All Chapters of Blaze Within: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

“Hey”I drew out nervously as I laid in Ace arms in our bed. He turned toward me; his eyes droopy with sleep. His dark hair was messy and curly atop his head making him look rather adorable. “Is it okay if I go dress shopping with Catherine on Saturday?” I had decided the lie would be better than the truth. It shouldn’t matter that I was meeting a client on Saturday. I knew Ace would be thrilled with the news of the payday, and he was the one who initially hooked me up with Alaric. But there was something about the rendezvous that felt wrong. It felt dirty; like I was somehow cheating on Ace to take Alaric as a client. I knew exactly why, though I would never admit it out loud. I had feelings for him, feelings I shouldn’t have. Ace grinned lightly at me, fatigue showing across his face. “Why does she need to go dress shopping?” I mentally smacked myself on the forehead. “Fred proposed! They’re getting married.” “Really?” he remarked in surprise. “What’s so surprising about that?”

We went back to Sammy’s Skydiving. We took off all the equipment and the jumpsuits and left in Alaric’s sports car. We drove in silence with the windows down, both of us seeming to reflect on the amazing experience we had just participated in. Alaric drove us to his condo and parked. He opened my door for me as he led me into his home. I excused myself to the restroom as he began rummaging around the kitchen talking about burgers and grilling. I returned to find the condo empty and noticed the sliding glass doors off the kitchen slightly a jar. I headed toward them and found Alaric standing outside in front of the grill. I cautiously stepped out onto the stone patio. A large, built-in grill was surrounded by tan and light brown bricks with a beautiful countertop. It made a large L shape and had a dark, wooden canopy over it. Across from it was an oversized umbrella with four patio chairs made of a dark wicker with light brown cushions beneath. Matching ottomans sat in front of each

Ace was in an exceptionally good mood the next morning and it was contagious. He kissed me as he danced with me in our small kitchen. I was dying to tell him how much money I had made. I wanted to break open a bottle of champagne and celebrate with him. But I only wanted to share it with this Ace. I didn’t want drug addicted Ace to know about the money I had made, or where it was hidden. Ace drove me to work my lunch shift at Kiki’s. I nearly skipped into the restaurant in my joy. I was finally hitting a good streak in my life. I had an amazing client, who maybe saw me as more. It was possible, right? He did want to spend an entire day with me. He wouldn’t have done that if he didn’t truly like me. He would have just had the quick roll in the sack and went on his way like the other men did. And Ace was currently sober. I hoped with all my might it would stay that way. We couldn’t do down the dark path of his drug abuse again. Perhaps I should use the money Alaric had given me to pay

“You gotta be fucking kidding me,” Ace remarked as I dropped my eyes downward. I was completely and totally ashamed of what had occurred and what Alaric was now witnessing. “What happened?” Alaric asked in his British accent. His voice sounded restrained with anger. “She was clumsy as usual and hit her head,” Ace drew out as he pressed the napkin harder against my head. I winced at the pressure. “Is that what happened?” Alaric asked gently. I lifted my eyes back up and my heart fluttered as he was crouched down, inches away from me. His concerned green eyes bore into my inner soul and I struggled harder than I ever have with the lie. “What the hell, man,” Ace said angrily beside me. “You don’t believe me?” “Yeah,” I whispered out. “That’s what happened. I tripped.” I could see the disappointment in Alaric’s eyes and it tore at my heart. “Let’s take a look,” he instructed as he slowly raised his hand toward my face. He pushed Ace hand away as he reached into a bag behind him. He

I spent the rest of the week dwelling upon what I had agreed to. I sat in my apartment with guilt weighing heavily on my shoulders. I loved Ace. I wanted to be with Ace. He was doing so much better. Why was I willing to risk screwing that up for Alaric? He should just be a client, yet somehow he was something more to me, and that scared me. I told Ace I was going to Catherine on Friday for a girl’s night. He accepted the lie and it broke my heart the trust he had in me. I gave him a kiss as he left for work before going and changing into a black mini-skirt and a lace camisole. I grabbed Alaric’s suit jacket and slipped into it. This encounter would be my opportunity to return it. I left my hair down but put loose waves into it and applied my make-up. I slipped into black heels and hurried out the door to catch the bus. My legs bounced nervously the entire ride to the fight. Once off the bus, I had a few minutes to walk. As I approached the building, I noticed a man standing outside.