Catch Me if You Can (18+) (FINISHED)

47 - I'm Sorry

Aspen
Present

After I stormed into Ace's underground home, I distantly heard him lock the front door behind me, but I just continued to the bedroom and started shuffling some of my crap into a plastic bag.

I heard Ace stepping around the house and closing doors.

I didn't know what he was doing, but I didn't care.

He was a dickwad—an asswipe—and I wanted nothing to do with him.

I angrily stuffed some of the skirts Miles bought me into the bag followed with some shirts.

My heart was aching... my blood cooling and heating.

I felt like I was freezing and burning.

It was horrible.

Seconds later, I heard Ace close the bedroom door behind him.

The moment I heard the lock click, I stiffened.

I shot up in seconds and turned to him, eyes blazing.

He was standing by the door, blocking it, but he gave me a small smile despite my piercing glare.

"What are you doing?" I demanded, voice shaking. "You're not going to hurt me again. I won't allow it. Open the fucking door."

"Aspen..." he whispered, looking as if he were in pain, "I can't let you leave."

I shot up then, throat clogging and anger pulsed through me. "What?"

"With your brother on the loose," he tried to explain, voice soft but it was only pissing me off more, "followed by your father, I can't."

Rage burned through me. "You were planning on BUYING ME FROM THEM!"

A flash of hurt went through his eyes, but he took a deep breath, resting his back on the door. "I can't let you go."

I immediately shot over to the other door leading to his burnt house, and rattled the handle.

"It locks from the outside and inside," he told me. "I have the key, and it's not in here."

I turned to him, jaw locking. "Open the door."

He was silent.

"OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR!" I screamed.

He shook his head.

I picked up a glass vase and hauled it at him. "ASSHOLE!"

And he closed his eyes as it shattered next to him, raining shards around the room but he remained unfazed.

I dropped to the ground then, screaming, "I HATE YOU!"

He winced at the words but said nothing.

I put my face in my hands, feeling helpless. "I HATE YOU, YOU FUCKER!"

He still remained silent.

The realization that I couldn't go anywhere settled in—all the anger and hatred and rage burning me out—and I found myself crying.

On my knees—face in my hands, curled up on the floor—and crying.

It was too much. This was all too much.

I hated him. I wanted him to pay.

But it hurt. Everything hurt.

My heart was aching, my soul was dying, and I didn't understand what I was here for.

Why did God put me on this Earth only to torment me until my death? Was I this useless?

"I hate you!" I sobbed into my hands, the only words I could hold onto right now. "I hate you...."

Why did this hurt? I wanted it to stop. I wanted this to stop.

Make it stop.

The pain... was lethal. I felt like I was dying here.

I felt... alone.

Even my sister couldn't save me now.

Only this bastard who claimed he loved me but only wanted to use me.

And the worst part? I wanted to believe him. I really did.

I continued crying in my hands, not seeing any other way out other than to let out my frustration.

I heard Ace's footsteps echo toward me, and I wanted to flinch back and scream "don't touch me" or something, but I was frozen.

He kneeled down; I could just feel it.

He didn't dare touch me, though.

"I'm sorry..." he whispered. "I know that's hard to believe, but I really am." I felt him inhale slowly and let it out. "Aspen... I was angry, but I promise I'd never do something like that, and part of the reason I wanted to was to take you away from your father because he clearly didn't care about you."

I was silent, but for some reason was listening.

"I'm sorry," he said again. "I'm an asshole, true, but I'm so much worse. I never thought of you, only myself, and I know it was selfish."

I sniffled, rocking myself forward and backward to sooth the agony growing inside me.

"I never wanted to cause you this much pain," he whispered then, sounding as if my state hurt him. "I never wanted you to... to hate me. And I understand why you do, I really do, but I can't let you go, okay? I want you safe."

He pressed me gently to him, and I didn't pull away.

"Aspen..." he said, "I promise... I won't hurt you. Don't be afraid, okay? I won't lay a hand on you. I just want to help—to protect—so just trust me this once."

I was silent—a weak doll that seemed almost imaginary.

He sighed, pressing my head to his chest as he gently lowered my hands, and I stared at the floor blankly, afraid of what his expression looked like.

I didn't want to trust him.

I wanted to trust him.

I didn't want to hate him.

I wanted to hate him.

I didn't want to love him.

But I... wanted to love him.

"Aspen..." he whispered at my silence, voice quiet as if he was afraid I'd shatter, "let's get you into bed, okay? Get some rest, you hadn't slept well last night, anyway. I'll help you visit your sister later."

I numbly stood, knowing no where else to go, so I just slipped into his bed and faced away from him, closing my eyes and letting a tear slip as he draped the covers over me and sat in bed beside me.

The moment he touched my bandage, I slapped his hand away, glaring at him.

He gazed down at me softly, making my heart melt a little. "It's okay, Aspen," he promised. "Let me see, okay?"

I watched him carefully as he pulled some gauze and bandages from the drawer and unwrapped my shoulder, making me turn my head away when he replaced the gauze with a fresh one and wrapped it up again with the bandage.

Just the feeling of being cared for made the sorrow bleed through me, and I started crying, my chest shaking with sobs as I covered my face with my hands, tears slipping down my cheeks.

It hurt.

Everything... hurt.

Ace gently grasped my hands and lowered them to my sides, leaning down and pecked my cheeks, kissing the tears away.

And I let him.

God, I'm hopeless.

He trailed his lips across my jaw and down my neck, making me moan when he gently licked the skin and suckled on it.

"Ace..." I sobbed.

He didn't listen to me, just gently leaned over my form as he ran his hands up my sides, under my shirt, and to my breasts, gently kneading before he skimmed them down my navel and into my pants.