Chapter 29
TWENTY-NINE
ACE
My whole life, I’d never once seen Tessa looking like such a shell of herself.
We were back at my place, and her body looked so small as she sat, chin to her knees, arms wrapped around her shins, in the corner of the sectional.
A spot we’d curled up in a handful of times since I’d moved her in with me a couple of weeks ago.
And as I looked at her, a lifetime of memories flitted through my mind.
Family trips to the diner before a day of snowboarding.
Working on a car and watching her haul a boatload of bags filled with her purchases from the mall.
Days at the beach with her. Nights out with friends at Lou’s.
Birthday celebrations. Holidays together.
So many places we’d been and memories we shared. No matter how wonderful they’d all been, it was the memories of her that were most important.
Her beautiful smile pointed in my direction when she opened the door to me. The feel of her lips. The taste of her kisses. The softness of her skin. The smell of her hair. The touch of her fingertips. The sound of her moans. The warmth of her embrace.
As all those memories assaulted my mind, I felt an overwhelming sense of dread. I’d never felt so conflicted, uneasy, and terrified all at once.
What happened today, right from the moment I’d started that argument with her in the kitchen, was tragic. All I could think was that I’d put us on a path to some place we’d never be able to get back from. And with what happened with her ex just a few hours ago, I wasn’t sure where things stood.
The things he said to her… I thought the man was dying.
In any other scenario, I would’ve stopped him before he had the chance.
But that situation was one that had left me speechless.
He knew he’d messed things up with her. Even I couldn’t deny his remorse.
And now that he’d saved her life, proved to her what she meant to him, would that change things for her?
Worst of all, in this scenario, I couldn’t be selfish and ask her to talk about us. My focus needed to be on getting her through this nightmare of a situation.
First up, I had to give her the news she desperately needed.
“Tess?” I called quietly.
She snapped out of the daze she’d been in, sat up a little straighter, and brought her eyes to mine. “Any news?”
“He’s in the ICU. Critical, but alive.”
As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I watched as Tessa’s chin dipped down slightly in understanding. Relief swept over her.
Long moments of silence passed, and I waited, still standing on the opposite side of the room. My body and heart were screaming at me to go to her, but I wasn’t sure it was what she wanted. My mind forced me to stay put and recall all the memories I’d had with her over these last few weeks.
“Ace?” Tessa’s voice was so soft and small. Nothing like I’d known her to be.
“Yeah?”
She pressed her lips together, her chin trembling. “Do you… Do you hate me?”
Caught off guard by her question, my head jerked back. “What? Why would you say that?”
Tears filled her eyes and spilled down her cheeks as she shook her head with such disappointment. “I never meant to hurt you like I did today.”
I took a deep swallow, trying to brace myself for the words that might follow. “I know you’d never intentionally hurt anyone, Tessa.”
“You.”
“What?”
“I’m talking about hurting you, though. This isn’t about me hurting anyone, Ace. It’s about me hurting you. And I’m so sorry for what I did, even if it had been unintentional.”
I wasn’t quite sure how to respond. Nothing about what she was saying indicated where she hoped for us to be moving forward. “I know. It’s okay. I’m just as sorry for coming at you like I did.”
“You had every right,” she murmured, swiping at the tears that had fallen. “I thought I was going to die today with you believing the absolute worst of me.”
Tessa had gotten so choked up, and as the reality of the day’s events came crashing down on her, it was no longer in me to stand back.
I crossed the room, lifted her in my arms, and sat in the spot where she’d been. Then I positioned her body in front of mine, her back to my chest, my arms wrapping tightly around her. As she tried to get a handle on her emotions, I kissed the top of her head.
Only after she’d settled a bit did I speak. “I don’t think the worst of you, Tessa. This morning was just… It was hard to see that.”
Tessa shifted slightly and twisted her neck to look back at me. “I swear, it meant nothing. I was just cold, and it was there. I know now how wrong it was to even bring it here. But it was never about me having any residual feelings for him. I can’t tell you how sorry I am.”
Her tone was sincere, and her apology felt like a plea.
Like she was desperate for me to believe every word.
I lifted my hand to the side of her face, stroked my thumb along her cheekbone, and said, “I believe you. And I want you to know I’m just as sorry for how I spoke to you.
No matter how I felt about seeing what I did, I know who you are.
And I should’ve kept that in mind when I questioned you. I could’ve been a lot nicer.”
Tension eased out of her as her body relaxed deeper into mine. “I don’t like the way it feels to fight with you. I had such a miserable day because of it.”
“Same for me. And it only got worse when I got home, and you weren’t here.” I linked my fingers with hers. “A lot happened today. Do you want to talk about it?”
Tessa dropped her head back against the front of my shoulder and sighed. “It was the scariest experience of my whole life. I’m so glad it’s over, and that Georgia and the other guy were arrested. I can’t believe Ryan was shot, though.”
“He took that bullet for you,” I noted.
She nodded. “I know. I feel like I can understand where Hawk was just a couple of months ago with Chloe. The bullet that Ryan took was meant for me.”
I didn’t want to bring it up, but I had no choice. “Based on the things he said, I don’t think he regrets it. Even if he’s in the ICU now.”
Tessa bit her lip and eyed me with uncertainty.
“What is it?” I asked.
“He said a lot of stuff while you were there,” she noted.
“I hope you know that just because I wanted to comfort him in that moment that I don’t have any romantic feelings for him, Ace.
He was a part of my life, and a big part of the reason it didn’t work out is because he screwed up.
I would’ve been happy never speaking to him again, but that didn’t mean I wanted him to get shot.
I swear, you have my whole heart, and I hope you don’t ever question how much I love you. ”
My own body began to let go of the lingering tension. To have that confirmation from her meant the world to me. “I love you, too,” I murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Can I ask you one question?”
“Sure.”
“Why did you say that a big part of the reason things didn’t work out between you and Hastings is because he screwed up? That sounds like you think there’s another reason.”
Her features warmed as she reached up to brush her favorite lock of my hair back from my brow. “If he hadn’t cheated on me, I don’t think it would’ve worked out for us long term. Something else would’ve pulled us apart, because we just weren’t meant to be together.”
“But you thought that at one point,” I noted.
Tessa nodded. “I made a mistake. But what I know with certainty now is that Ryan and I didn’t work out because I was meant to be with you all along.”
Closing my eyes, I dropped my head forward and pressed it against hers. “You have no idea what it means to me to hear you say that.”
We stayed like that for a long time, her hand in my hair, my arms holding her close.
“Are we okay, Ace?” she eventually asked.
Pulling back, I looked her in the eyes and said, “You’re here with me, Princess. There’s no way I could be anything other than okay. What about you? Do you think we’re okay?”
The corners of her mouth tipped up in a small smile. “We’re here, and we’re alive, so yeah, I think so.”
I kissed the tip of her nose. “Are you tired?”
“Exhausted.”
“Alright. How about you let me make you some food? Then we’ll go to bed.”
“You don’t have to do that,” she argued.
I arched a brow. “I ruined breakfast this morning. This is the least I can do.”
Tessa took one look at my face, realized she wasn’t going to get her way, and acquiesced. “Okay. You can make food.”
“How about a kiss first?”
That earned me a full-blown grin before I got a kiss. Then, I made some food for us, feeling far better than I had all day.
TESSA - ONE WEEK LATER
“He makes you happy, right?”
I offered a small smile and nodded. “Yes, he does.”
“Then I wish you nothing but the best, Tessa.”
Reaching for Ryan’s hand as he laid in the hospital bed, I said a silent prayer of thanks. He’d made improvements every day over the last week and had finally been moved out of the ICU.
Ace had been keeping tabs on his status and shared the updates with me as he got them. Much to my surprise, when we woke this morning, he asked if I wanted to take a trip to the hospital to visit Ryan. Deep down, I think he knew I needed closure and to thank the man who’d risked his life for me.
So, we came after work today.
And I’d brought Ryan’s sweatshirt with me to give back to him. He’d told me I could keep it, but I insisted it was no longer mine.
Still holding his hand, I said, “You and I weren’t meant to be, but I’ll always be grateful for what you did to protect me a week ago.
I’m so sorry you were hurt, and although I know she meant something to you at some point, I hope Georgia gets the punishment she deserves.
Because no matter how upset I was with you for your betrayal, you don’t deserve to have someone like that destroying your life. ”
For now, Georgia and her accomplice were being held in prison until trial.
They’d both racked up a slew of charges, and from what we’d been told, it appeared they’d be looking at some jail time.
Being the mastermind behind it—and the one who ultimately pulled the trigger—Georgia was facing far worse charges and would likely receive more jail time than her accomplice.
Ryan squeezed my hand, appreciation leaking onto his features. “I hope you know it was the truth.”
“What?”
“When I said you were the best thing that happened to me. I meant it.”
I smiled, squeezed his hand back, and released it. “I know you think that now. But you’ll feel differently when you meet the woman who’s right for you.”
“Let’s hope that woman wasn’t you, or I’m going to be screwed,” he teased.
I let out a soft laugh. “Trust me, I’m not that woman. But I believe she’s out there, and I hope you find her. Despite everything, Ryan, I want you to be happy, too.”
“I appreciate that, Tessa. I don’t deserve your forgiveness, and I’m truly sorry for what I did to you. But I’m grateful for your compassion.”
One half of my mouth quirked. “Well, you did take a bullet for me, so I figure it’s the least I can do.”
His eyes roamed over my face, and I could see the regret in his stare. Me continuing to be here wasn’t going to help him.
So, I said, “Well, I should get going. I’m so glad you’re on the mend.”
He nodded. “Thanks. And thanks for visiting. It means a lot to me.”
I smiled. “You’re welcome. Take care of yourself, Ryan.”
“You, too. Goodbye, Tessa.”
“Bye.”
I walked out of the room, looked to my right, and met the shining eyes of the man who had my heart.
“All good?” he asked.
I’d been surprised when we showed up that he was willing to give me the time to talk to Ryan alone. Of course, I suspected he could hear everything we said being just outside the door, but it was nice of him to give Ryan the opportunity to talk to me without my boyfriend in the room.
“All good,” I said.
Ace and I walked down the hall and toward the elevator, my hand in his. “Hungry?”
“Starved.” I pressed the button to call the elevator. “What do you want me to make for dinner?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
He shook his head just as the door opened. We stepped onto the elevator, where I pushed the button for the main level, and the doors shut. “I was thinking I’d like to take you to First Tracks.”
“You want to go to the diner?”
Ace shrugged, his lips twitching. “I thought you might enjoy a Belgian waffle with loads of syrup and powdered sugar.”
I licked my lips. “That sounds amazing.”
My guy released my hand, but only so he could throw his arm over my shoulder and curl me into his body. He kissed me until the elevator doors opened.
Then he led me out of the hospital and took me for a waffle.