Chapter 5

Mia Garcia

After the zebra underwear incident the day went fairly quickly and actually way better than I expected, and thankfully teachers were too occupied to be introducing new students today so our identities were still secret, at lunch we sat outside to avoid having to make small talk and introduce ourselves.

By the time school had finished, Sadie and I were well acquainted, she begged her parents to come home to finish her senior year, she made lots of friends at boarding school and she changed alot, we both did and we both love the new people we've become, about tonight, she told me to come clean about why I left and shit but im not sure.

Im currently in my room, choosing an outfit for tonight, im thinking of keeping it semi casual. With that thought, I choose a black floral summer dress, with a heart neckline, ending just above the knee with a sexy black heel.

With my outfit picked, I ready myself a warm bath to relax in before I get ready for my welcome home party in a few hours, though I shouldn't call it mine, since it's Ace's too. I suddenly feel the blush creeping on my cheeks, I shake my head at my silliness and climb into the bath, laying my head against it, closing my eyes for a bit.

***_***

"Mia! Mia! MIA!" I hear my mother calling for me. "Yes mom?" I scream back from my bathroom "The guest are arriving, get your ass down here this second Missy, no more hiding" I roll my eyes "Coming" I yell out, wait shit, I must have dozed off if the guests are arriving already.

Getting out and getting dressed, leaving my long black hair down, not in the mood for any make up just pinching my cheeks, looking in the mirror satisfied.

I grab my phone and head on downstairs, I take a deep breath in. When I reach the bottom of the stairs everyone stopped talking as they all turn and gawk at me. I can't help but blush under their heavy staring.

I awkwardly chuckle "Hi everyone" I say looking around the room, seeing all four my brothers,Leah and Shay, Ella and Alaric, and all four of their sons, Stephen's wife and their son, my eyes stopping at Ace, fuck, my panties just got soaked.

He's mouth is hanging, but fuck he is ripped, and he got tattoos covering his body and oh my god look at those muscles, I bite my lip im just about to bring my eyes to his lips when Liam my youngest and closest big brother comes running to me squeezing me "Mia bear!" he screams. I chuckle holding him tightly

As if he brought everyone out of their trance they come rushing to hug and greet me and I can't help but cry, how could I have left them, god I missed them so much.

"Give the girl some space, let's have dinner and we can all catch up" my dad says pushing everyone to the dining room. I wipe my tears as im about to follow when Ace stops me, I look up into his grey eyes and my heart starts beating fast and my breath hitches.

"Princess" he says in a deep voice that has me melting, oh my god. My eyes immediately look to his lips, he pulls me into a hug "Ace" I greet hugging him back.

"I missed you princess" he says into my hair and I shiver, fuck my hormones are all over the place, get a grip, it's never gonna happen, you like his little sister.

"I missed you too Carter, im so glad you back home safely, thank God" I say holding him tighter and I truly am thankful that he's home in one piece

I was pissed off when he left to go on a tour in Afghan, I was worried sick. Im just so glad he's back.

"Worried about me, were you??" he pulls away smirking, uhhh what the fuck, I quickly scram to the dining room not knowing how to respond to that. I hear him chuckle. Old Ace would've given me a real smile and assure me that worrying about him is okay, the new Ace just smirked and mocked me? Ugh

When we finally all seated at the huge dining table, we say grace and begin eating.

"Mia we missed you darling" says Alaric while smiling

"I missed you guys too, im glad im home" I say smiling at everyone except Ace and I swear I hear him chuckle.

"So Missy you finally going to tell us why you ran away from home in the first place, as your family don't you think we deserve to know after how worried you had us that day?" Jeremy Carter, Ace's second eldest brother asks.

Our parents, Leah and Stephen's wife Mary scolds him while the rest of the guys agree with him, I roll my eyes at them.

"Did you just roll your eyes Missy" Elijah asks me and I show him tongue while everyone laughs

"Guys it's a long story and definitely not a story for a welcome home dinner" I sigh and immediately protests are heard throughout the dining room.

"Mia hun just get it over with, you know they won't stop pestering you" my mom says and she's right.

"Ugh you guys" I rub my hands over my face "here goes nothing, no it wasn't a boy, no it wasn't any problem here at home, I-" I stop not wanting to do this.

"You can tell us princess, we here for you, always" Ace says and my head snaps to him, he gives me a encouraging smile,making me want to spill everything but I keep myself in check just the highlights I remind myself, I nod my head in thanks and give him a tight smile.

"You guys remember how overweight I was, I know all of you are too nice to come out straight and ask me but im pretty sure you can see the major difference in my body, well being overweight in my school was hell and having to live up to my brothers and their best friends high standards on top of all that was hard, so they bullied me because I was big, I was weak an easy target, one day it got so bad, I decided that day to pack my shit and go to granny not being able to deal with it anymore, Sadie got sent to boarding school and Ace went away on tour, so my decision to leave wasn't as hard." Shit! I immediately look to Ace but it doesn't look like he caught on.

Everyone was quiet for a second before I was bombarded with questions, left and right. Thank God no one caught onto the Ace part either

"One at a time people" dad says in a loud stern voice. I look at everyone and they all looking at me sadly except for Liam and Ace they fuming, you can practically see the steam coming out of their ears.

"Why didn't you come to us Mia" Reece Carter, Ace's third else's brother asks. I smile sadly at them. "It was going on for years, but when I came home you guys made me forget all about school, I was truly happy here at home with you guys, I told myself when you guys figure something is wrong and ask ill tell you guys, but you didn't find anything wrong, no one noticed, no one asked so I kept quiet."

I take a deep breath in "this is also how I got mom and dad not to say anything and force me back, I harshly told them they were bad parents for not seeing anything wrong, they felt guilty and left me by granny, after a while I apologized and took back what I said but still begged them to leave me be for a while, in that time, I lost weight, made new friends became a new, strong confident woman" I end off saying with a smile.

"I so badly want to be mad at you, but I can't M im just happy you home" Liam says smiling, I smile back.

"I want to know who bullied you, we going to sort them out" Ace growls out, and no not surprising at all this is how they all are, always.

"I got it handled Ace, don't worry about it, I got this" I say in a that's final tone. He just growls.

"Anyway can we please just have a good fun dinner like we use to, please guys?" I ask pleading they all agree.

"You look smoking hot Little M" Reece says winking, making both my brothers and his growl, this making everyone laugh. Reece saying dumb shit, just like old times