ACE

Chapter 6: Coincidence?

Play list for this Chapter: Cornelia Street by Taylor Swift.

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"Have you decided yet?" Cole asked from beside me while Mark handed him his snacks.

"Yeah, no." I told him and smiled innocently, while he frowned. 

"Just go sit down, I'll be there in a bit." I told him and he went to our usual spot where Abby waited impatiently for her food. 

I bent a bit to look at the new pastries that just came in when I felt someone come behind me. A shadow loomed over me and the same intoxicating scent enveloped me, and I smiled to myself faintly.

Mr. Stone Face is here.

I turned around and saw him, Nicholas, standing and looking at me with a cold look in his eyes. He wore a white dress shirt and wasn't wearing a blazer today, both his hands in his pockets.

"Hello again." I squeaked and he raised his eyebrow at me.

"Oh right, sorry." I moved away to make space for him but he didn't move, instead looked at me with curiosity.

"I believe you owe me a coffee." He said and I smiled, remembering what I'd promised him..

"Of course, what would you like?" I asked him and he looked over at Mark who looked at Nicholas suspiciously.

"Coffee. Black." He then looked at me and I figured he must want me to order.

"Right, uh— I'll have the cappuccino and the vanilla cupcake." I told Mark who now smiled at me, before throwing a concerned look at Nicholas and handing me our coffees. But just as I was about to pay, another arm shot out from beside me and Mr. Stone face paid before I could.

"Hey! I was supposed to pay!" I pouted, his eyes drifting down to my mouth for a brief second before he shook his head and I sighed.

I held out his coffee and he looked at my hand before reaching out and taking the cup, his hand grazing mine and sending pulses of electricity through me. Woah.

I took my own food and looked at Nicholas expectantly.

"Would you— would you like to sit with me, perhaps?" I asked him and he nodded once, letting me lead the way towards an empty booth and sitting down on it. 

He also came towards me and sat oppsosite while I quickly texted my friends that I'd join them in a bit. We drank in silence and I quietly ate my cupcake.

"Dove, is it?" He suddenly spoke and I looked up at him and smiled, nodding my head. "What do you do?"

" I'm in my last year in college. I'm studying English literature there." I told him and he nodded. 

"Where do you study?" He asked me again.

"Callington." I answered him. "What do you do?" I asked and he leaned back in his seat.

"Any wild guesses?" He asked with a raised brow when I grinned.

Oh do I.

"By the looks of it, you must be a businessman, considering your outfit is formal every time I've seen you. But you're not an ordinary businessman." I tapped my chin thoughtfully while he listened with keen interest.

"Oh?" He cocked his head to the side.

"You're clearly someone important by the looks of the watch on your wrist and the ring on your middle finger, it has a signet on it, so you're probably from an influential or rich family. Then you also have one of those VIP bank cards" I looked at him and saw him watching at me with a curious glint in his eye, so I continued.

"You seem intimidating, so you could be someone dangerous and by the looks of the men in fomal suits standing outside and inside this cafe, I presume you have many enemies. I can also see some people whispering around us, and its not me, so it must be you. So the big question is: who are you?" I raised my eyebrows at him questioningly and he smirked.

"Well done." He looked at me with praise and I looked at him surprised.

"Wait, I was right?" I asked him in disbelief.

"Mostly." He said and looked at me intently.

"Tell me more about yourself." He told me and I blushed a bit at the suden attention.

"Me? Why?" I asked him.

"No reason." He answered looking at something outside, nodding to one of his men, then looking back at me.

"You already know my name and where I study. What do you want to know?" I asked him biting my lip. He glanced at my lip then back at me and cleared his throat.

"Anything. Hobbies, family." 

"Oh.I like reading, and listening to music."

"What do you do in your free time?" I asked him

"Shoot." He answered simply and my eyes widened.

"Shoot? As in, with guns?" I asked him and he looked at me with amusement dancing in his eyes. 

"Yes."

"Oh, anything else?" I asked and he seemed to think before answering.

"I train, fight." He looked at me to see my expressions change from shock to surprise to awe.

"Wow, that's super cool." I told him and took a bite of my cupcake, loving how the fluffy and soft the sweet treat was.

"Are you from around here?" I asked him when he shook his head.

"I'm Italian, moved here a few years ago." He told me and I nodded my head when my phone chimed with a message, and I opened it to see Cole had messaged me in our group chat.

"Yo Dove, why did you ditch us for Mr. Stone Face?"

"You do know we can see you from here, right?" Abby wrote and Ip ursed my lips to stop the smile from escaping as heat bloomed in my cheeks.

I looked behind me to see them both staring at me with narrowed eyes and I gave them a little wave.

"I'll be right there guys." I texted them back.

"We have an afternoon class remember?" Abby wrote and my eyes widened and I smacked my forehead.

Shit, I forgot!

"Yeah, okay, I'll be right there, thanks for reminding me!" I texted her and looked up at Nicholas already staring at me with an unreadable expression, a small annoyed frown marring his features.

"Who was that?" He asked me as I got up from my seat quickly, grabbing my cup. 

"My friends, I have an afternoon class today and I forgot." I told him while gathering my things. 

"I have to go now but thank you for having coffee with me." I smiled at him when he nodded once, clearing his throat. 

"I can drop you off." He suggestedand my head snapped in his direction.

"What? Oh, no need, I have a ride. Thanks anyway." I told him and hoisted my bag on my shoulder, quickly making my way out of the cafe with my friends trailing behind. 

As we were sitting in the car, Nicholas came out of the cafe and went over to his car, a man in a suit opening it for him.

"Dang, look at that car." Cole said and we looked at the sleek black car parked a few feet in front of us. Sighing, I buckled my seat belt and we drove off.

Maybe I should've taken up his offer.