Chapter 65
Julia
“But bad smell and all, I’m in love with you, Ace.”
Ace blinks at me. Rapidly and repeatedly, like he’s trying to reboot.
The flickering orange lights from the jack-o’-lantern string above us catch the gold flecks in his eyes, and I swear to God, my heart is going to punch a hole through my chest.
For half a second, I panic, and my skin heats like I’ve been dropped under a spotlight. The silence is scary.
But then, he steps forward. His movements are slow and deliberate, like the rest of the party has gone quiet—even though it hasn’t. It’s still loud and wild, and someone’s screaming along to a Pitbull remix in the corner. There are body shots happening on the kitchen counter.
But Ace is only looking at me, and all my doubt flies through the window like a guy dressed as Zorro did an hour ago.
He brings his hands up, framing my face, thumbs brushing my cheeks. His eyes scan over me—Sandy wig, red lips, tight black outfit that suddenly feels like it might combust under the heat of his stare.
“I guess the letterman sweater makes sense now,” he murmurs.
I huff a nervous laugh. “Yeah.”
“I’m sorry for all the bullshit I’ve tossed your way.” He lowers his voice, steady and serious.
“I know you are,” I whisper. “And I’m sorry too. I didn’t handle things right either. I should’ve never dated Drew when, deep down, I knew I had feelings for you.”
“You’re not with Drew anymore?”
I shake my head. “I’m sorry, Ace. For everything.”
“Lia, I’ve been in love with you my whole life,” he says.
“I didn’t know it, not really. Not when we were kids and you cried when Petey Dillon took the last chocolate milk at lunch and I got detention for kicking him in the dick.
Not when we were twelve and you punched a boy in the throat for calling me a loser.
Not even when we were sixteen and you danced with me at prom in that sparkly pink dress that made you look like a fucking angel. ”
His smile is small. Reverent.
“But now, I see it. All of it. Every moment—every stupid, beautiful, ridiculous moment—I’ve ever loved you.”
Tears well up in my eyes.
“I love you,” he says again.
“I love you too.”
He leans in and kisses me.
It’s soft at first. Sure. Steady. But the second I melt into it, Ace deepens the kiss like he’s making up for every second he waited too long. I fist my hands in his sweater, he wraps his arms around my waist, and we…fall.
We fall all the way in. To each other. To our hearts. To the love we’ve always had for each other.
Behind us, someone lets out a whoop.
“Finally!” Blake shouts.
Finn claps. Scottie cheers. “Get it, Sandy!”
Kayla starts chanting something that might be our names mashed together, and Finn yells something that might be “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me, Trav! Right now?” but I don’t hear any of it enough to pass a test.
For me, it’s just Ace and this kiss. When Ace finally pulls back and rests his forehead on mine, I’m breathless.
“So…can we get the fuck out of here now?” he whispers, “I want to kiss you in more places than your mouth.”
My brain short-circuits. “Oh boy.”
He smirks. “That a yes?”
“Obviously.”
We’re already walking out before the word fully leaves my mouth. His dad, dressed like a gorilla, is pulling off the mask to wipe tears of joy from his eyes and waves from his spot in the bushes as we go.
It’s no Cinderella story, but it’s ours—and I wouldn’t change a single thing.