ACE

Chapter 9: Making Bets

Play list for this Chapter: Mad Woman by Taylor Swift.

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"Are you okay?" He asked me after a while and I nodded.

"I'll be fine." I told him as we entered the street my house was in and I told him to stop right in front of my place. He turned off the ignition and we sat in silence for a while before I cleared my throat.

"Thank you for dropping me home." I glanced at him staring outside as if he was scanning my neighbourhood, which was pretty decent.

"Would you—would you like to come in?" I asked him and his head snapped to mine, his eyes calculating something before he spoke a moment later.

"Sure." He said and I smiled, getting out of the car with him following me to the front door.

"This your house?" He asked me and I looked at him before nodding.

"Yeah, I bought it with my friends." He nodded while I fumbled for my keys in my bag and opened the door, gesturing him to go in and he did. I closed the door behind him and took off my coat, hanging it on the coat rack.

"Can I take your coat?" I asked him and he took off his coat, handing it to me and looking around.

Unintentionally, his coat went to my nose and I smelled it a bit, closing my eyes before realizing what I was doing, and quickly hanging it with a wince.

I'm such a creep.

"Follow me here." I lead him to the living room where I could hear Abby and Cole laughing. We heard them before we saw them.

"Twenty bucks she's already making out with Mr. Stone Face." Cole suddenly said and my face turned red. I heard an amused chuckle from behind me and looked behind at Nicholas, eyes wide with shame.

"Fine, but I bet she's having a drink with him right now. Dove isn't like that, you know her." Abby pointed at him and I sighed in relief.

"Actually you know what, fifty bucks she's hooking up with him." Abby grinned at him mischievously and I gasped, taking a pillow and I hit them both with it.

"Ow! Watch it, bitch!" Abby shouted but then gasped when she saw who was with me. Cole looked behind me and immediately paled.

"Oh, shit." He said and I glanced behind me at Nicholas, still blushing and saw him raise his eyebrows at me questioningly.

"Sorry, they're not usually like this." I gestured to Abby and Cole and glared at them, mouthing them to get out and 'I'll deal with you later'.

They both scrambled off the couch and ran to their rooms, locking their doors.

"Huh." I frowned at their reaction.

"Right, um— Tea or coffee? Wait, black coffee, right?" I looked at him.

"Yes." He replied and I smiled, offering him a seat on the couch where he sat and got comfortable, and I ran inside the kitchen, quickly preparing coffee and bring it out to him.

He was inspecting my book shelves when I came out.

"Are these all yours?" He asked me, now turning around as I handed him his coffee.

"Yes." I told him and sat on the seat across him with my own coffee in my hand. He nodded and then pointed to a corner.

"That's yours too?" He pointed to my piano and guitar when I grinned.

"Yeah, that's mine too." I smiled at him.

"Do you sing?" He asked and I shrugged.

"Somewhat. I only play a few songs at a bar sometimes, or at Rosie's café at night." I told him.

"I haven't seen you play there." He looked at me intently as if trying to figure me out.

"Yeah, I haven't in a while because I've been busy with college and everything. But I have a gig tomorrow night at a bar near Rosie's." I told him excitedly and he nodded.

"What about your hair?" He asked looking at my platinum blonde hair. It was almost white.

"Oh?" I asked him confused.

"I'm quite sure your real hair isn't platinum blonde, now is it?"

"Oh, yes, I dyed it a while back. I just wanted to do something different, change myself a bit, you know." I clarified.

"Right." He said and set down his now empty cup of coffee. 

"The coffee was good, thank you." He got up from his seat and I got up too.

"I should get going now. Thank you for inviting me." He told me and I smiled at him.

"Thank you for today, I really appreciate it." I gave him a small smile and handed him his coat.

"No problem, tesoro." He said and I smiled faintly.

"Have a safe journey home." I told him and he nodded, opening the door, he stopped in his tracks and turned around to look at me just before leaving.

"Tell your friends they've lost their bets." He smirked before adding.

"For now."