turn noon. “Why? What happens in ten seconds?”
Knock, knock, knock.
My head whipped to my front door, and as I got to my feet, Ace said, “You’re going to open your front door, invite me inside, and wish me a good afternoon.”
My pulse raced, knowing that Ace was here. He was standing at my front door. He wasn’t breaking up with me or telling me to take a hike.
As I looked out the peephole I saw a huge guy with long blond hair, a baseball cap, and glasses standing on my doorstep. He had a flannel shirt on over a white t-shirt and shorts, and in his hand was the biggest, brightest bunch of flowers I’d ever seen.
I brought the phone back to my ear and said, “I don’t know. There’s some guy at my door with flowers. I think I should invite
him
inside and kiss
him
good afternoon instead.”
“Open the door, Dylan.” The order was gruff, and somehow I knew that through the peephole and behind those glasses, Ace’s stare was likely boring a hole in my front door. “I want to kiss and make up.”
Oh God
, as if I could, or would, ever be able to resist that. Hitting end on the call, I unlatched the door, and when I pulled it open, all of the tension I’d been carrying around seemed to ease because Ace was here. He was really here, standing in front of me. Ridiculous disguise and all.
“Come in,” I said, and stood aside as he walked by. Once he was inside and I had the door latched, I turned to see him removing his glasses, but not the wig and horrible flannel. Maybe he wasn’t planning to stay after all.
“These are for you,” he said, handing me the bright bouquet of yellow, purple, and pink flowers. They were cheery and happy, and Ace looked so awkward giving them to me that the gesture was even more appreciated. I took them from him and buried my nose in the colorful petals. When I raised my eyes to look at him over the arrangement, I caught the faint flush that had hit his cheeks, as though he were pleased by my reaction.
“Thank you,” I whispered, touched that he’d thought of doing something as sweet as bringing me flowers. Who knew Ace Locke would be such a damn romantic at heart? “These are beautiful.”
“I wasn’t sure if you’d like—”
“I love them,” I said, hoping to reassure him. Then I took a step toward him and lowered the flowers. I placed my hand on his chest and looked him directly in the eye as I told him, “I’m sorry for the way I treated you yesterday.”
Ace opened his mouth to speak, but I shook my head and placed a finger against his lips. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you. You were just concerned and trying to understand what was going on. But…”
Ace circled my wrist and tugged me the rest of the way to him, and then he kissed my forehead,
and damn
, he went from unsure to tender in an instant and had my emotions all over the place.
“You weren’t ready. I should’ve respected that.”
I looked up at him, and the soft expression in his eyes made me trip headlong past liking this man and dangerously close to a word I’d always been so hesitant to use. But instead of acknowledging it, I fingered a piece of long blond hair.
“You know, as much as I dig the idea of role play, I can think of a better costume if you want to dress up for me.”
Ace chuckled, which had been my intention, easing the seriousness of the moment. “You can, can you?”
“Oh yeah, I might even have it all written down in a journal somewhere. ‘Top Ten Ace Locke Go-tos.’”
One of Ace’s eyebrows winged up. “Go-tos?”
“Yeah, you know. The image I’d conjure up in my head to get me off.”
Ace took my chin in his hand and pressed a quick kiss to my lips. Then he said, “As fascinating as your journal would be to read, I’d much rather you just tell me.”
“Ohhh, well, that can be arranged too. But first this wig has to go.”
“Actually,” he said, releasing me. “
First
, you need to go and pack an overnight bag.”
“What?”
“An overnight bag. You need to go and pack one.”
My eyes narrowed and I crossed my arms over my chest. “Why?”
“None of your business.”
“Umm, if I’m packing an overnight bag I think that makes it my business, don’t you? I don’t just spend the night with strangers in strange places. What kind of man do you think I am?”
“For the next forty-eight hours, and hopefully long after that, you’re going to be my man. Now go and take a shower, pack an overnight bag, and do it all…quickly.”
“Uhh…bossy much?”
Ace flashed a grin at me that was so fucking heart-stopping I almost melted right there in a puddle at his feet.
“If you say yes, I plan to show you just how bossy I can get.”
Oh sweet Jesus.
In the space of mere minutes Ace had me in a tailspin. From anxious, to emotional, to aroused. I had no clue what awaited me, but if he wanted me showered and packed as soon as I was able to accomplish those two things, nothing was going to stop me.
FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER, I was showered, clothed, and shoving one last shirt in a backpack as Ace leaned up against my front door with his legs crossed at the ankles, his hands in his pockets, and an unreadable expression on his face.
He was being so mysterious. Just like he had been yesterday when we were driving to El Mirage Lake. But one thing that could be said for Ace Locke—if that bastard wanted to keep a secret then he was more than capable.
Well, hello, there’s the understatement of the century, considering he’d been hiding his sexuality for years.
I must’ve asked him a dozen questions in the last few minutes, but the man had stayed stubbornly silent. He’d even replaced the damn glasses, so I couldn’t even gauge his facial expressions. Maybe his next movie role should be a spy, because apparently when he didn’t want to share information he was like Fort fucking Knox.
“Okay,” I said, slinging the bag up and over my shoulder. “I’m ready.”
Ace moved to open the door, and as I passed, he whispered, “Hmm, that’s what you think.”
I turned my head at that, and damn those glasses, I couldn’t see a thing. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Ace’s lips curved, and I wanted to kiss him—hard. But if he was being a tease, then two could play at that.
“Nothing, Daydream. But you better get your sweet ass in the car before I forget my good intentions.”
I walked outside and headed toward the stairs. “Eh, who needs those?”
As Ace pulled the door shut behind himself, he followed, and I heard him call out, “That’s exactly what I was hoping you’d say.”
LESS THAN TEN minutes later, the Town Car Frank was driving us in turned into Hollywood Burbank Airport and my mouth fell open. Where the hell were we going? I spun in the backseat to face Ace, and before I even got the words out, he said, “I’m not telling you.”
“But—”
“I’m
not
telling you.”
I growled, frustrated with him but also incredibly excited as my mind went crazy trying to work out what the surprise could be.
As we drove past the general parking area, and headed toward a boom gate with a booth, Frank lowered his window and handed something to the man inside. Without any words exchanged, the black and white barrier rose and Frank drove the car forward. He took two or three turns and then drove the Town Car up a narrow road that passed by several hangars with shut doors, until he finally pulled to a stop at the very last hangar. He kept the car idling as he got out to open the back door for us, and before I climbed out, I gave Ace a final look and opened my mouth once again.