Ace Huxley's Daughter

10

It's becoming more and more clear to me that it's very obvious I don't belong in a lawyer's office. I know I don't. Does everyone think I'm fucking oblivious? I'm living it! Placement was literally the worst experience of my entire life. I have never been so fucking bored but it's not as easy as just don't. I can't just wipe my hands with it. I can't just leave mum. I know she'd be fine. but it's not that easy. She wouldn't like it; it would cause a whole fuss and it's just not worth the drama.

Besides, outside of that, what would I even do? Relying on dad's handouts is just as bad as marrying for money like mum wants me to do. They raised me better than that so I don't know why this seems to be their focus right now. It's pissing me off.

He sighed. Like he was bored of just laying here staring at the sky. I don't even know why he's here. I didn't ask for him to follow me. I don't even know the guy. What I did know is he'd been watching me all night. From the second my book was rudely thrown back into the bus I could feel his eyes on me. Specifically, his. I don't know how I knew they were Emerson's eyes. I just did.

"Why did your dad introduce you as Callie?"

"Nickname."

"How did he get Callie from Olive?" He chuckled, the grass crunching as he turned over onto his stomach.

"My middle name is Calliope." No response. Often what happened when I told people. "It's Greek for beautiful voice. Pretty weird but my dad's name is Ace so what did I expect really? Olive is pretty tame to what they were considering too."

"What else would they have called you?"

"That's a question." I sniffed. "My parents are polar opposites. Mum wanted something like Poppy, Amelia, or Sloane. Dad wanted something like Astrid, Andromeda or you know those kind of things. Olive was a middle ground and dad snuck Calliope in there whilst mum was on gas and air and all doped up. She was fuming when she came around." He snickered and I smiled. Dad always had a way of bugging mum. It was harmless. The name had grown on her over the years though she still didn't like me using it if I could avoid it.

"Which do you prefer?"

"Of what?"

"Olive or Callie?"

"Depends I guess."

"On what?"

"Where I am, who I'm with. Back home I'm Olive and that's that. Here I'm Callie or sometimes the band call me Pops because it sounds similar to Poppy and just kind of stuck and I get a whole host of others."

"Pops is cute."

"It is. I feel like if my mum did nicknames, that's the one she'd use." I looked at my watch and sighed. We'd been out here an hour and half and it was late. I pulled myself to my feet slowly. "I should probably get back." I turned in the grass, leaving him sat there. He could stay if he wanted too. Didn't affect me. None of my business. I had a lot on my mind anyway. A lot to work out after today's conversations.

I knew for a fact following after mum would be the most tedious experience of my life. It was the same stuff day in day out. Loads of hard work for very little emotional pay out. Not like I got when I was with dad or painting or doing literally anything else. It was a matter of was it worth me spending the rest of my life following her rules, hiding who I was here. Because when I was here, I felt like myself. My true self.

I don't feel like I'm hiding who I am at home. Not in the slightest and I'm not unhappy. I have everything I need and want and that makes me exceptionally lucky. I've been incredibly lucky to go 21 years without really needing to lift a finger. That could continue if I just went along with mum's plan. I could marry rich and never have to worry about a damn thing for the rest of my life. I could work as much or as little as I wanted. I could help on cases or I could just do filing in the office. Whatever I wanted to do there, mum would make it possible if I played along.

But at the same time, going along with her plan meant losing all of this. She'd make it near impossible for me to see my dad. Paperwork that would need sorting or a case would crop up a few days before I needed to see him and I'd have to cancel. Once I got married to one of the cookie cutter guys she was working on getting me with, kids would inevitably be on the horizon and there goes any chance at me just living my 20s. And if I didn't know anything else, I know not seeing dad and not being able to live was not what I wanted from the rest of my life.

My head was in a state of turmoil over it all right now. I know I had a good few weeks to make a decision. I just didn't know how I would right now. It didn't seem possible to do that. To decide which path to choose when you're stood at a crossroads.

"You're lost in thought." State the obvious dip shit. I didn't even know he was following to be honest. I thought he'd pass out in the field and be pissed at me the next time we bumped into each other because he missed us all leaving and I didn't come to get him.

"Mhm."

"About what?"

"Do you ever stop talking?"

"Rarely." I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms. "What you thinking about?"

"Wondering why you're following me around like some lost puppy. I don't need a bodyguard. You don't need to 'get to know me' because we slept together. That can just be what it was. You don't need to spend the next 6 and a half weeks pretending you give a damn."

"Who said I didn't?" I stopped a few feet from the tour bus, turning to face him with raised eyebrows. "You're fascinating."

"I'm not a fucking unicorn Sonny."

"Did you just call me Sonny?"

"Well, I've been told I'm not allowed to call you bubbles." I shrugged, happy I managed to change the direction of the conversation so easily. His brow furrowed for a second. I don't know who this guy was but he wasn't the same person who had me pinned against the wall a few days ago. That overpowering lust must have taken complete control because this guy was the opposite of the dark chaos I thought he was. I guess that's why Sonny suited him. He could be dangerous. I knew it. I'd felt it. But he was soft. Under the harsh exterior there was something about him that was the complete opposite of who he wanted people to think he was.

We stared at each other for a few seconds. Just blinking. Until a gust of wind sent pins into my bare legs and I was too cold to stand around. I exhaled.

"Night." Turning around, I made the last few steps up to the door.

"I don't mind it."

"Don't mind what?"

"Sonny. I don't hate it." I smiled to myself.

"Good to know Bubbles. Night."

"Night Pops." I tugged on the door, stepping in quietly and trying not to disturb the group passed out in their bunks on the way down to my room. I was exhausted, physically, and mentally. Tomorrow we'd hit Finland officially bringing the total to 9 countries we had passed through in just 4 days. We will stop in a lot of the same countries on our way back through. Finland is just the furthest stop before we start tracing back through Europe.

I sat down on my bad with a huff, slowly laying back and looking up at the pictures again. I stared for a few moments, reaching my finger up at tracing over our happy faces gently. So young and so unaware of what was really happening whilst dad was away and I was at school. With a crinkle of my nose, I changed quickly, pulling myself under my cold duvet and plugging my phone onto charge, checking through it as I laid in the black.

🥁Blake🤘🏻

Drive with me tomorrow?
I'll come get you at like 9? xx

Hmm. Not sure if dad will let me drive
with some rando. 🤔

I'm not a rando🙄

Seem like a rando to me

9am?

If I'm up

I'll wake you up beautiful. Don't worry.
Night xx

Night x

Blake. God how I'd missed Blake.