26 | i l o v e y o u

"Do you wanna go on a date?"

I turned around in my desk and looked at my best friend. "Lils, I didn't know you batted for both teams."

"Shut up! I meant like a friendship date," she rolled her eyes at me.

I pretended to think deeply and nodded slowly. "I think that you could have just asked me to hang out with you."

"I wanted to be cute, okay?" She admitted with a sigh.

I blinked my eyelashes flirtingly. "Well in that case, I would love to go on a friendship date with you Lilli."

"Yes!" She yelled louder than she should have in the classroom.

"Can you keep it down? I'm trying to take notes," Ace spoke up sarcastically from in front of me.

Lilli scoffed. "You're just jealous that I'm taking Rose out on a date before you do."

"Am not. Besides, we've been on a date," he pouted.

I lifted an eyebrow. "When?"

Ace looked wounded that I didn't remember our so called date. "When I was trying to get you to talk to me again. Remember? The note? The flowers? The chicken nuggets?"

"Chicken strips," I corrected.

He held up his hands in surrender. "That was a date."

"You never formally asked me on a date. You didn't even like me then," I amended.

Lilli chuckled. "Okay, sure."

"I did too! You were just oblivious," Ace told me.

I rolled my eyes. "Right."

"So, you want me to formally ask you on a date?" Ace quirked. I squinted, processing what he was probably about to do.

It would probably be stupid and embarrassing.

I heard Lilli sigh beside me and lean back in her chair, arms across her chest in defeat. Ace smirked at me and then stood up.

In the middle of class.

"I have something to say," Ace announced to our teacher and class.

Our teacher just rolled her eyes. "Yes, Mr. Carter?"

"I wanted to ask my girl out on a date," he paused. "Formally."

I closed my eyes and let my face hit my desk. End my suffering. "Is this really necessary, Mr. Carter?" She asked.

Ace merely shrugged with his heart stopping smile and proceeded. "So, what do you say Mel? Will you go on a date with me?"

I lifted my head miserably and winced when I saw the whole class's eyes on me. "If I say yes, will you never torture me like this again?" He nodded encouragingly. "Then yes."

His smile widened and he looked back to our teacher. "Okay, I'm done."

"Thank god," I heard her mutter.

I saw Lilli pouting in her seat. I turned my body back to Ace. "I'll go out with you after Lilli and I go on our friendship date though."

Lilli perked up. "Really? You'd choose our friendship date over a real date with that?" She gestured to Ace.

"Of course I would. Chicks before dicks and all that jazz," I smiled at her and nodded.

Ace frowned. "But you guys get to hang out everyday! I only see her at school and sometimes for dinner. Lilli gets all night."

Lilli chuckled. "What are you talking about?"

Oh shit.

"She lives with you," he said.

Oh no no no no.

Lilli tilted her head. "No, she lives with you," she stated, a little hesitant now.

"Mel moved out a while ago. She said she was staying with you," Ace's voice picked up some anger.

Fuck.

Lilli turned and looked at me and I stared at my lap. "Rose, what is he talking about?"

I pretended not to hear her.

"Mel, I swear to god if you're staying with that piece of shit again," Ace's voice was low and guttural.

I swallowed harshly. "It's not a big deal," I murmured.

Ace looked like he wanted to say more but our teacher interrupted with, "no more talking! Do you three want detention?"

"We'll talk about this after class," Ace told me.

Can't wait.

The end of first period came way too quick. I was dreading what Ace would say about my current living situation, mostly because he would probably be right.

I tried to edge my way around his tall figure and onto my next class, but he wasn't having it.

"Where do you think you're going?" Ace's eyebrow lifted in an arch.

I chuckled nervously. "Oh. You wanted to talk to me now?"

His expression didn't change. "Yes Mel, I would like to talk to you now. Preferably, in my car."

"Why? So you can kill me and then drive my body out to the woods?" I asked lightly.

Ace merely blinked and started walking to the front of the school. I followed him like a lost puppy.

When we reached his car, he held open the door for me while I got in. He shut the door lightly and moved to his side. When he got in, he stared at me as if he was trying to read my mind.

"Why would you lie to me Mel? I thought you trusted me," he admitted sourly.

I shook my head. "I do trust you Ace. I told you I was living with Lilli back when I was still mad at you."

"So, what? You just forgot you were living back with your abusive father after we made up?" He sounded angry and concerned, a scary combination.

I took a deep breath. "I wish you had been there to see it Ace. I actually stood up for myself and didn't take his shit. He backed down, he really did. I feel a lot safer living there now. He can't hurt me if I don't let him."

"It's not about that Mel. Don't you get it? You lied to me," he whispered, hurt sounding from every syllable he spoke.

I swallowed thickly. "I don't like pushing my problems onto someone else. Your family was so kind, letting me stay at your house. But I felt like I was abusing it. I couldn't stay there forever. And the same with Lilli; her family would let me stay, no doubt. But I hate using our friendship as an excuse to have somewhere to sleep. I'm sorry for lying to you but I'm not sorry for staying with Charlie. I needed to learn to handle things on my own, and that's exactly what I did. I'm proud of myself for standing up for him and I want you to be proud of me too."

Tears had started to well on top of my lower lash line and threatened to fall. Ace stared at me for a few seconds before pulling my body toward his. His arms wrapped around me and his hold squeezed the breath out of me.

"Sweetheart, I'm incredibly proud of you for standing up to your father, you have no idea. But you have to understand that I just want you safe, at all times, under every circumstance," he whispered into my hair, right next to my ear.

I shivered at our close proximity and held him tighter. "And I love you for that," I let out without thinking.

Ah fuck.

"You what?" Ace pulled me back and his eyes frantically searched mine.

I kept my big mouth shut and suddenly I felt very, very hot. My blush was probably the intensity of Lilli's favorite red lipstick.

There was no way I had just said that. Even though it was true, I loved Ace, it was scarier when said out loud, out in the open and to him directly. Plus, he didn't feel it back; it wasn't possible. He didn't even want to be my boyfriend.

"Melrose Rae King, did you just say what I think you did?" Ace prodded.

I shook my head.

He grinned.

"Say it again."

I shook my head once more.

Ace stared at me again, his eyes moving back and forth from my eyes to my lips, where the words "I love you" had just tumbled from them.

I shied away from him, knowing that if he had somehow felt the same way, he would have said it already. The moment my body was no longer in contact with his warmth, I felt cold; physically, yes, but also mentally.

He didn't love me back.

And even though I already figured that, it still hurt like a bitch. My eyes teared up again and I opened his car door and got out. Ace was still sitting there, looking stunned but I just wanted to get away as soon as possible.

I made it halfway across the parking lot when Ace finally shook himself out of his stupor and ran to me from his car. At this point, my tears had already found their way down my cheeks and I sniffled, unhappily.

"Mel, what wrong?" He stopped me and pulled me off to the side by some other cars.

I shook my head, since it seemed that that was all I was capable of doing since telling him how I felt. He couldn't really see my face because I kept my head down so my hair waterfalled over my face.

He lifted my chin and flinched a little when he saw my tears. He swiped them away quickly and pulled my head into his chest. "You're okay baby."

I let out a sob into his chest and soon after, I felt his hand in my hair as he stroked reassuringly.

"Tell me what's got you upset," he whispered.

I sniffed again, trying to stop acting like a baby. "I'm embarrassed."

"Because you told me you love me?" I could hear the confusion in Ace's voice.

I nodded. "I said that to you but you don't feel it back," and then I sobbed again. I tried to burrow my face in his chest again but he pulled me back and kissed my forehead.

"Why do you think that?"

My watery eyes met his, "think what?"

"That I don't love you," he swallowed harshly.

My eyes continued to well. "You didn't say it back."

"I mean, you didn't give me much time. I was pretty shocked you were the one to say it first," he told me without shame.

My eyes widened. "What are you saying Ace?"

He pecked my lips quickly and swiped underneath my eyes again. "I'm saying that I'm in love with you King."

And fuck, I started sobbing again.

^ both of these are me right now.

I'm gonna be honest, this entire chapter was not in my plans but holy shit, I'm happy it happened.

I actually sobbed while writing this not gonna lie.

So this chapter was over 1,700 words of AMAZINGNESS and FLUFF. suddenly, happiness is the only thing Ace and Mel deserve.

Prove me wrong.

Anyway, thank you for getting this book to 5k this past week! I love you all.

See you next chapter!