Counting Down with You(100)

Ace’s expression falls. “I just thought that—no, never mind. You’re right. I’m sorry. It was wrong. There’s no excuse, but I promise it won’t be a repeat occurrence. I’m still learning your lines, but one day I’ll know all of them and I’ll never cross them again.”

I examine his expression, trying to see if he really understands. It’s more obvious in some moments than others that we come from two different worlds, and this is sadly one of them. But he looks genuinely contrite, so I nod. “Okay. Thank you.”

He offers me another apologetic smile. “Always.”

There’s a moment of silence Ace breaks by clearing his throat. Tension slips from both of us as we settle back into our usual routine. I’m glad I told him my feelings, though. That’s the only way this relationship is ever going to work. And I want this to work, despite the odds stacked against us.

“If it helps, I think you look great,” Ace says, brushing a strand of hair from my eyes. He hesitates and reaches for my braid, untying it. He runs his fingers through the strands until they come loose. “There. I don’t know how anyone could look at you and not see the most beautiful person in the world.”

Blood flows to my cheeks fast enough to give me a head rush. Or maybe that’s just Ace. “You need glasses.”

He shakes his head, smiling. “I’ve got twenty-twenty.”

“I doubt that,” I say but shake my hair out, arranging it around my face. My hair tie is missing, and I find it on his wrist. “Are you going to give that back?”

“Nah,” he says, lacing our fingers and pulling me toward his house. “I’ll hold on to it for you.”

The whole family is at the table again, but this time I sit beside Ace. Still, I expect dinner to be awkward.

It’s surprisingly not. The weird tension that was there last time seems to be mostly—if not completely—gone. I keep glancing between Xander and Ace, expecting a fight to break out, but neither of them seem inclined to pay attention to each other.

“Ace tells me you’ve been tutoring him in English,” Albert Clyde says, gazing at me thoughtfully. Ace? I wonder. Not Alistair? “How’s he doing?”

“He’s actually doing really great, Mr. Clyde. Today he corrected me about something. I’ve never been prouder.” I grin at Ace. “He’s improved so much already.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Albert says. There’s a small smile on his lips, which is shocking. I was expecting change, but not this much. Ace looks similarly amazed by it. “So you two are really dating now?”

I wince. “Yes. I’m sorry about lying to you before. I hope you don’t think less of me for it.”

“I would never blame you for going along with my son’s...wild inclinations.” Albert looks almost fond as he stares at Ace. It’s surprising, but it makes my heart warm all the same. “He explained the situation to me. I understand you’re part of why he felt comfortable enough to talk to me in the first place.”

“I didn’t do much,” I say, cheeks burning. “Your son is a lot braver than he gives himself credit for.”

“Yes,” Albert says, eyes crinkling. “He is.”

“Yuck,” Mia says jokingly, but she’s also smiling brightly. “Too many feelings.”

“I agree,” Xander says.

I turn to glare at him, but his expression is solemn—mildly curious, even—as he looks between his dad and brother.

“You two get enough love,” his stepmother, Tina, says with a laugh. “Let Ace have his moment.”

They’re trying. The realization hits me like a brick. Ace told them the truth, and they’re trying. Xander is keeping his comments to himself, and Albert is making the effort to reach out to his son.

“To Ace,” I say, holding out my glass of water. He deserves a toast after all this.

“You’re embarrassing me,” Ace says with a smirk, but holds up his glass.

I raise an eyebrow. “You don’t look embarrassed.”

“I’m not,” he admits. “Too happy for that.”

We all clink our glasses, and continue eating. Halfway through our meal, something nudges my foot and I nearly jump out of my skin. I look down and see Spade pressed against the side of my leg.

Uh.

I glance at Ace, but he’s in the middle of talking to his father. I press my lips together and force myself to take a deep breath.

It’s just Spade.

I reach down and gently scratch behind his ears. Spade barks excitedly and presses closer. I can’t help but laugh and scratch again.

When I look up, Ace is watching me with a crooked grin. I return it.

I continue eating my food. Occasionally I see Xander looking at Ace as if he’s seeing his brother for the first time. It might be because Ace keeps poking and prodding at me with his fork, but I think it’s because of the bright smile on Ace’s face. It’s nothing new to me, but it seems like it’s new to Xander—and new to Ace’s father, too.

They’re truly trying, and it fills me with a strange sense of hope.

We end up in Ace’s room, and I toy with one of the stars hanging from his ceiling, lost in thought. Seeing Ace with his family was unexpectedly heartwarming, but it also stirred something uncomfortable in me, especially after my conversation with Miss Cannon. Could I ever have something like that?