The baby project~~

11.

~Nova's pov~

The car ride home felt like the longest journey I'd ever taken. The weight of the silence in the car was suffocating, and despite knowing Ace was dealing with a lot, his complete silence was starting to gnaw at me. Every few seconds, I'd glance over at him, but he wouldn't even look in my direction. His jaw was clenched, his hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles were turning white. He wasn't mad at me. I knew that. But his walls were so high up right now that I couldn't even imagine how to break through them.

I finally broke the silence, my voice soft but sincere. "Are you okay?"

The words barely left my lips before he let out a sharp, irritated breath. It was like I had just pressed the wrong button, and I wasn't prepared for the cold, biting response that came next.

"Are you serious?" he scoffed, his gaze flicking to me for only a split second before returning to the road. His voice was thick with annoyance, and the sharpness in his tone made me flinch. "You don't need to ask me that. I'm fine. Not that you'd understand."

I felt a pang in my chest. What the hell had I done to deserve that? I just wanted to make sure he was okay, but it was like he couldn't see past the walls he'd built around himself.

"I wasn't asking to make you feel bad," I said, keeping my voice as steady as I could, though the sting of his words made my heart race. "I just... I just wanted to know if you were alright."

"Well, I'm not. Okay?" His eyes flared with frustration, but it was obvious that his anger wasn't directed at me—it was more like a defense mechanism, something to hide what he was really feeling. "But it's none of your business."

His words were like a slap, and I didn't know how to respond. I bit my lip, turning my face toward the window, trying to steady the emotions that threatened to bubble to the surface. I didn't know why I was letting his words get to me so much. Maybe it was the fact that he was usually the one to take care of me, but now, in this moment, I had no idea how to help him.

The rest of the drive was filled with tension, the kind of silence that pressed down on my chest like I couldn't breathe. By the time we pulled into the driveway, I was so wound up, I could barely keep it together. Without thinking, I slammed the car door as I stepped out, feeling the anger building in my chest like a storm. But it wasn't just at Ace. It was at everything. The tension. His coldness. The way he pushed people away.

I started up the stairs, hoping he wouldn't follow, but I heard the familiar sound of his footsteps behind me. He was quick, catching up to me in a few strides. I could feel his presence behind me like a weight, like I couldn't escape the way he was so... himself. When he reached me, his hand shot out to grab my wrist, pulling me back.

"Nova," he said, his voice softer than before, but still carrying that same edge. "Where are you going?"

I turned to look at him, feeling my frustration bubble up. "Why? So you can keep insulting me? So you can keep acting like you don't care?"

He flinched at the words, but I wasn't done. "I don't get it, Ace. Why are you so... cold?"

He didn't answer at first. Instead, his gaze softened slightly, and for a moment, he looked almost... vulnerable. It was like a crack in his tough exterior, and I didn't know whether to take advantage of it or pull away. But then, without warning, he pulled me toward him.

I let out a sharp breath as his arms wrapped around me, holding me so tightly that I couldn't move. "Please dont go," he whispered, his voice low and uncertain.

For a moment, I didn't know what to do. Everything inside me told me to pull away, but when I felt his arms around me, I didn't want to. I needed to be there for him. And even though he was pushing me away in his own way, I could feel the depth of his pain. His shoulders were shaking, his breath hitching as if he was on the edge of losing control.

I couldn't let him go through this alone.

I wrapped my arms around him tightly, burying my face in his chest. His breath came out in uneven gasps, and I could feel the tremors running through him. Slowly, his grip loosened, and I could hear his voice, though it was shaky.

"I'm fine, Nova," he muttered, but I could hear the cracks in his words, the raw emotion trying to break through. "Just... don't make this harder than it already is."

I didn't say anything at first. I just held him tighter, rubbing his back gently to calm him. My heart broke for him in ways I didn't even know how to explain. He wasn't fine. And I could see it all now—the facade he wore was just that: a mask.

"It's okay, baby," I whispered softly, trying to steady my own breathing. "You don't have to hide it from me. Let it all out. I'm not going anywhere."

It was like a dam finally broke. His body trembled as he let out a sob, the sound raw and broken. I could feel his tears soaking through my shirt, but I didn't care. I just held him tighter, running my fingers through his hair, murmuring sweet things to comfort him.

I felt his grip loosen as he calmed down, his breathing slowing. Slowly, I guided him to the couch, sitting him down, and went to the kitchen to grab him a glass of water. I handed it to him, and he drank it slowly, his eyes not meeting mine.

When I sat back down next to him, he leaned into me again, this time more gently, like he needed to feel grounded. I didn't resist. I let him pull me into his arms, and as he hugged me, the force of it made me fall back onto the couch. My head hit the pillow, and I let out a soft laugh, feeling the weight of his body pressed against mine.

I rubbed his back softly, talking to him quietly, trying to ease him into a state of calm. But soon, I noticed the evenness of his breaths, and I realized he had fallen asleep.

I closed my eyes, resting my head against his, and wondered what had happened to this man. What had broken him so badly that he felt he couldn't trust anyone? What had happened to make him put up walls so high that even I couldn't get through?

But as I lay there, wrapped in his arms, I knew one thing for sure—I wasn't going anywhere. I would help him through this, no matter what.