The next day, Lake sat in the car with Ace. He stared at the Salvatore house, debating on going inside.
"Want me to go with you," Lake asked.
"Yeah," Ace said softly.
They got out and walked side-by-side. Ace knocked on the door, waiting for someone to answer. He rubbed his palms on his jeans as his nerves kicked in.
"Ace," Lake said, "You good?"
"Maybe this was a bad idea," Ace said, shaking his head.
"Hey, you're okay. You're not alone," Lake reassured.
Lake slipped her hand into his to provide further comfort. The door opened, revealing Stefan on the other side.
"Ace, what are you doing back in Mystic Falls," Stefan asked.
Ace mustered a smile for him. Still Lake could feel him tense up. Was there something he knew that she didn't?
"Thought I'd drop by and visit. I brought a friend. You remember Lake, right," Ace said.
"Hi, Mr. Salvatore," Lake smiled.
"Hi, Lake," Stefan said, turning his attention back to his son, "You didn't think to maybe give me a warning before showing up?"
"I wasn't aware I had to give any warnings to visit my own father," Ace snarked, refusing to filter the sarcasm in his tone.
Stefan stepped out of the house. Ace took a step back and pushed Lake behind him. He was scared.
"You should go. It's not safe for you here," Stefan suggested.
"You're not even gonna invite me in for a drink," Ace scoffed.
Stefan stepped back inside his home and grabbed the doorknob.
"Like I said, a warning would've been better," Stefan said, shutting the door in his face.
Ace couldn't even smother the flinch, once the door slammed closed. He stared at the door, trying to calm his breathing.
"Ace, are you..."
He walked back to the car and got in. Lake sighed and followed after him. She got into the passenger seat.
Ace drove them back to their new house.
"He's not himself," Lake said, noticing the lack of empathy in Stefan.
"He turned off his damn humanity," Ace grumbled, "Every time he does, he becomes a total dick. Sorry for dragging you out here with me, Lake."
YOU ARE READING
Bloodlines
FanfictionLake, Ace, Dominic, and Sasha all know the feeling of being the neglected child. No matter how many times they try to fix things, they just make it worse. They learn to face the reality that their family will never be the same. Now they look out for...
