Till Death Unites Us

Chapter 22

Hey everyone! New chapter is here! You really need to brace yourselves for this though! XP Don't hate us; we know we're evil but our muse is to blame! *evil grin* -M&N

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Ace's POV:

I drop off Eternity at her home and drive away. I watch her waving in my rearview mirror till her figure completely fades. I drive for 15 minutes before I stop and pull over at the side of the road. I receive a text from her.

Thank you, Ace. I would have never survived this breakdown without you by my side. Call me when you're free. XOXO

I feel like my whole world is shaking and tumbling down when I get this text. She hasn't failed Alex. I had failed both of them. Hell, I am even failing her now.

"Shit!" I ball my fists and repeatedly hit the driving wheel hard enough till my fists redden. "Fuck!" I groan. "Fuck you, father. Fuck you, everyone I agreed to work with on such a fucked up case!" I yell at my reflection, and when I get no answer, I spit on it. "I'm a fucked up asshole!! I just lied to the only girl I loved! The only girl who wasn't afraid to fucking trust me!! The only girl who took me seriously!!"I say under my breath as I tighten my grip on the driving wheel, my knuckles turning white. "I love her." I whisper to no one. Every memory of us passes in front of me, and we are happy. So happy. Fuck you, universe! Messing up my only chance at happiness! As if taking away my family wasn't enough, you jerk! Why couldn't you let me have this one shot at self-redeem; why?! I'm not that bad! I had to do it!! Just let me be with her! I need her; I can't continue to exist without her; she's my eternity. Don't take my eternity away; it's the only thing I have left. I'm the reason she's miserable. My eyes begin to tear up. I cooperated with those motherfuckers, to make her miserable!I took away her Alex! I fucking set the house on fire! You assholes are the reasons she has visions, the reason why she never sleeps at night, the reason she lost her friends, the reason her whole life turned upside down! I bang my head on the driving wheel, as memories of that deal come rushing back.

"I told you before I no longer want anything to do with you," I say, my voice hostile.

"What makes you think I would make a deal with you?" "Trust me, kid, this is a deal you won't resist," He pushes a piece of paper towards me. My eyes widen at the number written. "We know your old man kicked you out."H takes a whiff of his cigarette.

"And you're doing this out of the kindness of your heart?" I say, smirking coldly, ignoring the urge to punch him for calling me 'kid'.

"Everything has a price with you, what do you want?" The man's eyes glint, "Easy and simple. There is a man who took from me something that wasn't his. I want him to pay."He pushes me another paper, this one with a name and an address on it. Stephen Reed. He starts telling me the details.

Disgusted, I push the check paper back towards him. "No, thanks. I will find another way." I am ready to turn my back on the scum bag when his men hold me in place.

He is glaring at me, "I wasn't asking. The check is just a bonus. You do this, or I tell the police about the little incident with your dad, and we have enough connections to make it all seem like it was all your fault. Think about it, rebel teen, prone to violence, beats up his own mom into a coma, just the sort of thing you'd see in a newspaper."

I glare at them.

I'm so angry I'm seconds away from ripping away their arms and then using that cigarette to burn that smirk off his face, but he's holding a gun. You don't bring fists to a gun fight. I guess he takes my silence as consent, because the men's arms loosen around my shoulders, "We will keep in contact," He pushes his face closer to mine, "And just so you know, you breathe a word about this to anyone, and I will put a bullet in both of your heads."

She can never know about this. Not just because she will hate me forever, but because it will kill her. My dad's little friends made that point pretty clear, and I didn't doubt that they'd make good on their word. And I can't leave her. Not after I promised her I will never leave her alone. I can't lose the only good thing that has ever happened to me. She made me whole again-I love her laugh. I love how she talks back to me. I love it when she gives me that exasperated look that's only half serious. I love how vulnerable and strong at the same time she is-I love her. Taking a deep breath, I pull out my phone and reply to her text,

Anytime, sweetheart. I told you I'm always here for you.

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