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For fuck’s sake.
“I’m not talking to you right now, but if I were talking to you, I would say that if you don’t want to see me cry, you should stop being such a buttface and tell me what’s going on.”
“Doe,” he groaned, “I want to tell you. You have to know that. I want to tell you everything so fucking bad. I just can’t.”
My heart skipped, and I swerved to look at him. That was the first time he admitted that there was something to tell. It was the first time he didn’t deny keeping secrets from me.
“Why? Why can’t you tell me?” I urged. I had to keep him talking.
Ace already looked like he regretted saying anything.
I thought he was about to give me a straight answer, but then we pulled into my driveway.
“We’re here,” he told me in a stiff tone.
My nostrils flared. “Fine. Don’t tell me. I’ll see you tomorrow. I think it’s best if we both sleep on our own tonight. I’ll take the bus to school in the morning.”
I didn’t wait for him to open my door for me. I shoved it open myself and practically launched myself out of the car, marching to my front door. The rain helped cool the rage building under my skin.
I groaned when I heard Ace’s determined strides following me. “If you’re not going to be open and honest with me, I don’t want to talk to you at the moment, Ace.”
I stopped under the awning in front of my front door and turned to look at him.
“Seriously, I just want to eat dinner with my family and then go to sleep. Alone.”
“Your mom invited me over for dinner, remember?” he responded. “It would be rude to cancel. Especially since I’m already here.”
Shit. ?I had forgotten about that. My brothers were so excited to see him.
“Well, I’m uninviting you. I don’t want to be around you right now. Go home.”
“Please, Doe.” Ace’s frown made me think my words had just caused him real physical harm. “You shouldn’t be away from me when you’re so upset. It’s not good for you.”
I felt like screaming. He loved to tell me what my body needed. “That doesn’t make any sense! I can be away from you if I want to. I won’t die if I spend a night without you glued to my side.”
Ace moved closer, forcing me to take several steps back until my back was against my front door, and placed his hands on either side of my head. I hated that my body lit up.
“You might think that now, baby, but try telling me that in an hour.”
It took all my self-control not to press closer to him when he leaned down, his breath fanning over my lips.
“Your body craves mine when you’re upset. You—”
Someone opened the door behind us. I shrieked, nearly falling back, but Ace wrapped his arms around my waist and tugged me to his chest, saving me from embarrassment.
“There you two are!” my mom exclaimed from the doorway. She took in the way Ace was holding me with a knowing grin.
I blushed and shoved him away from me with a scowl.
“We were starting to think you’d forgotten about our dinner plans. Come in!” She grabbed my arm and pulled me inside. “Everyone is waiting. The boys are all so excited to see you, Ace.”
“Oh, Mom, Ace actually can’t stay,” I tried to explain even as Ace followed us inside and closed the door behind him. I glared at him. “He forgot he made plans.”
My mom waved me off. “Don’t be silly! He can join us for at least a few minutes, can’t you, Ace?”
Ace was already kicking off his shoes. He offered my mom a kind smile. “Of course I can. I think Doe must have misunderstood me. I don’t have plans. I’m all yours for the rest of the night.”
My mom clapped her hands. “Oh, good! I’m so glad to hear it! Now, come on, let’s go eat before the food gets cold.”
Ace met my intense glare with a raised brow like he was daring me to try to kick him out.
I huffed and quickly followed my mom to our dining room. Everyone was already sitting around the table, food piled on their plates while they waited for us.
I was beyond irked when my siblings acted as if I were invisible, their excited gazes immediately zoning in on my boyfriend behind me.
“Ace!” Thomas yelled, shooting out of his chair to go greet him.
Elliot followed. “Finally! You haven’t come over in forever! ”
Ace grinned as five of my brothers surrounded him, all jumping up and down, shouting things at him, asking a million questions.
“Are you going to stay after dinner? I got a new video game—!”
“Ace, do you remember that comic book you got me for my birthday? I read it last weekend—”
“Ace, I know how to swim like a frog—”
“I like your pants, Ace! Did you get them from Old Navy?”
While Ace happily entertained each of their questions, I trudged to the table.
Griffin was the only one of my seven brothers—besides Wes, of course, who was stuck in his high chair—who didn’t run to Ace. He was too busy shoveling spaghetti into his mouth to get up.
I plopped down in the chair next to him, not caring that this was usually Elliot’s spot. “You’ve always been my favorite,” I whispered to Griffin.
Griffin grinned at me through his marinara-covered lips.
I grabbed Elliot’s full plate of food in front of me and switched it for an empty plate from across the table.
My mom had obviously planned for Ace to sit next to me—hence the two untouched spots side by side across the table—but I didn’t feel like being near him right now. I needed space.
My dad watched me with a raised brow from the head of the table, a glass of whiskey in his hand. He looked at Ace, then back at me, silently asking me if I had a reason for him to knock his teeth out.
As tempting as that offer was, I shook my head. A fight between Ace and my dad would end up doing more harm than good.
I just needed to get through this dinner so I could crawl into bed and sleep until morning.
My dad nodded, accepting my answer without question. I knew the offer was always on the table though.
“All right, that’s enough, boys,” he called out. “Everyone, sit down. It’s time to eat.”
My brothers scrambled to take their seats, still chatting and arguing over who would hang out with Ace after dinner.
Ace’s eyes found me and then zeroed in on Griffin sitting at my side. He glowered. I gulped.
“Dotty, you stole my spot!” Elliot pouted.
“You can sit somewhere else, Elliot,” my dad told him, gesturing to one of the empty chairs across from me.
“Fine,” Elliot grumbled. He stomped over and plopped down in a chair.
Ace, on the other hand, didn’t seem so willing to sit somewhere he didn’t want to.
He rounded the table and bent down next to Griffin, whispering something I couldn’t hear. Griffin’s eyes widened, and he paused his eating.
Then, as if his seat had been lit on fire, he shot up and grabbed his plate, scrambling to the empty spot next to Elliot.
With a pleased smirk plastered on his lips, Ace swiftly grabbed a clean plate and sat down next to me.