Bodyguard: Ace Cain

|15| Testing The Waters

|Testing The Waters|

Destitute, the weekend was completely forgettable. My worst fear was that something happened to Ace. There was no sign of him all weekend. My father had not called to come get me, which meant Ace was still gone. It was wonderful to spend time with Tana. But, dare I say, I missed Ace. I had grown accustomed to his company, so not having him near felt strange.

That didn't mean the Evans were bad hosts. Tana and I had a relaxing weekend together after the previous events. We spent most of our time watching good movies. Her parents would check on us whenever they had the chance. Tana was still shaken by what had happened, but she was returning to her usual self. It was reasonable to assume that those events would be put on hold for a while.

It was now Sunday evening, and we were dreading going to school tomorrow. We needed one more day to forget about what had happened. The thought of someone coming to our school terrified me. If someone is willing to do all of that at an exhibition, I would not be surprised. That night felt like the beginning of an endless cycle of torture.

Tana finally got the courage to ask about him as we were eating our eighth bowl of ice cream. "Do you think he will be at school tomorrow?" She asked me.

"I'm not sure," I sighed. "Maybe he will. Maybe he won't."

She rolled her eyes at me. "Stop acting as if you don't care!" She yelled. "We all noticed how you two were looking at each other."

My cheeks flushed. "You're insane. We weren't really looking at each other."

"You like him. Just admit it!" She teased.

The strange ideas this girl had in her head never failed to amaze me. Ace was my friend, and I worried about him in the same way that anyone else would. It seemed strange that he wasn't the one to get us out of that room. There was no place he could have gone without anyone noticing. Our parents appeared to have the answers, but they wouldn't share them with us. Is he even going to return?

Even if he didn't, I had no feelings of lust for him. Regardless of how attractive he appeared. I almost vomit at how close he gets to me. Those eyes draw me in with every glance he spared. I was terrified at the thought of liking him. If I had feelings for him, I doubt he would reciprocate them.

I shook my head. "No, Tana. I don't like him." I stated. "It wouldn't feel right if I did."

She scoffed. "What's so wrong about it?" Her questions continued. "The worst-case scenario is that you will be turned down. But you'll still have Jake."

My body trembled just thinking about it. "If he is my last resort, just kill me."

We both laughed. Jake Trubisky would never have a chance with me. He was gross and overly pushy. Jake lacked the gentleness that Ace possessed. If he had some of Ace's sensitivity, I might have given him a chance. Until then, it would have to be a no. Our priorities were very different.

Jake aside, Tana's mother interrupted us to inform me that my ride was waiting for me outside. I had no idea I was going home so soon, but I didn't question it. Mostly because Ace could be back now. It made me eager to get to my house and see him. To ensure he was okay following everything that had happened. There was also yelling at him for not telling me where he was headed. Our lack of communication was petrifying.

After saying goodbye to Tana, I boarded the ride that my father had arranged for me because he was too lazy to come here himself. The drive was short because the Evans didn't live far away. Ace's car was not outside the house, so I don't understand why he would send me home without him. It was risky, but I have stayed at home alone before. There is no guarantee that whatever happened at the exhibition was intended for me.