Laying on the grass, the warm sun lingered on my skin. It felt comfortable, like a warm blanket enveloping my entire body as I just laid on the grass in the garden of the house. The clouds came and went. Turning into different shapes and passing by, moving on.
Everything seemed to be able to move on. Yet here I was, right back to the beginning. I couldn't believe what was happening right now. I couldn't believe Ace was alive. I felt a relief but at the same time, I was angry. Deep down, I always felt like he wasn't gone, that he would one day just come back and I would give him everything he had left me. Despite my feelings, I tried to move on like how everyone told me to. It took me time, a lot of time to move on. But now I was back to where I first started. Confused, shocked, angry, and scared.
I wasn't sure how long I've been out here. All I could think about was my encounters with Liam for the past few months. Him being the closest thing I had to a friend, actually, even more than just a friend. But the fact that this was all a lie. I get up and notice the sun starting to set. It's probably been a few hours, but to me it felt like seconds.
Walking back to the front door, I noticed David's car parked at the front which meant he was here. I opened the door and walked to the living room where to my surprise, everyone was sitting.
Dr. Ashley, Molly, David, and him, Ace.
Molly had tears in her eyes and David was just surprised. I'm guessing they were told the news...
As soon as I walk in, everyone turns to face me. No one says anything.
I clear my throat and try my best to say strongly "I'm ready to talk" making eye contact with him
Molly, David and Dr. Ashley all get up leaving the room to give us privacy. David stops and places his hand on my shoulder mouthing "are you okay?"
I nod my head and he gives me a soft smile, leaving the room.
After standing there for a couple of seconds, I sit beside Ace on the sofa, facing him.
I don't look up at him but just look down, avoiding eye contact. He finally breaks the silence.
"Alexandra, I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you-" I cut him off with a question
"What do I call you? Ace or Liam?" I ask looking up to meet his gaze
He's a bit taken back at my question. He looks away and lets out a breath and doesn't answer. I guess he didn't think this through...
I continue speaking, "Tell me why" I say softly with hurt in my voice
He turned his head to face me and noticed the tears in my eyes. He takes a few seconds and finally, he starts from the very beginning. He tells me why.
He starts his story even before the airplane accident, before I had even met him.
"My life held a certain routine. My whole world used to revolve around work, and being successful. That's all I cared about. It wasn't even that I cared, I just had to care.
I wanted more in life. I had money and I could buy anything I wanted. Except for 2 things. Which were true happiness and peace. I wanted to build a new world where I could live without any expectations from society. After the plane crash, and after Veronica left me, I broke Alex. I turned into a horrible person. A monster, who was lonely. I had no one. All I wanted was to change and become a new person. Someone who could live a life of happiness and simplicity. Someone like Ace Anderson who had a well known name, would never be able to do that. That was my life, there was no escaping or changing it." I cut him off
"Well clearly there was a way" I scoff
He resumes talking "I had no one in my life who cared about me. So I realized, if I could just leave, fake my own death, become a new person, and live the life I've always wanted, I would be happy. So that's what I did. I told no one, not even Dr. Ashley. I contacted friends outside of the country and paid them to stage everything. The accident, the funeral-" he momentarily stops, takes a breath and continues
"I got into the ambulance that day to be taken for surgery and-" I cut him off
"And you never came back. That was a day I lived over and over Ace. That was the day you DIED!" I yell with tears sliding down my cheek
He cups my face and wipes away my tears with his thumb, I can't help but close my eyes and lean into his touch. I felt so safe. But I come to my senses and push him away
"I never meant to hurt you Alex. That was never my intention" he whispers
I wipe away my tears and compose myself
"Why did you come back? Pretend to be someone else and LIE to me! Do you know how much I hurt after you? After you left me the life you no longer wanted? I had to lie to people who knew you, saying I was your wife! Dealing with reporters for several months, I couldn't leave the house. I was suddenly a widow to someone I didn't even know! My life was messed up, and not to mention, what I was put through emotionally. I grieved for you! For months, I couldn't stop crying. You might have thought I wouldn't care and oh how I wish that was the case, but I was affected. You might have thought that you had no one who cared for you, but I did! I had to live here, adjust to this new life and walk around knowing that this all belonged to YOU, who was now dead! I had anxiety attacks, and panic attac-" I stop talking when I come to a realization and put my head down and let out a small chuckle
"You already know this. I feel so stupid" I yell
"You know how I felt, Liam knows how I felt because I told you this! You've experienced my panic attacks. And yet here I am, telling you what happened as if you never knew." I scoff
I turn back with stern eyes
"You messed up my life Ace Anderson. All because of how arrogant and ungrateful you are! You only thought about yourself, and to top it off, you LIED to me! All these months. You fucking lied, telling me you were this guy named Liam Wilson. Yes, I was stupid and blind not to notice but yet you still lied. I cant believe how foolish I was. I even took you to the memorial gala. Wow you must have thought I was stupid. Telling you my deepest secrets, thinking you were my friend! Why did you have to come back!? And to think I even kissed you. How could you do tha-'' he cuts me off and holds my hand
"Alex, the moment you entered my life, I haven't been able to get my mind off you. Even after leaving, I was hoping to start new but you were all I could think about. The brave and spirited soul you are. You're also the strongest person I know. What I have put you through is not forgivable and I know I am an ass for what I have done, but I had to come back. I wanted to tell you, I was going to. I was just waiting, for the right moment. I needed to be in your life, to have a second chance at being a better person, for you. To have a chance at loving you. I loved you Alexandra, and I still do" he says
I pull my hand away "Lying and pretending to be someone else isn't love. This isn't love" I sneer angrily.
I get up and before leaving the room, I turn to him to say one last thing that I knew would hurt him, but not as much as he's hurt me-
"You failed at trying to become a new and better person, because you're still the monster you were before"
Leaving the living room, I see Dr. Ashley, Molly and David standing near the stairs
"Alex dear, is every-" I cut Molly off and turned to Dr. Ashley
I was no longer sad. I was only angry.
"You knew! You've known all these months! How could you not tell me? You knew what I went through and yet all you did was give me pills! What kind of Doctor are you? What kind of friend are you" I spit out to him and walk up the stairs
Dr. Ashley and Molly call out to me saying a few things but I block them out. I only focus on one goal, which was getting out of here as quickly as I can. I get to my room and take out a small duffle bag. I try to pack a few clothes, everything that was necessary as fast as I could. I hear a knock on my door and I ignore it.
After I pack everything I nee, I open my door and see Molly standing there talking, but I don't listen to anything she says
I walk into the home office and go to the desk, pulling out a few documents and I grab my keys.
I walk down the stairs with Molly still following me. I see Ace standing there talking to Dr. Ashley. I drop my suitcase on the floor and walk over to him.
"What are you doing?" Ace asks me
I pass him the keys and the documents
"Here are all the keys I was given to the house, and recent work documents on what's going on right now at the office. Your room hasn't been touched so your belongings are still there. Everything is honestly the same as you left it. Im sure David will fill you in with all the updates at the office. I will come back to move the rest of my stuff out later. I'll make an appointment with the lawyer to move all the assets back to you" I say with a stern voice
"Alex can you stop this, please-" I cut him off
"Molly call me a cab please" I say
"No need, I'll drive you wherever you need to go" David says
"No, Alex, you're not leaving. Where the hell are you going? You live here, this is YOUR house, your company. You have your own cars. Please stay, we can work things out, we just need to talk" Ace says trying to give me back the house keys
I look him dead cold in the eye, those icy blue eyes that screamed "Ace"
"You are back, therefore my job here is done. I want nothing to do with you anymore Ace Anderson" I say and pick up my duffle bag, heading out the door.
--
Its not over yet!!
Thank you for reading!!
New update coming soon