Undercover Love

Chapter Eight: I'm Never Getting Drunk In The Same Room As Ace Again

I make my way back to the hotel, as the hot afternoon air only makes me more frustrated. As I reach the door, my steps slow. I brace myself before unlocking it, steeling myself for what's inside. Ace is there, of course. He looks up when I walk in, but I don't meet his eyes. I can't, not after everything he said. Not after he looked me in the eyes and told me he hated me.

I cross the room, pretending like he's not there, grabbing my things to get ready. My voice is clipped as I say, "Luke said you can come to the party. If you want."

There's a long silence, and I can feel his gaze on me, but I refuse to look at him. The silence stretches, heavy and uncomfortable. Ace doesn't respond, and I don't wait for one. I head to the bathroom, pulling the door shut behind me. I take a deep breath, staring at my reflection. My eyes look tired, red-rimmed from earlier. I blink a few times, trying to shake off the emotion that still clings to me. I need to focus on tonight, on Luke. He'll make me feel better, he always does. He's the one thing that makes sense right now.

I change quickly, into my short, high-waisted shorts and a blue cropped tee. I throw my hair up in a messy bun, not caring if it looks perfect. After everything today, I just need to feel normal, even if it's just for a little while.

When I walk back out, Ace is standing by the door, keys in hand. "Ready?" he asks, his voice neutral.

I nod, still not looking at him, and follow him out to the car. The silence between us is thick, and it stays that way as we walk to the parking lot. He unlocks the car, and I slide into the passenger seat, immediately turning to look out the window. I hear him start the engine, the rumble filling the quiet space, and we pull out of the parking lot.

We drive in silence for a while, the city lights blurring past us. I keep my focus outside, watching the streets go by. I don't want to think about what happened earlier, and I definitely don't want to think about the fact that Ace is driving me to see Luke. It feels wrong, all of it, but I push the feeling down.

After a while, Ace turns off onto a smaller street, and I frown slightly, glancing at him out of the corner of my eye. "Where are we going?" I ask, my voice devoid of emotion.

He doesn't answer me right away. Instead, he pulls up in front of a house I don't recognize. He turns off the engine and looks over at me. "Move to the backseat," he says.

"What?" I blink at him, confused.

"Just do it, Adriana," he says, his tone making it clear he's not in the mood to explain.

I hesitate for a moment, but I don't have the energy to argue with him right now. I open the door and climb into the backseat, shutting the door behind me. I watch as Ace gets out of the car, walking up to the front door of the house. He rings the doorbell, and after a moment, the door opens, revealing a girl—one I recognize all too well.

My heart sinks, and I feel my stomach twist as she steps out, smiling at Ace. It's her. The same girl I'd seen him with in our hotel room. The one he was with when I locked myself in the bathroom. I press my lips together, swallowing the lump in my throat.

I can't look at them as she climbs into the passenger seat, her laughter filling the car. Ace doesn't say anything, and neither do I. I just turn my head, staring out the window, trying to ignore the knot in my chest tightening with each passing second. I should be angry, I should yell at him, but I don't have it in me. I just feel empty. Hollow.

I close my eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath, trying to steady myself. Luke will make everything better, I tell myself. He'll be there, and he'll remind me of who I am, of who I can be without Ace. He'll make me feel wanted again. I just have to get through this ride.