Undercover Love

Chapter Nineteen: No Regrets: Just Bad Decisions

I try to take a peaceful walk to our hotel, the cool night air brushing against my skin like a gentle reminder that the world still exists outside of my chaos. Each step feels heavy, a burden pulling me down as my mind races with everything that just happened. I'm a mess, ready to break down at any moment, my heart aching with anger and confusion.

As I reach the hotel, I take a deep breath, hoping for some semblance of peace and quiet. I open the door to our room, but Ace beats me to it, already inside. The sight of him makes me even more irritated. I just want to be alone, away from all the drama, but here he is, waiting like he has something important to say.

"Adriana," he starts, his tone tentative, like he's about to step into a minefield. He probably is, though.

"What do you want, Ace?" I snap, trying to keep my voice steady, but it quivers with the raw emotion bubbling just beneath the surface. "Can't you see I'm not in the mood for whatever this is?"

"I just wanted to let you know that I broke up with Emily," he says, his words hanging in the air like a fragile truce.

My heart skips a beat, but not in the way he might expect. "What the hell am I supposed to do about that?" I retort, crossing my arms defensively. "You think that fixes everything?"

"I'm trying to make things right!" he argues, his frustration spilling over. "I realized I messed up. I thought I could juggle both, but I can't. I want to focus on us."

"Us?" I scoff, the bitterness in my voice palpable. "You think saying you broke up with her magically makes everything okay? You put me in danger, Ace! Someone you barely even know was saved, while I could've died."

"I know I was wrong, and I'm sorry!" His voice rises, echoing off the walls of the small room. "I was scared, and I thought I was doing the right thing! Can't you see that?"

"See what?" I shout, the tears threatening to spill over. "That you're a selfish idiot who can't see past his own needs? You chose her, Ace! You made your bed, now lie in it!"

He runs a hand through his hair, the frustration etched on his face. "I didn't choose her over you! I thought—"

"Thought what?" I cut him off, my heart racing with rage. "That I'd just sit back and let you decide who's worth saving? I don't need your protection or your pity! I'm not some damsel in distress waiting for a knight in shining armor!"

"I never said you were!" he counters, his tone defensive. "But I wanted to keep you safe! You mean something to me, Adriana!"

"Do I?" I challenge, the pain in my chest threatening to crack me open. "You've made it pretty clear that your priorities lie elsewhere! You can't just come in here, drop your emotional baggage on me, and expect everything to be sunshine and rainbows!"

His eyes flash with a mix of anger and hurt, and for a moment, it feels like the air between us is charged, electric with unspoken words and unresolved feelings. "You don't get to shut me out just because you're angry!"

"And you don't get to play the victim when you're the one who messed up!" I shout, the frustration spilling out of me. "I'm tired of your excuses, Ace! You think breaking up with Emily makes it all better, but it doesn't change the fact that you put me in danger. You put me second! And now you want to act like we can just pick up where we left off?"

He shakes his head, the hurt evident in his expression. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen, Adriana. I'm trying to fix it!"

"Fix it?" I echo, incredulous. "You can't just fix things with a few empty words! You have to earn my trust back, Ace! But right now, I can't even look at you without feeling sick!"