Remember When - Ace Merrill (BOOK 3)

Mrs Merrill

The girls wandered around the dress shop. Connie seemed to be in her element, picking out dresses of each kind and holding them up for the guys approval.

Yet Oceane was on edge, she just couldn't shake the feeling. She knew they were being watched and it was slowly driving her insane.

"Artois!" Eyeball finally managed to get her to break from her trance, pacing up and down the shop.

Oceane snapped her head up at him as he came closer.

"The kids are fine, they've got pretty much the entire team with them." He calmly explained as he gently reached out and rubbed her arms.

Oceane nodded slowly as Eyeball moved his hands down to hers. Without realising she had began twiddling her fingers together, almost scratching at herself.

Eyeball laced his hands with hers as he pulled her backwards.

"I got you, you're okay." He spoke comfortingly as she turned to see Connie walk out in a long floaty dress.

They all gave her smiles as Connie shrugged. "I just can't pick!" She exclaimed as she grabbed the bottom of the dress and disappeared back into the changing room.

Eyeball gently squeezed Oceane's hands as she felt instantly comforted by his hands in hers. Gently she edged forward as her head fell against his shoulder.

He kept both his hands in hers as he gently rested his head against hers. The others saw but none spoke. They all could tell Oceane was nervous and though she loved each of the guys, the bond she had with Eyeball was irreplaceable.

*****

"AJ stop running off!" Skylar shouted as he raced after the boy.

"Did you really grow up here?" Salvatore asked as he held on tightly to Charlie's hand.

Charlie nodded down at him. "We all did, well me, your dad, Eyeball, Billy, Jack, Vince and Fuzzy."

"So why don't we live here anymore?" Salvatore asked up at him.

Charlie shrugged. "Because we moved to be with your mum."

Salvatore nodded slowly as he looked around. Naturally he was getting looks from everyone. More so because he was a Merrill but he himself had no idea what that name did to people in this town.

Hero's laugh split through the comfortable silence as they all turned and saw Salvatore had placed the small girl on his shoulders.

"Look at me!" She squealed with excitement as she held onto his head as he walked along.

The others all laughed as she tried to flap her arms, like she was a bird ready to take off.

"Sure you're not going soft?" Billy asked Salvatore teasingly.

Salvatore sent him a glare. "I will never go soft."

Marco and Seth both scoffed from his side. Salvatore instantly sent an arm out to both of them.

*****

"Okay at least you've decided on a veil." Eyeball grumbled from his spot on the sofa in the shop.

Bruce and Fuzzy groaned from their spots either side of him.

"Can we pay for this at least? I wanna feel like we've achieved something." Jack groaned from his spot laying flat on the floor.

Oceane and Connie sighed as Connie went back into the changing room.

"I'll just go get the card, we left it in the car." Oceane mumbled as she quickly left the shop.

Walking over to the car slowly she saw a small envelope stuck under the windscreen wiper.

Quickly she looked around but saw no-one unusual.

Grabbing at the envelope she saw the words written on the front.

Mrs Merrill

There was no hesitation as she ripped it open and read the letter.

Remember when you first came to Castle Rock? I'll meet you there for a little chat.

Come alone or that beautiful daughter of yours becomes the most attacked girl in the US

Oceane's blood boiled. It took her no time at all to jump in the car and start it up.

The others quickly rushed out the shop but she had gone.

Her foot slamming against the pedal as she drove more determined than ever before.

The parental instinct in her, too strong to make her stop.

*****

"What did you all do though? This place is boring!" Salvatore asked up at his dad.

Ace shrugged slightly. "We didn't do much when I think back to it. We drunk a lot, got into stupid fights and were basically dicks."

Salvatore gasped as he pointed up at him.

"Don't tell your mum." Ace quickly blurted out.

Salvatore held his hand out as Ace stared down at him blankly.

"Cash or I tell." Salvatore said as he kept his hand out.

"Am I actually being bribed by my own son?!" He exclaimed as Marco smacked him on his back.

"Not nice is it?" He asked sarcastically.

Ace growled but pulled out a dollar bill from his back pocket and handed it to his son. Salvatore grinned as they all saw he had the famous Merrill smirk.

"You better not tell your mum." Ace grumbled.

Salvatore shrugged as he shoved the note in his pocket.

"I'll think about it." He said cheerfully as he skipped off.

Ace stood there dumbfounded.

"Oh yeah, should have warned you about that. Your kids like taking money and fucking off." Seth said with a laugh as moved to Ace's side.

The three guys heard a cough as they looked down and saw AJ walking beside Seth.

His hand instantly went up as Seth realised he, too, had sworn.

Ace and Marco laughed as Seth begrudgingly handed over a dollar bill.

"You can't just not pay Hero too?" AJ remarked with his Merrill smirk. "It's wrong to give two kids money and not the last one?"

The three men stared down at him in shock. Marco eventually handed over another note as AJ grinned up at him before skipping off to join his brother.

"Hey! That money was for your sister!" Marco shouted after him.

AJ turned and shrugged. "What money?" He asked blankly as his father's smirk returned to his face. He was Ace's double.

Before they could reply he had turned and carried on happily walking along.

"I know I shouldn't say this," Skylar started as he came to their sides. "But you're kids are arseholes."

Even Ace nodded in agreement. His kids were arseholes.

*****

Oceane was soon coming up to the outskirts of Castle Rock, driving straight along the road that lead into the town.

The same one she had her accident on first where she first met Ace.

Seeing another car parked up where his had been, she tried to push on the brakes.

Yet it didn't work.

The car didn't slow down.

Oceane slammed both feet on the brakes but the car didn't stop.

She desperately tried to slam on them over and over as she tried to keep a control of the car.

It didn't work.

The last thing she saw was the tree she remembered she slept under that first night when Ace left her.