Falling For Ace

Thirty-four

I V Y

I took out a box from my purse and handed it to Ace who was staring at it with curiosity and confusion, "what's this?"

"Your birthday gift." I replied with a grin. He smiled as his eyes lit up before he opened the box, revealing a silver bracelet for boys with his name written on it.

"So you copied the gift I've gifted you," he muttered, looking at me amusingly, "cool."

I rolled my eyes, "do you like it or not?"

"I love it." He replied leaning forward before placing a kiss on my forehead, "thanks, love." I took the bracelet from him before putting it on his wrist. He stared at it for a while before his eyes went to the necklace I was wearing; the necklace he gave me. "You wear it everytime?"

"It looks good on me." I replied with a shrug and watched as he chuckled, "yeah, it really does."

"This," I pointed to the bracelet, "looks good on you."

"I'll wear it everyday." He promised with a smile, "you'll see. And I'm coming in your room tonight-" he paused, "around ten. Leave your window open."

"Why will you be coming?"

"I want to spend time with my girlfriend." He shrugged, "Can't I?"

"Of course, you can." I leaned in and connected my lips with his before parting away, remembering that his birthday party was going on downstairs, "we should go."

"Right." He sighed, "my birthday party." Ace and I then went back downstairs.

His parents were talking to disco ball and her parents about what I assumed was the wedding. I glanced at Ace who was beside me and saw that his eyes were fixed on his parents as well.

"Ivy, Ace!" My mom exclaimed as she made her way towards us. Ace and I snapped our heads in her direction and saw her coming along with dad by her side holding a wrapped box in her hands. She stood in front of Ace and handed him the box before pulling him in for a hug, "happy birthday, darling."

"Thanks." Ace replied with a smile before he and my dad shook hands, "happy birthday, son." Ace only nodded in response before his eyes drifted back to his parents momentarily.

He leaned in and whispered in my ear, "They're going to announce it." His hand reached out to hold mine behind us as his parents took a mic each before Vincenzo cleared his throat, grabbing the attention of everyone in the room. He interlocked our fingers as his mom began speaking, "first of all, we want to thank you for being here, celebrating our son, Ace's twenty first's birthday with us. It is a pleasure to have you all here."

"We have something very important and exciting to announce." Vincenzo added making Ace's hold tighten on my hand.

"Ace, you should let go." I whispered, "your parents are gonna announce it and everyone will be looking at you." He let out a string of curses before letting go of my hand. He placed a quick kiss to the side of my head when his father began speaking again, "we are pleased and honored to announce that Ace will be marrying Jane Smith!"

And just like that, everybody began clapping their heads and shouting with excitement except Mason, Isabella, Kade, Cole, Asher, Ace and I.

Kade looked at Ace with confusion swirling in his eyes while Asher was clenching his jaw, angry. Cole, on the other hand, was staring at Jane in disgust, not even bothering to hide it.

"Come up here, you two." A man who I assumed was Jane's dad, spoke up making his daughter rush towards him and hug him before hugging Ace's parents. Ace reluctantly walked there and awkwardly stood next to Jane who wrapped her arms around his which made him shrug them off before muttering something to her which I couldn't here.

Kade, Cole, Asher, Mason and Isabelle approached me. They stood beside me before Cole nudged my arm making me look at him, "when did this happen?"

"I don't know." I replied, "I just found out minutes ago."

"Why the fuck is he marrying that disco ball?" Kade asked, anger dripping from his voice. "He could've find better. Hell, he has already found better."

"His parents are making him do it." I explained, "he doesn't want this."

"Then why didn't he refuse?" Asher asked in confusion, "He's known to be stubborn as fuck."

"They signed a contract without his knowledge," I sighed, looking at them, "If Ace breaks this alliance, Daniel Smith will get fifty percent of Vincenzo's company. So, if Ace wants out, he has to make disco ball, there, break the alliance herself."

"Then we are gonna make her run away." Cole suggested with a nod, "disco ball has no idea what she just got herself into."