Forever Kinda Love Page 17

  Accessories and manicured nails shoot up into the air as every girl in the gymnasium raises her hand. I smile and look over my shoulder. Ace’s gaze has dropped to her hands folded quietly before her, like she’d rather be anywhere but here.

  I smile and turn my attention back to the crowd. “Okay, listen up. Since everyone out there is eligible to bid on me, how about I give our lovely hostess a chance? After all, she deserves to be kissed for being such an awesome MC, don’t you think?”

  The crowd agrees. Of course, they agree. I have them so pumped that if I asked all the girls to drop their panties, they would. Finally taking my eyes off the crowd, I swivel around. My gaze collides with Ace’s, and I swallow. My body has never felt this high, or light. The rush of blood pounding in my ears blocks all sound. But surprisingly, I hear Ace’s quick breaths.

  She’s nervous. So am I.

  Her cheeks burn bright red as I make my way back to her. She looks everywhere and anywhere, her eyes big as globes—worry, anxiety, and even a little anticipation behind them.

  I wipe my sweaty right palm on the side of my jeans just before I reach her. Taking a deep, steadying breath, I bring the mic to my lips and say, “This kiss is for a girl in the ‘I like you as a friend’ category.”

  I lean forward and touch my lips to her cheek. I make sure the corner my mouth touches hers. She stiffens. Her eyes dart to mine, conflicted emotions swirling in their gray depths. My heart rams against my chest, needing to be free. I haven’t kissed her since a few weeks ago, and knowing that my lips are about to touch hers—soon—is like an adrenaline rush—especially since we never got the chance to clear up what exactly that kiss meant.

  “This next one . . .” I say, forcing myself to walk away from her and toward the crowd. “Is for the girl in the ‘I like you a lot and want to see you again’ category.”

  I turn on my heels and lock eyes with her as I take deliberate, careful steps in her direction. I place the mic on the podium behind Ace, wrap my hand around the nape of her neck, and pull her face to mine, stopping a hair’s breadth before our lips meet. Her hand hooks around my bent elbow like she’s holding on for dear life.

  She doesn’t blink, but uncertainty flashes behind her dilated pupils.

  Our breaths mingle in anticipation. My gaze drops lower to her lips, and ever so lightly, I press my mouth to hers. Before she can respond, I pull back.

  Her eyes are still shut, the corners crinkled like she’s in chocolate heaven. I pick up the mic without removing my hand from her hair. I know I’m sounding a bit out of breath, but I don’t care. Because that’s what Ace is doing to me, and I’m not afraid to show the world. “This kiss . . . this is the kind I’ve never given anyone in my entire life. I never thought I would, either.” I give a pregnant pause, willing Ace to open her eyes. My stomach tumbles, and for the first time in my entire life, my knees turn into noodles.

  She opens her eyes. They burn with love and desire and something I can’t quite place . . . I smile. “But tonight, I’m ready to show you, Ace. This kiss belongs to you. Only you. The girl I’ve fallen head over heels for.”

  Ace’s eyes widen in surprise . . . or fear.

  SHE PUSHES BACK, TAKING a step away from me. Then another and another. Tears brim the edges of her eyes before she turns around and runs from the stage.

  “Shit,” I grunt, following behind her. As I exit the stage, I bump into Lisa. We stumble and I grab her shoulders, righting her and myself. Why is she still here? Never mind, I don’t have time for this.

  “What the—”

  “Which way did she go?” I cut her off.

  Lisa points toward the exit to the school parking lot on the east side.

  “Fuck.”

  “Iceman,” Lisa calls as I hurry toward the door. “Heath, wait.”

  I ignore her and step outside, searching frantically for Ace. I don’t see her, so I run a little further into the parking lot, yelling her name. Thrusting my hands into my hair, I curse under my breath. I shouldn’t have put her on the spot like that. That was the world’s dumbest mistake.

  I turn back around, hoping maybe she’s still inside. But as I approach the door, I see someone leaning against the wall next to it.

  “Ace!” It comes out like a relieved cough. I run to her, but stop before I pull her to me. Her arms are wrapped around her small body, and her head is tilted down.

  “I’m sorry,” I finally say through heavy breaths. “But only because of the way I told you.”

  She looks up through her wet eyelashes, confused.

  “I’m not sorry that I’ve fallen for my best friend. I’m not sorry that I kissed you, and I sure as hell am not sorry that I told you.” I wipe the tears rolling down her cheeks.

  She sniffles. “But what about—”

  “Doesn’t matter.” I cut her off.

  “And the whole—”

  “We’ll figure it out.”

  “What if—”

  I step toward her. “The only thing I want to know is if you feel the same way about me. That’s the only if I care about.”

  She stares into my eyes, like she doesn’t know what to say. Then she admits, “I’m afraid, Heath.”

  “Me too.” I place my hands on either side of her shoulders and lean in. The fresh smell of strawberries assaults my lungs. “But not about us. I’ve never been afraid of us, Ace. Not that first day at the hospital, or the first time I kissed you.”

  “You weren’t?” Disbelief colors her question.

  I shake my head. “It was like taking a breath of fresh air after inhaling toxins my entire life. Wasn’t it like that for you?”

  “I-I . . .” She pauses, chewing on her lower lip, then nods. “I guess.”

  I close a little more distance between us. There’s only a hair’s breadth left. “I know you’re afraid. But I’m asking, just this once . . . forget all the reasons you can’t and believe in that one reason you should. Listen to your heart, baby. What does it tell you?”

  I know what mine’s telling me. It’s Ace. She’s it for me.

  She opens her mouth, closes it, then does that again, like she’s battling with herself. “But what if—”

  “We’ll figure it out.” I cup her cheek, running my thumb over it. “I’ve never let you down before, and I’m not going to start now.”

  She studies me, her eyebrows pinched together. Finally, she responds: “Okay.”

  “Okay?”

  She smiles, then bites down on her lip. “Yes. Okay. Oui.”

  I crush my mouth to hers. Her hands turn to fists by my collar, and she pulls me closer. She responds greedily, her mouth commanding me to open for her. And I do. A small moan escapes her, and my need for more tops every emotion. My tongue does a slow sweep around the inside of her mouth. She tastes like apples.

  My hand snakes down to her hip and digs into her flesh as I push her into the wall with my body. It’s like I can’t get close enough to her.

  My world has never looked so bright, so colorful. All I can think of are flowers, rainbows, and kittens.

  God, how I want a kitten.

  My heart’s thumping in my chest, and I pull back for a breather.

  “Wow,” she gasps.

  A cocky smile plays across my lips. “That’s putting it lightly.”

  She blushes a deep shade of red, and her voice turns shy. “I guess that’s what happens when pent-up need comes bursting open.”

  “Pent-up need, huh?” I tease her, laughing. I lean in and kiss her on the mouth again, because I can.

  She pokes my chest. “Don’t get a big head, Cujo.”

  I fake innocence. “Me? Big head? While you’re still around to keep it in check?”

  She rolls her eyes and slips her hand into mine. It feels so right to have it there.

  “We should go . . .” She looks to the door, then back at me. “So, how’s this going to work? Telling people . . . or not . . . ?”

  I laugh, because it’s cute that she’
s worried about that.

  She jabs me in the ribs. “Don’t be a douche. That’s a legit question.”

  “Baby,” I pull her into me. “I think the entire school knows by now, seeing how I publicly admitted I’ve fallen for you on a freaking stage and all!”

  “Oh,” she says, her eyes creasing in the corners.

  I hook her arms around my waist, and tuck her head under my chin. “It’s the end of the semester, and finals are starting next week. Nobody’s going to care, Ace. Trust me.”

  And if anyone did, they sure as hell would be going through me.

  HEATH WAS RIGHT. SINCE the auction, no one’s really cared about the change in our status quo. There were a couple anonymous notes left in my locker, and some of my cheer teammates—mostly Lisa’s worshipers—aren’t happy about us, but Lisa acts like everything’s as it should be. At least, with today being the last day of finals, I won’t have to worry about it anymore.

  As I head to my locker to clean it out—part of the senior check-out process—my phone rings, blaring “Eye of the Tiger” from the depths of my backpack. I stop and scramble to find it in time.

  “Hello?” I answer.

  “Hi, Ace. This is Hudson.”

  “Hey. What’s going on?” Since Heath and I have only been official for two weeks, I don’t know if he’s told them about us. Or maybe he did, and Hudson’s calling to tell me . . .

  “I finally had a chance to look through the lab results from your accident.”

  Oh. So not what I expected to hear from him.

  “Yeah?” My heart’s hammering like a mockingbird’s wings inside my chest. I don’t like how cautious his voice is.

  “Ace, I need you to sit down.”

  I lean back against my locker as my legs tremble. “Hudson, you’re scaring me.” I hate how my voice shakes.

  “I’m sorry. But I have reason to believe the ER doctor made a mistake with your report, Ace.” He sighs. “I need you to come in for some more tests. And you’ll need to bring your dad to sign the consent forms.”

  My heart drops to the pit of stomach. Dad. Consent forms? No. I-I . . .

  He sighs again. I picture him running his hand through his hair the way Heath does when lost for words. “Ace, are you there? Did you hear me?”

  “Yes,” I answer. “What kind of tests?”

  He pauses, like he’s contemplating how he should respond. “Another CBC, and possibly a . . . biopsy.”

  “A biopsy? For what? I had the CBC done when I went to the ER . . .”

  “I know, Ace. But I’d rather run the tests one more time, just to be sure. And I’d rather have you here, sitting before me, when I go into more detail.”

  How . . . what did that mean? “But the doctor said—”

  “I know, kid. I’m so sorry. Believe me. But either the ER doctor made a mistake, or the lab results are completely off. I hope it’s the latter. I need you and your dad to come in as soon as possible, though. Today, tomorrow at the latest, so we can get this taken care of.”

  Today? My head spins, and I feel like I’ve lost a battle against a freight train.

  I hear someone calling me, faint and distant. I blink and look in the direction. My phone’s lying a few feet from me, and I realize I’m on my knees. I scurry toward the phone and put it to my ear again. “Yeah, I’m here.”

  “Can you come in today?”

  “I don’t know . . .”

  “All right. If you can, give me a call. But, if not, let’s get you in tomorrow, okay?”

  “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Ace, that wasn’t a suggestion. I’m not just saying this as your doctor; I’m saying it as someone that considers you part of my family. This is important, and I need you to make sure your dad comes in with you. Okay, kid?”

  I don’t say anything.

  “Ace,” Hudson says.

  “Yeah, I’ll see what I can do,” I repeat.

  “All right.” He sighs. “Call me if you need anything, okay?”

  “Okay.” I end the call, staring blankly at the empty screen in my hand. My insides buzz with a new kind of hum. I want to get my locker cleaned and get the hell out of here, but I can’t seem to move. My eyes burn, and my stomach churns, sick with fear and confusion. What could he have possibly found that couldn’t wait a few more days?

  The sound of metal crunching startles me and I jerk my head to the left. Rock throws another punch at the locker a few down from mine. I’ve never seen him this pissed—not even when he almost punched Lisa in the face. Coming out of my fog-like thoughts, I swallow, shoving my own issues aside. I get to my feet and head toward him, placing my hand on his shoulder.

  “I want to get the fuck out of here,” he growls.

  “Well, that’s not the way to ask a girl out.” I try to make light of his mood, but my voice doesn’t match my words.

  He grinds his teeth, and I see the muscle in his jaw tick as his eyes soften. He grabs me, pulling me into a tight hug, and says, “You don’t deserve this.”

  Blood rushes to my temples, and my heart beats in my fingertips. Did he hear my conversation with Hudson?

  Rock pushes me back, holding me at arm’s length. “Let’s get out of here.”

  I study him for a few seconds. The usual carefree Rock is nowhere to be found. His gaze darts side to side, like a caged, impatient animal ready to bolt at the right opportunity.

  “Okay.” I say. I need some time to clear my head, to figure out what Hudson had been trying to tell me. “Let me just dump these books in my locker.”

  “No. I can carry them. I want to get out of this fucking place.” He seethes.

  “Rock,” I say with caution. When he glares at me, I don’t say anything further. “Okay, let’s go.”

  We walk silently, approaching hallway D. A pissed off Emily walks briskly toward us, the exit at the end of the hall closing with a bang behind her.

  “Em, what are you . . . ?” I trail off as I notice the group of girls leaning against the wall, Lisa at the center. Lisa’s eyes train on mine—a little apologetic, but otherwise composed.

  Seeing Emily practically run toward us, Rock suddenly steps in front of me and stops, his back stiff as stick, almost like he’s trying to protect me from something.

  “Rock! What the heck? And why are you here, Em? What’s going on?” I stare at them, confused, as they try to usher me back down the hallway, away from Lisa and her cronies.

  Emily opens her mouth, but is beat to the punch by Amanda, Lisa’s most devout worshiper.

  “Well, if it isn’t the boyfriend-stealing whore.” The group around her giggles as they filter away from the wall and block the exit.

  Warmth drains from my skin, like being dunked in a pool of cold water.

  “Fuck off.” Emily is the first to respond.

  “Isn’t that something your friend here does well?” another girl asks.

  Lisa’s eyes rake me from top to bottom.

  “I don’t know what he sees in you,” a brunette says.

  “I bet, when he’s done bagging her, he’ll come right back to Lisa,” Amanda sneers.

  Seriously?

  “Get the fuck out of our way, bitches,” Rock says, his voice low and animalistic.

  In my peripheral vision, I notice we’re starting to have an audience.

  Lisa’s eyes widen. “Girls—”

  “My, my, Ace. I didn’t know you had it in you,” Amanda coos. “All this time, we thought you were a sweet Virgin Mary. But here you are, fucking not only Heath and that good for nothing criminal, Vincent, but Rock too.” She clicks her tongue. “It’s always the quiet ones, right girls?”

  Giggles erupt behind her. Lisa steps forward, and I see both Rock and Emily stiffen. This time, I hold both of their wrists, telling them, silently, to back off. I don’t want my friends to get into a fight because Lisa’s pissed at me.

  “Maybe you and Iceman do belong with each other. He’s a man-whore, after all. Why shouldn’t he be
with the school slut?” Amanda continues her tirade.

  I move forward to strike and notice Lisa stepping in between Amanda and me. But it’s too late. My hand connects with Lisa’s cheek. A sharp cry fills my ears. I blink. Lisa’s sniffling cries get louder and more obnoxious. Her hand caresses her reddened cheek as her friends pull her backward by her elbows.

  My eyes widen. Oh, God. What did I do?

  “Bitch!” Lisa says.

  “Classy,” Emily snorts.

  I open my mouth to apologize, but it’s too late. Lisa turns around, walking away from us, her squadron of followers behind her.

  My vision blurs, and I feel light-headed. I run my fingers through my hair, trying to calm my shaking body.

  Unable to hold back anymore, I dash out the doors and into the parking lot, tears streaking down my face. Everything inside me burns with humiliation and anger. Dark clouds cover the sky, and a humid wind stirs around me. Lightning pierces the darkness as cold droplets kiss my hot skin.

  Is it possible to be hot and cold at the same time?

  “I’m sorry, Ace. I didn’t want you to face that,” Rock says, helping me into his car.

  I watch Rock and Emily talk in hushed tones for a moment, before I roll my head on the headrest, looking away from them.

  So that’s why he’d wanted to leave early—he knew about the ambush waiting for me. I let out a deep breath, trying to release the needle-like pain inside my chest.

  By the time we make it home, it’s pouring, beating against the car. I thank Rock for the ride. Pulling my shirt collar over my head as far as it will go, I jump out and head inside before he can stop me.

  Leaning my back against the front door, I squeeze my eyes shut, commanding myself not to cry. But it’s too late. I slide down the door, and let it all out.

  I feel so alone.

  I am alone.

  I hear pounding—loud, frantic pounding. I look up sharply, running my hand under my eyes to wipe away the waterworks.

  “Open the door, Ace!” Heath shouts from the other side.

  Getting to my feet, I swing the door open. And there he is:

  Heath.