Unity

Take me home

I couldn't stop my sobs, I felt pathetic sat in ronans truck crying over a guy who clearly didn't care about me. We'd been driving for a few minutes, Ronan glancing at me every now and then. I presumed he was probably wondering when I was going to stop crying, I guess that made two of us. I just couldn't believe Ace would've done that to me, it made me think of how many times it could've happened or when. I felt sick imagining him with her but I couldn't stop myself from doing so.

I held my breath, closing my eyes as I tried to control myself but I was like an open dam. I'd cried that much that I was beginning to hiccup, the action ripping through my chest. I'd curled in on myself the moment Ronan had helped me into his truck, facing away from the window feeling too embarrassed to even look at him. I opened my eyes, watching the streetlights pass and I think it was the first time I'd ever seen these streets so empty.

Ronan suddenly stopped the truck and I looked around, he'd stopped in the middle of the street. "I can't drive while you cry like that."

I pressed my lips together, attempting to blink my tears away. The rage I'd felt before had disappeared, draining away and being replaced by nothing but heartbreak and despair. "I'm sorry." I managed to choke out, wiping at my face with the sleeve of my jacket.

"No." He spoke and I heard him move before I was being pulled towards him. He wrapped his arms around my body, his touch filling me with warmth and at first I'd tensed up against him before I relaxed. He held me so tight I was sure I was going to disappear, but strangely enough his touch held me together. Slowly but surely my sobs were quietening, my shoulders stilling and I slowly felt like I could breathe again.

"I just don't get it." I whispered, wiping at my face awkwardly because of the tight hold he had on my body. "I thought he loved me." Ronan shifted, his arms moving from around me and I could feel the tears building up at the backs of my eyes. I made sure to stay facing the window, knowing I probably looked awful. His hand gently nudged at my shoulder, turning me to face him.

I looked down at my hands not wanting to see his reaction but with the knuckle of his finger he lifted my chin forcing me to look at him. His brown eyes looked almost black in this light, making him harder to fathom. "I know I don't know a lot of things about love but if there is one thing I know it's that someone who truly loves you would never do something like that to you."

A lone tear trailed down my cheek and he used his thumb to brush it away. "I don't think I've ever seen someone so beautiful when they cry." He chuckled, pulling his hand away. "You're a prize Ava and any good man would be lucky to have you."

I didn't know what to say to him so just nodded, he nodded back before turning the key. The truck roared to life, filling the silence with a thrumming noise. Before we could pull away the noise was joined with the unmistakable sound of bikes, Ronan cursed under his breath pulling the truck into park before pulling his keys out. He looked in his rear view mirror, an angry look beginning to form that I could just make out.

"Stay here." He instructed, pulling his seatbelt away and climbing out. "Don't you think you've done enough for one day Ace?"

"Where is she?" I leaned to look out of the side mirror, Ronan stood in front of Ace menacingly while he tried to steal a glance inside of the truck.

"Leave her alone." Aces focus snapped back to Ronan and he shoved at his chest angrily.

"Or what Ronan?" He snapped, his face scrunched up angrily. "You'll call off the deal? I don't care!"

Ronan scoffed, crossing his arms over one another as he stared Ace down. "Put your hands on me again Ace and the deal being off will be the least of your problems." The power in his voice sent shivers down my spine and I closed my arms tighter around myself, huddling down into my coat as I watched the mirror closely. I didn't want a fight to break out but I had a feeling if things played out like I thought they were going to it would be inevitable.

"Fuck you Ronan!" Ace spat, shoving at him again and my hand shot to the door handle awaiting Ronans reaction. "You don't call the shots your dad does, you can't do anything without his say so."

Ronan chuckled, a cold sound that was bitter and emotionless. "I let you have that first one but that second one you're gonna have to pay for." He started to shuffle out of his cut, revealing tattooed arms peeking out beneath an all white t shirt. He threw the cut in the bed of his truck. Ace mistaken him for being off guard already swinging at him but Ronan had anticipated it, ducking around it.

At the same time ronans arm shot out, landing a body shot on Ace that had visibly winded him. "Maybe you haven't heard Ace but my da isn't the president anymore. I am so no I can do this." He punched him again, sending him sprawling into his bike. I yanked open the door, swinging my body out of the truck urgently. By the time I'd made it out of the truck Ace was back on his feet, swinging at Ronan but missing him.

Ronan was quick and calculated, he already knew what Aces next move was before he'd even thought it. Ace was getting brutally beaten and a part of me was enjoying watching but the bigger part, the stupider part that still loved him wanted it to end. "Ronan!" I shouted, my voice firm and as he pinned Ace against the bed of his truck he stopped. "Please."

The pleading in my tone made him still and he glanced down at Ace, back at me before sighing. He let Ace go, leaving him to crumple onto the ground before wiping his hands on his jeans. "You're lucky she's here Ace." He told him, picking his cut back up from the truck and throwing it back on. "Just remember you don't know what you've had until it's gone."

I stood by the passenger door, torn between climbing back into my seat and running to check on Ace. I looked over at Ronan and I could tell he was waiting for my next move. "Take me home." He nodded, not bothering to look back at Ace and strangely enough neither did I. I clambered back into the truck, clipping my seatbelt in place. Ronan was looking at me and I met his gaze.

"You alright?" I nodded, peering into the side view mirror and unsurprisingly Ace was rounding my side of the truck. I groaned and Ronan too had noticed him approaching, he turned the engine on but I lifted my hand.

"Wait." He moved his hand, leaving the truck in park. Ace looked terrible now, the cut that Gunner had given him had split open again. He'd also now split open his eyebrow and lip, a black eye already beginning to form. I wondered how Ronan had done such a number on him in so very little time. Ace looked at me pleadingly from the other side of the window and I wound it down. He opened his mouth to talk but I interrupted him.

"Shut up." I snapped. "Ace I meant it when I told you I didn't want to talk to you and I meant it when I told you I'm taking the Yale offer. I'm done, we are done." Ace rolled his lips together, desperation clawing at his features.

"Please Ava." He begged but I shook my head, putting my window back up. I looked at Ronan and nodded, Ace had stepped away from the truck. When I looked back in the rear view mirror he'd stood in the road, watching me go.

"You're a strong girl Ava." Ronan told me, his hand finding mine that had been resting on the seat between us before squeezing it. "This storm shall pass and the sun will shine again."