22. The Heart’s Confession
I felt absolutely ridiculous.
I was waiting by the front door of my house, peering out the window for Ace’s car to pull into my driveway.
Today was the day. I was going to ask out Ace. I was finally going to admit my feelings for him.
Marta was in full support and had even helped me plan my outfit: a pink sundress that I usually only wore on special occasions. This counted, right?
“You should have seen the way Ace looked at you when you showed up at my birthday party wearing that,” she’d said when I FaceTimed her earlier that morning.
“His eyes didn’t leave you the entire night, and he kept licking his lips like he wanted to eat you. Trust me, that’s the dress you want to wear to ask him out.”
Marta had invited the entire school to her house for that birthday party: a fall bonfire before the start of the new school year.
Ace was tense the entire night; he kept me glued to his side and snapped at any men who came too close to me.
I hadn’t thought much of it at the time—Ace was usually a grump—but now… Maybe Marta was right. Ace had rushed me home after the party and spent a particularly long time licking my neck before we’d gone to sleep that night.
And when I wore this dress to a wedding over the following summer, the night ended in a very similar way.
But even if this was a magical dress, like Marta said, I was still extremely nervous.
In addition to my outfit, I put a little extra effort into my makeup, instead of just swiping on some mascara like I normally did, and arranged my hair in two long braids that trailed down my back.
I felt hot.
Marta had also encouraged me to make Ace his favorite coffee and to have it ready for him in a thermos when he got to my house.
So, there I was, standing in a dress that felt way too fancy for school, holding a thermos of hot coffee in a death grip, staring out the window at my driveway, feeling like my heart was going to explode.
It all felt a little over the top.
But it was a big deal. It could change everything.
I thought my parents might suspect something when I came down for breakfast, but thankfully, everybody had already left for school and work, and I didn’t have to worry about having an audience.
The plan was to butter Ace up with coffee and my flirty sundress on the way to school, and once the opportunity presented, ask him to go to the steak restaurant that just opened up downtown.
Ace loved steak—it was his favorite meal—so it was the perfect place to go for our first date.
If he said yes, that is.
He is going to say yes, right?
A huge part of me worried that this was all for nothing. There was always the possibility that he said no
or brushed me off.
But I felt like Ace had been giving me all these cues as of late, hinting that I should admit my feelings for him.
“Tell me what you want, and I’ll give it to you,” Ace had said earlier.
What I wanted was him. Would he hand himself over?
I was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn’t even notice when Ace’s black car pulled into my driveway.
He was walking up to my door, dressed in dark-wash jeans and a brown jacket over a white shirt. His hair was swept back and perfectly styled, although I knew all he’d done was run a comb through it.
It was almost irritating how good looking he was. He was a walking piece of art.
Might there actually be a chance this beautiful man is interested in me?
Before he could reach the door, I grabbed the handle and flung it open, facing Ace with a huge smile on my face.
“Hi,” I said, nearly wincing at how eager I sounded.
Ace glanced behind him, then back at me, his eyebrows pulled together in suspicion. He opened his mouth to respond but paused as his eyes slid down to take in my outfit.
When his gaze met mine again, his irises seemed much darker than before.
“Well, hello,” he drawled, his tongue dipping out to lick his full lips. He reached up and rolled the strap of my dress with his fingers, causing my stomach to explode with a million flutters.
I grinned. Marta was right about the dress.
“I made you coffee.” I thrust the hot thermos toward him. “I figured you could use it after having to sleep next to Wes’s squirming body all night.”
He narrowed his eyes apprehensively before taking it from my hand. He took a sip.
“Mm, my favorite. Did you steal some of your dad’s Brazilian dark roast just for me?”
I shrugged sheepishly. “He had extra.” Total lie. I definitely stole it. And my dad would not be happy if he found out.
“Well, thank you, sweet girl. This was exactly what I needed this morning.” He took another long pull s of hot coffee in of coffee from the thermos and then smiled. “Come on, let’s get you to school. Got your backpack?”
I nodded and grabbed it from its spot near my feet. Ace took it from my hands and slung a strap over his shoulder. With a hand on the small of my back, he led me to the car. I fidgeted the whole way.
Ace paused before opening the passenger door for me. “Are you okay, Doe? What’s got you so nervous?”
I shook my head. Crap, I needed to calm down. Sometimes I forgot he was so good at reading my emotions. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m fine. We should probably get going.”
He hesitated for a moment longer, then said, “All right. If you say so,” and finally opened the door for
me.
I smiled and ducked in.
ty that he said no ***
I was so nervous; my fingernails were sweating.
Ace and I were walking to the gym, our third class of the day. He always dropped me off at the girls’ locker room before making his way to the boys’ across the hall.
Ace had one hand on my waist, keeping me close, while the other furiously typed away on his phone.
Now was the time. No one was around us. I was going to do it.
“So, uh, Ace?” I said. “T-there was something I wanted to ask you.”
“Hmm?” he responded, still frowning at his phone.
I was tempted to make him look up at me, but then thought it might be easier if he didn’t make eye contact with me. “Do you, um, maybe want to go out to dinner together tonight? Like on a date?”
I swallowed. “I know this might be sort of sudden, but I was maybe hoping we could start going out h a huge smile onwith each other…like as more than just friends.
“We hang out with each other enough as it is. Maybe we could make it official.
What…what do you think?”
We came to a halt when we reached the door of the girls’ locker room. I still couldn’t bring myself to look at him. Instead, I kept my chin tucked tightly to my chest.
A few seconds passed. Ace said nothing. Feeling confused, I forced my head up. d rolled the strapAce was still looking at his stupid phone, his brow furrowed in concentration. He hadn’t heard a single word I’d just said. Or maybe he had just ignored it? My stomach lined itself with lead.
“Ace?” I tried again, my voice sounding weak.
“What?” he finally replied, still not looking at me.
Why did it feel like my legs were made of gelatin? “I asked if you wanted to go out for dinner with me
tonight.”
He finally glanced up at me. “Dinner?” d not be happy ifI nodded. “Yeah. We could try that new steak place that just opened downtown if you wanted or we
could, um…”
Once again, he looked down at his phone, obviously not listening to me anymore.
Embarrassment heated the back of my neck, making me feel all hot and clammy.
Holy shit, this is humiliating.
“Never mind,” I whispered, deciding that maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.
Ace seemed to catch the dejection in my tone and looked up at me. Concern took over his face.
He immediately dropped his phone into his pocket and gave me his full attention.
“Sorry. Important text. I’m listening now. What were you saying?”
My temple pulsed with annoyance. Was he seriously going to make me ask him out a third time?
“I was wondering if you wanted to go to that new steak place downtown with me tonight. Just t-the two of us. Like…like a d-date?” I winced at my nervous stuttering.
Ace didn’t even stop to think about it before answering. “I would love to but I’m not sure what my plans are looking like tonight. But…”
He sighed. “I probably won’t be able to go. I have a busy night unfortunately. I’ve been meaning to tell
you.”
Humiliation became a rotating ball of fire in my stomach. It took all my effort to respond. “You have plans?”
“Nothing you need to worry about for now. I’ll tell you all about it later.” He smiled broadly, totally unaware that he was tearing my whole world apart with his words.
Did I even detect excitement in his tone?
His phone started to ring. Ace took it out of his pocket and looked at the unknown number flashing on the screen. “I have to take this.”
He leaned in and left a quick kiss on my forehead. “I’ll see you in gym, all right?”
Ace turned and pressed his phone to his ear as he walked down the hall.
Well, that definitely didn’t go as planned.
ght. Just t-the two
n meaning to tell
you.”
Humiliation became a rotating ball of fire in my stomach. It took all my effort to respond. “You have plans?”
“Nothing you need to worry about for now. I’ll tell you all about it later.” He smiled broadly, totally unaware that he was tearing my whole world apart with his words.
Did I even detect excitement in his tone?
His phone started to ring. Ace took it out of his pocket and looked at the unknown number flashing on the screen. “I have to take this.”
He leaned in and left a quick kiss on my forehead. “I’ll see you in gym, all right?”
Ace turned and pressed his phone to his ear as he walked down the hall.
Well, that definitely didn’t go as planned.
