42. Broken Promises
My brothers were going crazy when I walked into the kitchen the next morning. All seven of them were sitting on stools around the center island, shoveling food into their mouths.
“Dotty, Ace has been outside all morning!” Easton yelled at me, turning in his seat to look at me.
“He’s been out there all night actually,” Elliot corrected. “I saw him out there before we went to bed last night.”
“Why is he just sitting out there, Dotty?” Easton pushed. “Why doesn’t he come inside? He could eat breakfast with us.”
I didn’t need them to tell me Ace was still outside. I was well aware. I’d barely slept, too busy worrying about him standing out there in the cold all night.
I was a little ashamed to admit I’d checked on him several times overnight. Every time I looked out my window, I found him in the same spot, staring up at me like some sort of stalker.
Ignoring Elliot, I searched for my mom. My dad had left for work already, so it looked like she had made everyone breakfast: French toast and bacon; just what I’d planned to make Ace for his birthday.
I found her standing at the stove, flipping bacon with a spatula.
She smiled. “I know you wanted to make Ace breakfast for his birthday today, but since you were still in bed and it seemed like you could really use the sleep, I thought I would help you out.
“I hope you don’t mind that I got you started.”
My heart dropped.
It’s Ace’s birthday.
It wasn’t as if I had forgotten. I had his birthday planned down to a tee. Every minute was accounted for.
But after everything that happened yesterday, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do now.
My mom must have seen the sudden trepidation on my face. “Oh, honey,” she murmured, putting her spatula down. “Is this about the fight the two of you had?”
“You and Ace had a fight?” Felix exclaimed. “Why?”
I crossed my arms, feeling weird about talking to my younger sibling about it. “It’s complicated.”
“Well, I don’t care if it’s complicated. I’m on Ace’s side,” Felix said.
My jaw dropped. “What?”
“Me too!” Thomas agreed.
These little weasels. “You can’t be on Ace’s side!” I yelled. “I’m your sister!”
Thomas shrugged while he scooped another piece of French toast into his mouth.
“That’s how we know that whatever you’re mad at him about is stupid. That’s why I’m on Ace’s side.”
I felt like screaming. “Well, that’s too bad for you because Ace and I broke up yesterday. So Ace is the dumb one for just sitting out there…and you should be on ~my~ side.”
The chatter in the kitchen ceased. Everyone turned to look at me. And I realized exactly what I’d just said.
“What?” Thomas demanded, jumping out of his seat.
“You and Ace broke up?” Easton’s little face was crushed.
Shit. I didn’t know why I said that. Just trying to make a point? I was so sick of my siblings choosing Ace over me. We hadn’t actually broken up, of course. I had just asked for space from him. ven of them were“But, Mom, I thought you said that Ace and Dotty would be together forever!”
Everette said. “Because they’re ma—”
“You’re right, Everette. I did say that,” my mom interrupted. She gave him a tight smile before directing her gaze back at me. “But maybe I was wrong. Did something happen?”
I swallowed. “Well, I…I don’t…”
I didn’t know how to respond. Something had happened, but I wasn’t sure if I could get into it.
Especially since thinking the words ~Ace and I broke up~ made the ground feel like it was falling out oo busy worryingfrom under me.
I was much closer than I’d thought to breaking down.
I looked out my“Let’s not talk about it right now,” my mom suggested. “How about you sit down and get something to
eat, Doe? You didn’t even have dinner last night. You must be starving.”
I shook my head. Although I was grateful for her changing the topic, my stomach could not handle any food.
“Actually,” I said, “would you…? Would you bring Ace some breakfast?”
*** I was doing a horrible job of standing my ground. I should not be having my mother bring Ace food right now.
But it was his birthday today; his eighteenth birthday, for goodness’ sake! He didn’t deserve to starve.
Even if he was an asshole.
I watched my mom walk down our driveway with a plate full of Ace’s favorite breakfast food in her hands.
Wes followed behind closely and, since Thomas was the only one of my brothers who had finished his breakfast, he marched ahead eagerly.
I watched from the smallest crack in the opening of the door, making sure that Ace couldn’t see me while I eavesdropped.
“Ace! Hi!” Thomas shouted as he ran up to him. “What are you doing out here?”
“We were just having breakfast,” my mother told him once she caught up with Thomas. “Thought you might be hungry, standing out here all night.”
Ace did not look good. His clothes were all wrinkly, and his hair was messy from running his hand through it nonstop.m on Ace’s side.”
He pushed himself off his car to stand in front of them. “Thank you.” Ace took the plate of tinfoil- wrapped food from my mom. His smile was kind but tense. “That’s very kind of you.”
He sounded tired. He looked tired. It made my chest tight.
Thomas grabbed his hand and tugged on it, using all his body weight to try to pull him toward the house. “Why don’t you come inside? Come and eat breakfast with us.”
Ace neither pulled his hand from Thomas’s grip nor let him move him. “I wish I could, but I can’t.”
Thomas huffed and released his hold. “Why not?”
Ace ran both his hands through his hair, his arm muscles taut. “Because I did something pretty awful to your sister. I hurt her. And now I need to keep my distance and give her time to heal.”
Thomas glanced at Ace’s car. “If you need to keep your distance, why are you here?”
An amazing question, Thomas. I was wondering the same thing. I pressed closer to the door to hear Ace’s response.
“Just in case she needs me,” Ace explained to him in a gentle tone. “So she knows she can come to me if she needs it.”
“She said you broke up and that you’re dumb for sitting out here.”
Ace’s head snapped up so fast, I was surprised his neck didn’t break. Then his eyes narrowed on the crack of the doorway I was staring through. get something to “Did she now?” he asked. His tone took on a dangerous edge.
I gasped and hid behind the door. There was no way he saw me, right? d not handle any “But you can’t actually break up, right?” Thomas continued, sounding worried.
I held my breath, not daring to look again.
“Doe and I will always have a connection, yes.” Even with the door between us, I could still hear Ace’s deep voice. “I will always love her. That will never change, no matter what happens between us.”
“But—”
“We should get going,” my mom said before Thomas could ask another of his incessant questions.
“You’re going to be late for school if we don’t head out soon.”
As slowly and carefully as I could, I peeked again.
My mom looked down at the plate of food in Ace’s hands. “Dorothy had the entire morning planned out for you, by the way. Too bad you’re not going to get to see it.
Happy birthday, Ace.”
Despite my brother’s complaints, my mom dragged him and Wes back to the house without saying
another word to Ace.
And he watched them go.
*** It was nearly time to leave for school, and Ace was still standing at the edge of my lawn.
And I was still peering at him through the crack in my front door.
He had gone back to his familiar position: leaning on his car, his arms crossed over his chest, and staring up at my bedroom window.
I wondered if he had a kink in his neck from the uncomfortable angle.
Although I didn’t necessarily want to, I knew I wouldn’t be able to think of anything else today if I didn’t go deal with him.
Better to do this now instead of continuing to avoid him and risk him confronting me in front of everyone at school.
So, after taking a deep breath, I walked outside. He straightened when he saw me coming and started
looking me over, no doubt searching for signs of damage from my encounter with his father. ng pretty awful toI was wearing his favorite dress of mine: the same pink one I had worn the day I admitted my feelings for him.
I wanted him to see what he was missing out on, what he had given up by being such an asshole.
And his reaction was exactly as I’d hoped it would be. His jaw tightened, his nostrils flared, and he flexed his hands at his sides.
I stopped a couple of feet away from him and tried not to pay too close attention to the large bags under his eyes. “Here. This is for you.” I shoved the large bag of presents at him.
After a moment’s hesitation, he took it from me.
“It’s eighteen presents for your eighteenth birthday. I was planning on spreading them out and giving them to you throughout the day but, um, yeah.”
I kept my gaze down, needing to look anywhere other than into his heartbroken eyes. “My mom is going to drive me to school so you can go. Happy birthday.”
I turned and started walking back to my house. My knees were shaking so hard, it was a miracle I
didn’t trip and fall. d still hear Ace’s “Doe, wait,” Ace called after me. “Please.”
It was the desperation in the please that made me pause. I turned to look at him.
Ace took a step forward. “I need you to know how sorry I am about everything that happened yesterday. I hate, hate myself for what I did to you. Can we please talk?”
“No, I don’t think so. I asked for space, remember? I only came out here to give you your presents.”
“Please, Doe.” He took another step toward me. “I need to make sure you’re okay. I need to make sure that my…father”—his lip curled with disgust as he spoke the word—“didn’t hurt you.”
“I’m fine.” I eyed how he was attempting to inch closer to me, thinking I wouldn’t notice. I took two steps back. Even that little space between us made my heart scream in agony. “No thanks to you.”
That comment got to him. His face fell, and he closed his eyes for a moment, taking in a deep breath.
“Just tell me how your shoulder is. Are you in pain?” His eyes slid down to take in the way I was holding my shoulder.
The truth was, I was in pain. Any sort of movement felt like a knife was being drilled into my muscle, and there was a huge bruise on my back.
I didn’t think it was serious, but it was definitely going to be a while before it felt normal again.
“It hurts, Ace,” I replied stiffly. “But what else would you expect when two men twice your size slam you into a wall?”
I started walking back to my house, but Ace stopped me once again.
“Hold on. I have something for you.”
He reached through his open car window and grabbed something from the passenger seat. He approached me with careful steps.
“Here. I already put my number in it.” He handed me a new iPhone and tucked his hands in his pockets.
I’d never seen him look so guilty before.
“Maybe if I hadn’t broken your old one, you would have been able to get a hold of me when you
needed me. I’m sorry.” He swallowed. “For everything.”
My eyes fell on the phone in my hands. When I pressed the button on the side, I saw that he had made the screen saver a photo of us.
Ace had his arms wrapped around me from behind and was kissing my cheek while I beamed at the camera. I looked so happy.
I was suddenly blinking furiously, desperately trying to stop the tears from coming. large bags underI couldn’t let him do this to me—sweeten me up so that I forgave him. It was manipulative and wrong.
And so, I squared my shoulders and swallowed the emotion in my throat. “Thanks.”
I dropped the phone in the pocket of my dress and marched off.
ds in his pockets.
needed me. I’m sorry.” He swallowed. “For everything.”
My eyes fell on the phone in my hands. When I pressed the button on the side, I saw that he had made the screen saver a photo of us.
Ace had his arms wrapped around me from behind and was kissing my cheek while I beamed at the camera. I looked so happy.
I was suddenly blinking furiously, desperately trying to stop the tears from coming.
I couldn’t let him do this to me—sweeten me up so that I forgave him. It was manipulative and wrong.
And so, I squared my shoulders and swallowed the emotion in my throat. “Thanks.”
I dropped the phone in the pocket of my dress and marched off.
