Chapter 14

14

LIBBY

M y emotions are all over the place. I’d fallen asleep in Ace’s arms. I felt warm and protected. Now everything is changing. I know it’s partly my fault. When I called my sister this morning with tears in my eyes, telling her that I missed her, it put her in gear. She’d called to tell me that she and Garrett were on their way here.

Ace is downstairs, so I'm unable to tell him. I wonder whether I should head downstairs to find him. Why hadn’t I thought to add his number to my phone? Probably because he is always next to me. That is about to change now that the storm has passed.

Then he’ll be here with pretty Joe while I’m off to the woods with my sister to her love-cabin. That is going to be hard to be around because my sister is madly in love. There is no way it is not going to pour off her. Heck, half the time Winter calls, she is sitting in Garrett’s lap or he is very close by. They’re adorable, and I love that for her, but I want it too. Not with anyone but Ace, but I have no clue what we are to each other.

He has been introducing me to the outside world, and I am uncertain if our touching and kissing are simply a component of that. Sex and relationships are drastically different here. We couldn’t even hold hands with a boy where I’m from. This for Ace could be casual, and I don’t think I can ask him either. It would put him on the spot.

I pace back and forth, craving to see Ace. I grab another pair of his boxer briefs and roll them up along with a new shirt to put on and my shoes. I want us to have a moment to ourselves before my sister shows up here, but that might not be possible. He’s with Joe. That thought makes my stomach turn.

I can't help but be bothered by that. Joe was nice. I can’t forget how beautiful either. She was freaking tall, too. I bet she was six inches taller than me. Not as tall as Ace, but still. Her long, dark hair cascaded down her back, accentuating her curves. I look down at my own body, engulfed by Ace's shirt. I’ve never once thought of myself in that way.

I huff, annoyed at myself. Joe is all woman, where I’m all girl. Not to mention my limp. My father consistently stated that no one was interested in marrying me because of it. Ace said that’s bullshit, but he’s always sweet, trying to build me up. He’s a good man. One that I might have taken advantage of even if he tries to deny it.

I open the door but pause at the top of the stairs. When I hear Ace's voice, I start to go down, but when I reach the bottom, the week before comes flooding back. The first and only time I actually came through this back door. The day my whole world changed. I take a deep breath to calm myself.

My eyes linger on the hallway Ace pointed out that night, saying the bar was that way. I listen again but don't hear anything. Then a feminine laugh filters down the hallway. I fight the urge not to turn and flee back up the stairs because I know that laughter has to be over something Ace had said to Joe. Have they even had casual sex before? Did he kiss and leave hickeys on her skin too?

I follow the sounds of Joe’s voice. I can’t make out what she is saying, but I don’t hear Ace respond. I stop in front of a metal door that is open wide. I lean forward to peek in.

Ace is down on his knees working on something while Joe is standing over him with a flashlight in her hands. My eyes meet those of another man. He’s in jeans and a flannel shirt. He appears to be significantly older than Ace.

He quickly removes his white cowboy hat. “What do we have here?” he asks. Both Ace and Joe turn their heads my way. Ace's eyes narrow as they scan up and down my body. He abruptly stands and shoves a silver-looking tool into the other man's chest.

“Finish it,” Ace orders before he’s stalking toward me. I take a few steps back and stop when my back meets the wall. “What are you doing?”

“Are you mad or something?” I can feel the tension rolling off of him. But I’m unsure of the reasoning behind it. Is he upset that I interrupted his time with Joe?

“I thought we didn’t ask questions to not answer other questions?”

“My sister is on her way.” Ace clenches his jaw; I see a tic. “Why are you so mad?”

“I’m just trying to fix the air pump so everything doesn’t go to shit.” I don't believe that's the reason he's upset. I tilt my head to the side, staring up into his handsome face. “Don’t want you roaming around down here.” His hands come down on both sides of me, caging me in.

“Why?” Is he embarrassed of me? He hadn’t seemed like he wanted to introduce me to Joe either, but there wasn’t much of a choice. Now this man with the cowboy hat.

“Babe—”

“Libby!” my sister shouts.

“Winter!” I push on Ace’s chest to see my sister stepping through the back door. I bolt toward her. She meets me halfway, wrapping me in a giant hug. It’s all too much. I burst into tears. Winter does too.

I knew we were both out, but finally getting to see her in person makes it all that much more real. “We did it.” Winter presses her forehead to mine.

“You did it.” It was thanks to her that we managed to escape. Winter had the courage to leave that night for the both of us.

“We. Without you, I don’t think I could have pushed myself to do it.” I hug her again. “Now you gotta meet my Garrett.” Winter sniffles, stepping back. I have met him, but not in person. He and Ace are built the same, but Garrett has a much more stoic expression. It’s intimidating.

Winter runs her hand up Garrett’s chest. She is clearly not intimidated by him in the least. “This is my sister.” Winter beams.

“Nice to see you in person, Libby.”

“Nice to meet you too.” I give him the best smile I can muster up right now. I’m not sure how I feel, but I am grateful. “Thank you for everything.”

“And thank you,” Winter says loudly. I turn to see Ace standing right behind me.

“No thanks needed.”

“You got my sister back for me. That means everything to me.” Winter takes my hand. “I brought you some clothes.”

“I have some that should be delivered today,” Ace cuts in.

“I’m sure you’ll need more, but these I have now.” Garrett hands her a bag. “There somewhere you can change? I’m sure you want out of your shirt dress.” Not really, but I can't say that. Can I?

“Do I get jeans too?” I’d been so excited to see her I hadn't noticed what she was wearing until now.

“I got you jeans,” Ace cuts in again.

“Thank you, Ace,” I say, but now he too has a stoic expression.

“We need to talk,” Garrett tells Ace. “The girls can use your place to get changed, right?”

"Yes," Ace acknowledges, but it doesn't seem as though he truly agrees.

“Come on.” Winter tugs on my hand. “It’s up here, right?” She keeps on pulling me toward the stairs. I have no choice but to follow her. "I thought he was the more upbeat twin," Winter asks when we make it back up to our place. Crap, Ace's place. It's not mine. I need to keep reminding myself of that before I become too attached. Even though I believe it’s a bit too late for the latter part.

"I don't know. He's been acting kind of different today," I admit. Maybe Winter can help me figure out what the heck is going on with Ace. Not that she has any more experience with men than I do, but she is dating and living with his twin brother. She has to have some sort of insight.

"Something happened?" Winter puts the bag down on the kitchen island and starts pulling out clothes.

"I don't know." I shrug. "He's just grumpy, I guess." Winter tilts her head to the side.

“Garrett says Ace is pretty laid back. Always giving him a hard time and has to be doing something.”

“He can be laid back.” I only know Ace with the two of us. This is the first time we’ve been around others. What if I don’t really know him at all? I push that thought away. I won’t accept that. I have been with him day and night for the past seven days.

“Is there anything else you want to tell me? You seem off.”

“It’s just a lot.” That is the truth.

"Yes, it is, but in a good way." She wraps me in another tight hug. “I still can’t believe this. That we made it out of there and are free to live our lives the way we want.”

“I know.” Tears burn in my eyes. Every night, I have been worried that when I went to bed, I would wake up back on the compound, not next to Ace. Sadly, part of that is going to come true, I think. I can't stay with Ace forever. Can I? He hasn't asked me to.

“But it’s not over.” Winter lets out a long breath at my reminder.

“There are others back there.” I nod.

"Garrett assured me that everything will work out, and he hasn't been wrong yet. He always lives up to his word."

“They are really badasses, aren't they?”

“Badass?” Winter laughs.

“What? I can curse now.”

"Yes, you can. It’s pretty fucking awesome. Isn’t it?”

“Ahh!” I laugh with her, loving how carefree we get to be now.

“Go change. Then we can head home.”

My laughter dies. “Home?”

“Well, yeah. You’re coming home with Garrett and me, right?”

“What about Ace? Do I just leave?” Winter glances around Ace’s home.

“Do you want to live with him? Above a bar? He also still does missions.” Her brows pull together. “Do you not want to come with me?”

“What? I didn’t say that.” I grab her hand. I do.

“Then, what is it? Is it Garrett? I know this wasn’t the plan.”

“Don’t, Winter. Of course it’s not Garrett, and really, was there a plan past getting out?”

“I mean, the plan was that it would be you and me.”

“It will always be you and me.” That will never change. “Now, why don’t I go change?” I grab the bag off the kitchen island. Winter nods, but I know she wants to say more.

I simply know that I'm not yet ready.