Chapter 14

“Where’s your key?” Ace asks me while helping me out of the car and walked me to our porch, he holds out his left hand while his right one is gripping my arm.

“I don’t know…they’re in Chloe’s car? I think,”

I seriously cannot remember, why can’t I remember?

“They’re in what?”

“I said they’re in Chloe’s car!” I yell.

“Gosh, you are much more complicated when you’re high,” He sighs and pulls me back inside his car.

“Where are we going?” I ask but he didn’t answer.

We were still on the road and I feel my stomach turning once again.

Ace turns the AC off and the window beside me rolls down, the cold air hits my face and I let out a groan.

Ok, yeah I’m high.

It just felt so good.

So good that I even opened up my mouth, put my tongue out and let it taste the cold air.

I feel my whole body tense up and restless, the lights on the road seem much brighter, making my head spin, I giggled for no apparent reason and now I feel like puking.

Ace takes a turn and the street lights are gone, replacing them with trees and tall bushes.

“You’re not gonna rape me, are you?” I say without thinking.

“No, I’m not going to, but if I had left you alone at that stupid party, you would have been,” He answers, staring straight at the road ahead.

He didn’t even laugh to lighten up the mood.

The car went to a stop and he quickly goes out, shutting his door with so much force it created a loud bang that made me jump.

Before he reaches my side of the car, I opened the door myself and stumbled out the car. He helps me up and pulled me towards…somewhere. Honestly, I don’t even know now. My sight is blurry, my head is spinning, I feel like puking and peeing myself at the same time.

Ace lets go of my arm, causing me to lose my balance and land my ass on the grass.

Huh, that rhymes.

“Ow!” I exclaim. I turn to look at him with a scowl, but his back was turned to me and he was now punching a tree.

A poor innocent tree.

Dryads would be soo pissed at him.

“What are you doing?” I ask him, picking at the grass.

He didn’t give me a response, so I stood up and stumbled my way to him.

“Hey!” I yell.

He turns to face me, he was panting, the moonlight illuminating his red and sweaty face, and he was…crying?

“Hey,” I say softly. I move closer to him despite the dizziness and nausea that I’m feeling and put my hand on his not-wounded cheek.

“It’s okay,” I whisper and I pull him in a hug.

I didn’t know what the problem was, I didn’t wanna ask. I just want comfort him for now. His breathing is still heavy, and I could feel his chest rising up and going down against mine.

“I’m here,” I whisper once again, and we both end up sitting on the grass, still embracing the other.

Ace’s POV

My face is bruised and so are my knuckles, and I can already feel Melannie’s anxiousness in the air and I’m trying my best to stay calm.

The whole time at the party, I was keeping my eye on Tristan.

I saw him talking to Mel, offering her a drink, paid a guy to flirt with Chloe, paid another guy for molly, and watched him give Mel the drug-spiked drink.

He goes out of his ways just to win a bet.

It was only until then that I realized what a dick I was.

“What the hell is happening, Ace?” Mel asks me.

“You’re high, Tristan spiked your drink with molly,”

“But I don’t feel high,” She insists.

“Have you even taken drugs?” I snap.

“No,” She frowns.

“Well, what do you want me to do?” She asks me once again, frustration clear on her face.

“I want you to stop talking, and let me drive you home.” I answer and she rolls her eyes.

We reached her house, but she didn’t have a key. So I went to the one place where I know she can get high peacefully.

I drove us to the lake, where the bonfire was held, but no one really goes here that much. I was actually supposed to spend a few hours here, if it weren’t for fucking Tristan.

“You’re not gonna rape me, are you?” She asks me.

“No, I’m not going to, but if I had left you alone at that stupid party, you would have been,” I answer.

I was startled by her question, but the ire that I’m feeling right now is too much, I have to let it out somehow.

I tighten my grip on the wheel and drove faster until we reach the clearing near the lake.

I get out of the car and tramped to her side but she was already stumbling out of the car.

Trying to calm myself, I quickly rushed to help her walk to the little spot a few feet away from the lake.

The way I was holding her made me remember how Tristan nauseatingly touches her at the party.

He’s a fucking cretin.

Before I even knew it, I let go of Mel and began to continuously punch the tree nearest to me. My lungs were burning, my knuckles were throbbing, I feel the wounded skin above my cheek stretch wide, making me bite my tongue and tears run down my face.

“Hey!” Mel yells, surprising me.

I turn around to face her, avoiding any eye contact.

“Hey,” She softly says, her hand on my cheek.

“It’s okay,” She wraps her arms around me and I give in to the embrace.

“I’m here,” She whispers and we sat down on the grass.

I feel her fingers brush through my hair and I feel myself slowly calming down. I pull away from the hug, but remained close, her fingers still combing through my hair.

I lean my forehead on hers, hearing our slow and heavy breaths, along with the gentle wind blowing past us.

I move my face closer, our lips a few meters away. I had this gut feeling that she would say something, and this might be my only chance, so I stopped her before she could even say anything.

The wounds and bruises on my face and hands didn’t matter, all I could focus on was her lips that still tasted like punch.

She kisses me back and my breath was caught in my throat, her fingers tug at my hair, pushing me closer to her and I snake my arms around her waist.

We were both there, in the moment, until she pulls away and started to vomit and pass out in a split second.