Page 29 of Steal My Breath Away

“Thanks for getting me out,” I said as I racked my weights. “And for… everything.”

Chad shrugged. “Anything for a friend.”

CHAPTER 15Haley

What just happened?I hugged the stuffed pig I’d had since childhood, wishing Paige had chosen a different weekend to go and visit her mother. I’d been locked in my bedroom all afternoon with my headphones on and my phone off, scribbling lyrics on sheets of paper that now littered the floor. Paige’s go-to for stress, breakups, and emotional issues was ice cream and rom-coms. Mine was music—specifically writing songs—and I’d spent the entire afternoon composing.

I was afraid to leave my room. Afraid to see Ace and hear that our kiss was a mistake, just like the one before. He hadn’t said anything since we left the empty classroom. He’d stood at the back of the class, and then walked me home in total silence, almost colder than the day I’d seen him at Matt’s funeral.

My hand went to my mouth. I could still feel the press of his lips against mine, the warmth of his palms on his cheeks. The Ace who had kissed me in the classroom wasn’t the same Ace who had kissed me at a party in Riverstone four years ago. Old Ace had been soft and gentle, his kiss hesitant and tender. New Ace was hard and demanding, his kiss desperate and filled with passion. It thrilled me, that kiss. It made my heart pound and my knees weak. Even though I was opening myself up to being hurt all over again, I would have done anything in that classroom. If he’d wanted to have sex, I would have stripped off my clothing myself.

By the time I’d worked through my emotions, it was almost midnight. I could hear Aditi talking to someone in the kitchen downstairs, and I could feel the house vibrate from the speakersblasting the sound from whatever game Chad and Theo were playing in the basement. I opened my bedroom door and saw Maverick outside the door to Ace’s room.

“What are you doing here?”

“Ace is taking some time off,” he said. “I’m his backup.”

I couldn’t take it in. Ace had kissed me only a few hours ago and now he was gone? “How long is he going to be away?”

Maverick shrugged. “He didn’t say much. You know what he’s like.”

Yes, I did. The last time we’d kissed he’d left on deployment, and I never saw or heard from him again until Matt’s funeral. Clearly, nothing had changed.

“He didn’t tell me.”

“Well, that’s Ace.” He gave me a sympathetic smile. “He gave me your schedule and briefed me on the alarm, and how things generally work at the house. I might slip up here or there but I’m sure we’ll work it all out.”

When I didn’t respond, he gestured to the stairs. “Aditi made spaghetti…”

“I’m not hungry… but thanks for being here. I’m glad it’s someone I know.” I walked back into my room and grabbed my phone. Ace had left a few messages telling me he had to take some time off and I could contact him if I wanted to talk. No apology. No explanation. Nothing about the kiss. My stomach clenched into a knot. It was just like what happened before. New Ace was old Ace after all.

Breathe. Breathe. You’re fine. Lock it away.

“Haley.”

I heard my name as if it were far away, each syllable punctuated by a knocking sound that grew progressively louder until I heard a rattle and then a rush of cool air.

“Haley? Wake up.” Ace’s voice pulled me out of the darkness and his firm hand on my shoulder brought me to my senses. Iopened my eyes only to discover I was lying face-first in a sea of papers on the cold, hard floor of my bedroom.

“She’s okay,” he said to someone over his shoulder. “Text Paige and let her know. I put her number in your phone before I left. She threatened to claw out my eyes if I didn’t break down the door.”

“I could have handled this.” I recognized Maverick’s Southern drawl. “You aren’t supposed to be here.”

“Just go and deal with Paige,” Ace barked, gently flipping me onto my back. “I’ll make sure she’s okay and then you can take over.”

“What’s going on?” I put my forearm across my face, shielding my eyes from the blinding light.

“You haven’t been out of your room in almost twenty hours,” Ace said. “You didn’t respond to Paige’s messages, and you didn’t answer your phone…” He ran his hands gently over my body, searching for injuries, and the warmth of his touch made me melt into the floor. “The last time anyone spoke to you was Mav yesterday evening. Paige didn’t know Mav was filling in so she got in touch with me with all sorts of threats of bodily harm if I didn’t check in on you. She’s very creative.”

“She is in biology,” I said. “It comes with the territory.”

“What are you doing on the floor?” He gently helped me to sit and peeled away a piece of paper that was stuck to my cheek with drool. “You didn’t answer when we knocked. I had to use the emergency key.”

“I was sleeping.” I pulled myself up, struggling to maintain my dignity with my face smushed from sleeping on the floor, and my hair stuck to my cheek.

“Why aren’t you in the bed?”

“I couldn’t sleep so I’ve been writing songs.”

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