Prologue #3
I look at Ace and give him a genuine smile. He’s confident, interested, and not making me guess. Which is exactly what I need.
“Sure,” I say, then look at Aston one last time. “I’ll be out there in a second. Let me grab my friends.”
As I walk away, I take a deep breath and realize I left my bottle of water on the counter, but I’m not going back in there now.
I grab a few of my friends and take them with me to meet up with Ace.
The air is hot, the music is just as loud outside as it is inside, and in the middle of it all, Ace stands there like he owns the place.
I mean, it is his house, but he likes being the center of attention. He sees me and holds his arm up.
“There’s my partner! Come on and get down here.” He waves his hand toward himself.
Thirty minutes later, to my surprise, I’m actually having fun. A lot of fun.
Ace is easy to be around. He’s just pure, infectious energy. He high-fives me after every shot I make and cracks jokes when I miss the table, and we celebrate our win with him spinning me in his arms.
By the time the next round starts, I’m ready for a break. Ace grabs us both waters from a cooler next to the beer pong table and leads me over to an old couch that’s seen better days on the porch, but we sit close together.
“So, Ace Griffith, what are your plans? You following in your big brother’s footsteps or paving your own way?” I ask him.
“Is this on or off the record?”
“Off the record, of course.” I smirk.
He sighs happily, looking out over the yard. “I mean, yeah, Archie is a great role model, and I want what he has for sure. But I’m trying to have fun while I’m here. Next year, everything will change, and it gets pretty real, you know?”
“Because of the draft?” I turn my head to look at him. “You feel ready for it?”
“Fuck yeah. I’ve been working for this my whole life, it feels like.
Aston and I both have,” he says, a fierce spark of ambition in his eyes.
He turns his body toward mine, propping an elbow along the back of the couch.
“What about you? You’re always on the sideline.
What do you want to do with your degree when you leave Walker? ”
I hesitate for just a second. My dad is one of the most powerful men in television, sports in particular, and my last name can open any door in the industry with a single call.
But no one at Walker University knows who my dad is.
Because I want to prove myself. I want to know that every promotion and opportunity I get is earned because of my talent, not my name.
Ace watches me with genuine curiosity, so I feel safe enough to share just a little bit of what I want for my life.
“I want to produce,” I tell him, smiling. “I like being the one who calls the shots behind the scenes, pulling the strings to tell the stories behind the game. Eventually, I want to move up to executive producing and maybe run my own network branch one day.” I shrug.
Ace’s eyes widen, a smirk spreading across his face. “Damn. A powerhouse. I love it. You can produce the documentary on my rookie season,” he says, winking.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Ace.” I laugh, nudging his shoulder with mine. “Missing a big step there. You need to get drafted first.”
“Oh, I’m getting drafted,” he says seriously. Then he leans in, closing the small space between us until I can feel the heat radiating off him. He reaches up, his fingers brushing a stray piece of hair behind my ear. “And I want you there to see it.”
I smile because I love his confidence. I love the way he’s looked at me all night with undivided attention.
“Hey,” he murmurs. “The party is dying down. Why don’t you stay the night? Hang out with me.”
Surprisingly, I’m tempted. But instead, I give him a slow, deliberate shake of my head. “No. I’m going home tonight.”
“Really? I promise I’ll be good.” He holds two fingers over his heart.
“Good, huh?” I laugh. “How about you take me to dinner, and we start there?”
He nods slowly, grinning. “I’ll take it. Can I at least kiss you good night?”
I look at his face. The same face I spent the last few months thinking about.
Intrusive and slightly panicked thoughts flash through my mind. Is this wrong? Am I seriously about to kiss him when I’ve been wanting his brother? If I kiss him, will I just be wishing he were Aston?
I brace myself, waiting for the answer to hit me. But as Ace leans in, I choose to lock Aston away in the corner of my mind. Aston had his chance, and he didn’t take it. In fact, he friend-zoned me.
Ace is the one sitting here, choosing me.
Wanting me.
“Yes,” I breathe.
So, when Ace’s lips meet mine, I lean into it.
The kiss makes me feel a little breathless, if I’m being honest. And it sends a very real, undeniable shiver down my spine when his tongue touches mine. I’m entirely grounded in the friction of Ace’s lips and the warmth of his hands as they slide around my waist, tugging me in closer.
He breaks the kiss and pulls back slowly, a dazed smirk on his face.
It was a good kiss. A really good kiss.
“Can I get you home?” he offers.
“No, I walked over with some friends, who I should go find before they leave without me.” I start to stand.
“Are you sure?” he asks, standing with me, and places his hand on my hip. His thumb brushes the bare skin at the waistline of my jeans.
“I’m sure.” I step away before I change my mind and agree to let him walk me home.
“Wait, I need your number.” He pulls out his phone, and I hold my hand out.
“I’ll text my number from your phone. Then it’s up to you from there, Ace.” I smile.
When I hand him back his phone, my phone buzzes in my pocket.
“Oh, I’m calling, so you’d better answer.” He follows me when I turn to walk back into the house to find my friends.
“Okay, then, Ace Griffith. I’ll talk to you when you call.” I leave him standing in the kitchen, and with one last look over my shoulder, I wave, then walk away. And I can feel him watching me the whole way.
As I leave the house with my friends, the adrenaline starts to fade, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
It’s a little weird, I admit to myself. Aston and Ace share DNA. They share a face. A body. Even though they’re totally different personality-wise.
Maybe I was a little infatuated with the idea of Aston, but I’m not some jersey chaser. And I’m not going to waste my time or play mind games. So, I’ll give Ace a real shot and have some fun while doing it.