Chapter 39
THIRTY-NINE
Less than an hour later, the three of us transformed the living room from a cozy country home into a modern-day saloon, complete with the green felt poker table and a rolling drink cart. As soon as Gray said his dad wanted to play a couple of rounds of cards, all our friends drove over, happy to give Curt a fun night.
In fact, there was a new light in his eyes as everyone shuffled through the door, greeting every person by name and giving them a big hug. Curt was his usual self, and his memory seemed to be pretty intact. Gray watched him carefully, warning me he tended to get worse after the sun went down, but so far, he showed no signs of slowing down.
After we all grabbed drinks and settled around the table, we chatted as Curt and Marta set everything else up. At first, I felt a little uneasy, especially considering that the last time we were all in the same room, Gray spilled the news about our marriage. I thought there might have been a little animosity after the fallout, but everyone seemed to be just as welcoming as usual.
“It feels weird being out this late,” Cole’s sister, Victoria, chuckled from my side. “Usually, I’m passed out next to Emilia after reading her a third bedtime story.”
Her boyfriend, Adam, looked over at her softly, knowing the days she didn’t have her five-year-old daughter, Emilia, were tough. Even though she had an amazing relationship with her daughter’s father, Victoria had an incredible bond with her child, and she missed her terribly when she was with her dad for the weekend.
“I know what you mean,” Calla chuckled from across the table, one hand on her cards, the other on her belly. “I’m already struggling to keep my eyes open. Can’t imagine it’s going to get any better after she arrives.”
“We’ll figure it out,” Theo said as he leaned in to kiss her shoulder. “Especially if you let me hire a night nurse?—”
“Not happening, Sunshine,” Calla smirked back. “We’re going to be all hands on deck with this baby, midnight feedings and all.”
“I know,” Theo said, unable to hold back his smile. “I just worry about you.”
As my sister turned to him and whispered something in her husband’s ear, I returned my attention to the table, suddenly feeling like an intruder in their private moment. I turned to my other side, finding Alex and Cole chatting happily with Curt as he sorted all the poker chips. It was interesting to watch the couples sitting at this table. All of them had long journeys to find each other, but they were making it work, and it was obvious they loved each other.
As I glanced over at Gray, I found he was already looking at me, the same slight smile on his lips. What did they see when they looked at us? Did we look at each other like we wouldn’t survive without each other?
“Alright,” Curt said as he shuffled the cards. “Gotta let all of you in on the rules of poker in my house. No complaining, always make sure you have a drink in your hand before the flop, and aces are always high.”
Victoria scrunched her nose. “I thought they could be low or high.”
“In most cases, yes,” Curt chuckled. “But not in this house.”
“Why is that?” she asked.
He chuckled, looking fondly up at his wife. “Started with a bet. I was just a dumb kid, in love with this beautiful girl who saw me as nothing more than a friend. So, one night, a bunch of us were hanging out, and she brought out a deck of cards. Decided to play poker. Night goes on, and everyone goes out except the two of us. And then she decides she’s all in, but I don’t have the chips to match.” He looked up at Marta, smiling softly to himself. “Remember what I said?”
Marta nodded her head, smiling at her husband, tears in her ears. “You had nothing to give me but your last name.”
“That’s right,” he smiled. “And by some dumb stroke of luck, she thought it was a good enough line to keep playing. So, when it came time for the final card, we both showed our hands. Both of us had three of a kind, but she had an ace, and I had a king.” He paused, shuffling the cards in his hands. “Technically, she should’ve won, but I wanted to see how she played it.”
“You would have never known that at the time,” Marta chuckled as she came around and stood at his shoulder. “The man was grinning ear to ear.”
Curt reached out and wrapped his free arm around her waist. He stared up at her, and you never would have known they’d been married for four decades. Curt looked just as lovestruck as he did in their wedding pictures. “I said to her, your choice—is the ace low or high?” He turned to the rest of us. “If she said low, I would’ve let it go, known she felt nothing for me but friendship. But then she said…”
“High. Always high.” She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. “Guess I’ll be taking that last name now.”
Curt smiled like he was still there, looking at the girl who won his heart. “Gave it to her six months later. Called her my Ace of Hearts ever since.” He sighed and looked out to the rest of us. “And now, it’s the house rule: nothing ever rivals an ace.”
My eyes widened as I looked over to Gray, who was watching me apprehensively. Years ago, he’d gifted me the nickname Ace, claiming it had something to do with my grades. But now, my heart hammered in my chest, knowing the truth without him saying a word. All the love I’d questioned, all the times I thought Gray saw me as nothing more than a friend, the answer had been there all along. I just never knew where to look.
“Could you excuse me for a moment?” I said as I started to head toward the bathroom. But instead of turning into the room off the kitchen, I kept moving, walking straight into the garage and up the stairs to Gray’s old room.
As the door closed behind me, I leaned against it, holding my hand to my chest. My heart thumped an unsteady rhythm as my emotions threatened to overwhelm me. It was only made worse when I looked out into the space, and my past threatened to sweep me away. Ever since Gray moved out to the garage when he was sixteen, this room hadn’t changed. I’d spent so many nights here when I couldn’t stand to be home. It still had the same dark blue paint, framed posters on each wall. Photos lined the shelves, and I was in several of them, smiling at Gray like he was the center of my universe.
I walked over to the bed and ran my hand over the comforter. It was where I had run years ago, when it felt like the ground was about to swallow me whole. Gray held me, pressing an ice pack to my swollen face as I cried myself to sleep. I drifted off, listening to him promise I’d be okay, that he’d keep me safe.
Gray was my safe space, the person I’d always run to when the world was too scary and big to confront alone. And even though moving back was Calla’s idea, I had to wonder if it was really the same thing. If all along, I’d been trying to find my way back to him.
Before I could examine that thought too closely, though, a knock sounded on the door.
“Ace, open the door.”