Ace gives me a ride home after we leave Little Owl. As he pulls up in front of the penthouse, I notice that the living room lights are on. I groan. “Great.”
“Want me to come in with you?” He asks quietly, eyes wandering between me and the road ahead.
I shake my head, “No, they will only get more pissed when they see you. Thanks though,” I smile at him, “And not just for this, you know, for everything.”
His smile is tight and when I lean in to kiss him, he doesn’t deepen it. Oh god. Here it goes. The other shoe is finally dropping and he has realized how much of a freak I really am. I mean he must have, after a story like that. Stupid, Eternity, stupid! Great, I just scared away the first guy I like in a really long time away. Did you really expect him to stay after seeing your dark past? Why would a guy like Ace Moreno want some damaged goods when he can have one of those perfect girls? Like Chloe? I start to get out of the car, but being the perceptive bastard he is, he probably saw my little panic attack in my eyes, because he pulls me back to him and gives me a kiss that should be censored, you know, the one that speaks louder than words? I wave at him as he drives away, and sigh as I prepare for a probably very unpleasant encounter. Give me the guillotine anytime now.
“Where the hell have you been? And who is that boy who drove you?” That’s what greets me the moment I walk in the house. Hello to you too, Mother.
“I was staying at Ivy’s, and didn’t see a point in checking in before I went to school.” I shrug and her frown deepens.
“Eternity, I have been calling and texting, but you have been gone all day, and a few days ago you ended up in the hospital; sweetheart, is everything okay with you?”
I narrow my eyes, “I’m fine,” I say quietly before my eyes widen at the hidden meaning between the lines, “Oh my god,” I say, “You actually think I tried to hurt myself?”
She holds a hand up, “I just want to tell you that I know that losing Alex was hard on you, and I know you think I don’t notice those things, Eternity, but you’ve been different lately, distant, and now you’re back with some boy—“
“He’s not ‘some boy’, okay? His name is Ace. And weren’t you the one who wanted me to go out more?” I snap at her.
“Because I was worried about you after everything that happened—“ She starts to say and I cut her off, “You were worried? Are you kidding me? You two are gone most of the time, even when I need you most. I have been taking care of myself since I was ten! You can’t just disappear from my life and then show up and try to be a mother. And ‘that boy’ has been a hell lot more helpful than you’ve been, Mom! At least he doesn’t think I tried to kill myself!” I take a deep breath, “Good day, Mom.” I stomp upstairs to my room, and sit on my bed, arms crossed over my chest as I shoot daggers at every little thing. After realizing the stuffed bears haven’t done anything to warrant being incinerated by an angry Hayes, I huff and pull out my phone. I text Ace to thank him for everything he has done today before I reply to Ivy who asks if I got home okay. I haven’t told her about the fire, and I don’t know how I will. Cause just how do you tell your best friend that you failed to save someone whose life counted on you? Again? Sighing, I start to dial Angel’s number.
***
Fifteen miutes after I dialed Angel’s number, the doorbell rings. I run out of my room and downstairs to find my mom heading towards the door.
“I’ll get it; it’s for me.” I mutter quickly.
She stands frozen in her place, probably musing at how energetic I am today (a scene she hasn’t seen since the fire.)
I open the door to reveal an angry Angel; I told her about everything on the phone. I hug her, and we break apart too quickly. Wow, she must be fuming.
“Hey, Anne.” She says.
“Evangeline,” Mom nods at her, and I do my best to drag her upstairs before the second Cold War breaks out in my penthouse. I know I’ll be the only one knowing it’s happening ‘cause my dad would probably think it’s just a fly wandering in our living room or something.
I close the door to my room and sit down beside Angel on my bed.
“Why is she here?” Angel asks as soon as I sit down beside her. “Did she suddenly feel that her daughter has been alone for the past six years?!”
“Angel, please, I didn’t call you to talk about my parents.” I plead for her to calm down.
She was doing just that when my mom knocks on the door.
“Ughh!!!” I groan as I open the door. Mom just pushes me aside and steps in, “I’m sorry, Angel, you need to leave,” she says firmly, “Eternity needs to have lunch and do her homework.”
I snort out loud, causing mom to glance at me, “What? What did you just say, Mom? How old do you think I am?”
“Eternity! Wait! I’ve got this.” Angel interrupts.
She stands up in front of my mom, holding her gaze like nobody has ever done, “I’m not going anywhere, Anne. The daughter you abandoned needs me, and I won’t let her down. Enough disappointments; she’s had more than her fair share. You’ll walk out that door and have lunch with your husband, and when Eternity is comfortable enough, she’ll join you; I’m sure she’s old enough to decide when to do her homework, too.”
Mom eyes her up and down before leaving; she turns to me, “We’re leaving after tomorrow to Rome; tomorrow will be our last day here; use it, Eternity. We really miss you, and we want to catch up.” She turns and leaves.
I’m still looking at the door when Angel’s voice jolts me out of my pondering, “Come, Eternity, I’m ready to hear whatever it is you want to tell me.”
I sit at my desk across from the bed and rest my head on my hand, “I told him.”
“You told him what exactly?”
“Everything,” I breathe out.
“Everything? Including the…” She hesitates to say the word.
“Yes, including the fire; he already knew about the visions.”
“He did?” She gasps.
“Yes, he has them too.”
“How?”
“I don’t know; it was a secret back then; maybe now he’d be willing to tell me.” I answer and for the third time, wonder what exposed his soul to the darkness.
“And how did he take it?” Angel questions vigilantly, afraid I might shatter at her words.
“I don’t know.. He was really sweet when I first started telling him, even throughout the whole story, he was always there to soothe me. But… when he dropped me off… I felt that he was scared, like his smile was tight and he stared absentmindedly… He didn’t even reply to my thank-you text.” I feel my eyes watering, and I wipe the tears away quickly. “Do you think I scared him away? Do you think he might leave?” I say, my voice cracking at the end.
Angel’s expression softens as she says, “No, Eternity, he won’t. I’ve seen the way he looks at you and heard the way you talk about him. You two are endgame, Eternity; I can’t describe how happy I am that you found your soulmate after Alex.” She pauses to contain her emotions, which are now all over the place; I haven’t seen her that touched since Alex’s funeral. “You’ve just revealed a big part about yourself that he didn’t know existed, okay? He’s just confused, or he might want time to adjust to the new part added to the Eternity he knows and cares about. Plus, who knows what your story triggered about his past? You gotta be open to all the possibilities that he might need some time to adapt.”
“So, during that ‘time’, he won’t realize he’s better off without me?”
“Eternity, stop it! Your insecurities are getting the best of you. I wanna ask you a question.”
I nod for her to go on.
“How many times have you set expectations for Ace, and he surpassed it?”
I think for a moment and say, “Almost everytime. Starting from the time he stood Chloe up for me to the times he helped me save everyone we see in the visions to him soothing me today when I told him about everything. Not once had he let me down.”
Angel smiles at me and says, “See that smile on your face?”
Only then do I realize I’m smiling; Ace seems to have quite the effect on me.
“That’s why I know he won’t leave. You make him happy, Eternity, and you know he makes you happier than you’ve ever been.”
Satisfied with her answer I walk up to her and kiss her on the cheek. “I honestly don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Her phone beeps, and she grabs her things, “I’m sorry, Eternity, it’s an emergency, I have to get to the hospital.”
“It’s okay, go save lives!” I yell and get her beautiful laugh as an answer before I hear the slamming of the door. I take out my biology homework and smile dreamily at it, deciding I’d give Ace his space to adapt, knowing he’d be back for me.
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Do you think Eternity is too insecure? Any guesses why Ace is acting strange? :P Well, you'll see next chapter. *evil grin* Don't forget to vote and comment! XD -M&N