SPIN OFF TO THE ACE SERIES
Troubled boy called Asher Reeves is afraid of love and doesn't believe in it, will we find out why? A girl named Julia Graham comes into his life and she falls hard for him, will he feel the same way?
Family troubles, drug...
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Asher's POV
It's been four weeks since my best friend has gone missing. I'm so sick of losing people, am I still being punished because if so I can't take it anymore. I'm trying so hard for Camila but something new and horrifying gets in the way when I'm becoming happy. Camila looks the exact same way when our mother died, it heartbreaking to see. I just saw her happy again and that happiness has been taken away from her. She's holding on hope that he'll come back but as she breaks her heart on stage talking about my best friend I can see the hope slowly slipping away.
"Ace, Ace Chambers was my friend, my best friend and also my boyfriend..." her tears beginning to slowly fall as she scans the room, looking towards Lillian and the rest of his family, "He was so family oriented, his entire world revolved around making his family smile which he succeed so much, he would tell me all he wanted to do is make his mother proud and I know he did that. He was so loving, caring and was so full of life. He showed me how to have fun again and what life is really about and I thank him for that, he was by far the best thing in my life that has ever happened to me, to us all. I will always love him and I wish we all had more time with that smiling kid that would tease me in class...I know he will be watching us all, protecting us because that is what he was good at, thanks", her last word shaky as she desperately wants to break down into tears.
She steps down and takes the seat beside Julia, they whisper to each other but I have no idea what about. I look down to my black dress trousers zoning out for the rest of the service, It was hard hearing his mother speak but hearing Camila speak about Ace was ten times harder. We both lost a best friend, I lost a brother and she lost the love of her life. He's MIA but it feels like he's gone and the more real it comes the longer he's gone.
When we arrive at Lillian's I head upstairs to the room I've been staying in, It use to be George's old room. Everyone is downstairs having food and talking but I don't feel like sitting down there making pointless conversations and I definitely don't want to talk about Ace, I've talked about him constantly for four weeks and each time I hurts a little more, I don't want to cry in front of people so I've been doing it alone recently. I need a break...I'm so drained from trying to be perfect for everyone. I have taken time off work and they understand due to circumstances, I wish it was on different circumstances like breaking a leg or some shit.
A light knock sounds the door and I don't move from staring towards the ceiling, "Asher?", Julia's soft voice speaks.
I look down to see her closing the door behind her, her face holding the same sadness since she arrived. She's been here a lot for Cam and I, I'm grateful for that when I know I was rude the last time I saw her, "Hm?", hum.
"Are you okay?", She asks.
"Yeah, I'm fine", I nod. I don't mean a word of it.
"Can I sit?", she gestures to the spot beside me as she stands by the side of the bed.
I nod and look back up to the ceiling, "Do you really think he's gone?", I ask as she lays beside me looking up to the ceiling.
"No, he'll always be here", her tone soft.
It's silent for a moment, only our steady breathing and the noise from downstairs is heard, chattering, clinking of cups and cutlery. I turn onto my side facing Jules as she looks up, "Thanks for being here...for me and Cam"
She faces me tucking her hands under her cheek, "No need to thank me, I'm always going to be here for you both"
I nod, "Do you think It will get easier...losing people?"
"I'd like to think so, I know you'll find happiness Asher"
"How come?", I say confused. I use to think my happiness was with her but once she left me for the second time, I guess I lost hope in that.
"Because you deserve it"
"Apparently not", I joke but she doesn't laugh just frowns. I'm trying my hardest to not think about Ace but right now he's clouding my memory and I regret all the years we lost because of my stupidity.
She reaches her hand out cupping my cheek as her face holds the frown, "You do deserve it Asher, all those years of hard work...you deserve nothing but happiness", her thumb slowly caressing my cheek making my mind at ease already. I close my eyes at the feeling of her thumb swiping back and forth, I could fall asleep with her soft touch. I can already feel my body relaxing each swipe of her thumb.
I clear my throat to stop myself from falling asleep and open my eyes to see her big soft grey/blue eyes staring back at me, "Sorry, I'll stop", She quietly says. She pulls her hand away resting it back under her head.
"Why?", I question.
She shrugs, I know she thought I didn't want her touching me but that's not true. I reach my hand out for her hand and place it back onto the side of my face, a soft giggle falls from her lips and I close my eyes again as she begins to trace line and run her hands through my hair.
"I could fall asleep", I mumble feeling my weight sinking deeper into the mattress, this is the most relaxed I've felt in months...years. The last time I felt this way was when she was laying by my side.
"You could?", She whispers.
"Yeah, it feels so soothing", I lowly chuckle.
Her soft giggles bless my ears again and I feel a genuine smile slowly curl on my face for the first time in four weeks. "I like that smile", she whispers again.
"Oh yeah?", my voice croaky as I'm on the verge of sleep.
"Yeah", her hands run through my hair to the nape of my neck before going round my neck and up to my cheek, I can feel my entire body fill with goosebumps as she slowly traces lines.
"Keep doing that", she repeats the same things tracing in circles on the nape of my neck coming up to my cheek again.
"Goodnight, Asher", she whispers knowing I'm losing the battle to not fall asleep and my entire body shuts down which is exactly what I needed.
*
When my eyes flutter open Julia is no longer beside me, I sit up confused as I don't recall the moment I fell asleep. I look around the empty room knowing she's left and maybe went to Ace's where Camila is staying. The door creaks open and Julia's head pokes through the ajared door.
"Morning", Her smile sweet. She's wearing a pair of black yoga pants with a matching sports bra and a black tank top over the sports bra. Her crimson hair pulled into a high ponytail with a makeup free face, Beautiful as always.
"Morning, did you sleep here last night?"
"Yeah, Camila wanted to be alone. I slept in the other room though...I didn't want to make you uncomfortable the next morning"
I nod not really knowing what to say, "Lillian made coffee if you want some? and she cooking a whole breakfast to keep her mind at ease"
I nod again and stand up, I really thought she would have left me and went with Cam, I know Cam said she wanted to be alone but I like the idea of her staying here to look after me. I'm still mad at her but I have other things on my mind at the moment.
