Chapter 15 #2
“Maybe it’s that way because you’re now spending time with the guy you should’ve been with from the start,” Chloe added.
Smiling at them, I said, “I adore Ace. He’s been wonderful to me recently, but he’s always been that way with me.
I’ve never seen what was between us as anything more than friendship, and I’m guessing that’s how it was for him all these years.
But this happened, he’s all I’ve been thinking about, and evidently, he likes me. ”
“So, what’s the problem?” Harper asked.
“She’s worried about losing him,” Olivia said.
Lark seemed confused by that. “What?”
“She’s right, Lark. Ace is important to me, and I wouldn’t want to do something that’d ruin our friendship. I’d rather have him like I do now than not at all.”
Tipping her head to the side, my best friend countered, “But what if you’re stopping the both of you from having what you’ve been meant to have all along?”
One half of my mouth quirked. “I think you just want me to officially become a member of your family.”
“That’s true. But it doesn’t negate what I said.”
“I agree with Lark.” Mia was beaming at me. “You could be missing out on having the best experience of your whole life. Imagine how it’ll feel to kiss him and mean it.”
I bit my lip, and my eyes darted to the kitchen again. I caught Ace looking at me. He winked and looked away, leaving me sitting there with a flush creeping over my skin.
“I can’t wait until I’m alone with Hawk again tonight,” Chloe declared.
Laughing, I asked, “Why is that?”
“Because this conversation is exactly what I’ve needed to feel like I’m truly on the mend, and that man made it happen for me. I think he deserves a show of my appreciation.”
Glancing one last time at Ace in the kitchen, at the rogue strand of hair that always caught my eye, I wondered what I could do to show him how much I appreciated everything he’d done for me and how much he meant to me.
Then I wondered if that would be a good idea. Because I didn’t have much experience—there were things I had no experience with—and I’d be absolutely mortified if Ace was disappointed.
“He’d never hurt you, Tessa.”
I looked to the side and found Lark wearing a serious expression.
“You’re my best friend. And if I didn’t believe Ace would treat you like a queen, I’d never urge you to go after this.”
Hearing her words offered me a sense of comfort. Because I knew it was the truth. Lark was fiercely loyal to me, and she’d never tell me to do something if she had any inkling I’d get hurt.
So, I smiled and said, “He already calls me princess all the time.”
“Ah, I love this,” Mia bubbled.
Savanna and Harper added simultaneously, “Me, too.”
I let out a big breath and demanded, “Okay, it’s someone else’s turn to talk. Are any of the other single women in this room dating?”
All I got in response was a bunch of grumbles.
That answered that question.
“You know, I’m feeling like I might want to have some cake,” Chloe declared. “Maybe we should join those men in the kitchen.”
The rest of the girls agreed and bolted off the couch and chairs.
I narrowed my eyes on Chloe, who was sending a mischievous smile my way. She knew precisely what she’d done. But if I were honest, I hadn’t really been able to keep my attention off Ace for too long. I really couldn’t complain.
So, I got up and walked to the kitchen with my friends.
ACE
This was harder than I thought it was going to be.
When I told Tessa that I was content to wait until she was ready or that nothing would change between us if she decided she wasn’t interested in pursuing anything with me, I hadn’t anticipated moments like this.
Moments when the two of us were with our friends, and I needed to pretend like I hadn’t spilled my guts to her yesterday.
We’d all come here to visit with Chloe and Hawk, and while I was thrilled to know Chloe was doing so much better, somehow, I couldn’t focus on much beyond that.
There’d been all the discussion about her therapy and recovery process while we’d been eating, and now that the guys and I had all come out to the kitchen to give the women time to talk among themselves, I still found it difficult to focus on much beyond surface-level conversation.
Because I’d been stealing glances at Tessa all day long. I couldn’t stop thinking about the feel of her lips against mine and how badly I wanted to kiss her again. Would it be possible to pretend indefinitely that I didn’t feel the way I did about her?
In the brief parts of conversation that I did catch among the guys, I’d heard a lot that Hawk had said about Chloe or that Taj said about Olivia. And it was the way they spoke about those women that had me convinced I was just as gone for Tessa.
I wanted what they had, and I wondered if it’d ever happen for me with her. I was terrified about what I’d do if Tessa convinced herself that we were better off as just friends.
The truth was that I’d take her any way I could to have her in my life, but I desperately wanted to have it all with her. I wanted to give that woman the world, everything she should’ve had all along. And I could’ve kicked myself for not recognizing how important she was to me sooner than I had.
There was a moment I considered bringing it up to the guys, but I’d ultimately decided against it.
Phoenix might’ve known how I felt about her, but Archer didn’t.
I couldn’t know for sure how he’d respond.
Not only that, if I said something to them and Tessa decided she didn’t want anything more than friendship, I was worried about how it could impact the dynamic with the entire group.
Eventually, the women joined us in the kitchen.
Evidently, Hawk had baked a cake with Chloe, since she wasn’t able to do it on her own just yet.
The cake looked nothing like what we’d come to expect from Chloe, but I had to hand it to Hawk.
He’d stepped up for Chloe in a very big way, and I was happy for them.
More than that, I was just glad there was a reason for the women to even come out into the kitchen. Because it meant that Tessa was closer. And she didn’t hold back from sending some looks my way that told me she was still thinking about our kiss.
Those looks were the reason I felt a glimmer of hope for us.