I woke up the next morning to my cell ringing in my ear. I groaned and looked over at the caller ID but when I saw it was Ace, I shot up, sitting up straight.

I don't know how long I stared at the screen, wondering whether or not to answer the damn thing. Did I want to talk to Ace? No. But what if it was important? I answered the phone.

"Hello?" I picked up shakily.

"WHERE ARE YOU?" Ace immediately yelled.

I held the phone further away from my now possibly damaged ear. "I'm... at Lilli's."

I heard him sigh deeply. "Why didn't you tell anyone? We were all worried. Mel, none of your things are here."

"I'm aware. I'm not staying with you anymore. I can't," I tell him, swinging my legs over the side of my bed.

There was a long pause. "So you're staying with Lilli now?"

I didn't want to lie to him but I knew there would be hell if I told him I was back home. Even if Charlie was unlikely to touch me now, Ace would never believe it. He would storm over here and take me back to his home over his shoulder if he had to.

"Yeah, I'm staying with Lilli. Stop worrying about me Carter," I told him, wanting to get off the phone already.

"I'm always gonna worry about you King. I can't help that," he paused, waiting for me to reply, but I didn't. "So, how are you?"

I rolled my eyes. "Ace, I don't want to talk, especially not to you."

"I understand that Mel. But I want to make sure you're okay," he admitted.

I scoffed loudly into the phone. "Yes, I am completely fine. How your girlfriend Ace?" I deadpanned the question.

"Is that jealousy I hear in your voice?" He joked, making me see red.

"How are you joking about this right now?" I whispered and pulled back to hang up.

I heard him say something else, so like the stupid girl I was, I pulled the phone back to my ear. I caught the last part of whatever he was saying. "-sorry Melrose."

"You're sorry? For what? Breaking my heart or joking about breaking my heart?" I laugh, unamused.

"Both. I just- I want to talk to you Mel, in person. I want to apologize to you in person. I don't want to do this over the fucking phone," he rambles on.

I shake my head even though he can't see it. "I'll see you at school Ace," I told him before hanging up.

I drove myself to school for the first time in what seemed like years. In actuality, it had only been a few weeks, three at most. But it was lonely, being in a car without Ace or Lilli. So I blasted the music a little louder than I normally would, to drown out the silence.

Once at school, I met up with Lilli before heading to class where the person I did not want to see would be. I had a feeling he would try to get me to talk to him and knowing how persuasive he could be, we would end up talking. And then somehow, he'd convince me to be his friend again and then to stay with him and his family once more. And I didn't want that.

All I had to do was stand my ground and ignore anything he said to convince me. And it worked, until he walked into the room and immediately his eyes sought me out.

"What is he doing?" Lilli whispered to me as he started walking our way.

I sighed. "He wants to talk to me. But I really don't want to."

"I can help with that," she smiled deviously.

Oh no.

When Ace made it over to my desk, Lilli stood up and went in front of him. "Oh no you don't mister. Back away from the girl."

"Lilli, I'm only going to ask you nicely once, please move out of my way," he asked her calmly.

She pretended to think about it. "Huh, how about no?" She replied sarcastically.

Ace smiled tightly, mouth closed. "Move Lilli."

She shook her head with a smile. "Back away Acey boy. She doesn't want to talk to you, and frankly, neither do I. So this conversation is wilting my good mood. Do us both a favor and go sit across the room, away from Rose."

"Mel," he whined, looking around Lilli to me. I just looked away.

Lilli crosses her arms over her chest and stood there, unwavering. Have I mentioned how much I love my best friend? Ace rolled his eyes at how ridiculous she was being but walked to the seat he had taken up in the past week.

Lilli turned back around to look at me, smiling brightly. "Thank you," I told her and she smiled wider in response.

"Anything for you Melrose King. You deserve better than a boy who gives up after it gets hard."

I wish I could agree with her. I didn't even think I deserved the small amount of time I got with Ace.

At lunch time, Lilli and I were stuck between eating in the cafeteria or to walk the halls. Lilli figured we'd have to eat in there someday so we might as well get it over with. But I still didn't want to be in the same room as Ace willingly.

But like always, I gave in to Lilli; but mostly because I was hungry. So we made it to the cafeteria and sat down with our food. And I avoided looking at Ace's table.

But when I saw Lilli looking behind me with bug eyes, I turned around. The table where Ace normally sat was practically empty. Ryder was the only one there.

I looked around the room in an effort to locate the other two boys and my heart dropped to my stomach when I found them. They were at Sophie's table; even Kaz.

Both of them looked absolutely miserable; especially Kaz. But neither boy moved or looked to where Ryder sat. Sophie kept her arm wrapped loosely around Ace's upper arm while she ate.

"Lilli, I really don't want to be here." I had started fidgeting in my seat.

Lilli was silent, staring at all three of the boys who looked less than pleased with their current situation.

"Can we please just go?" I asked her. But before she could respond, Ace caught my eyes. He saw me sitting there and quickly shook Sophie off his arm and stood.

She looked around in confusion until she saw where his gaze was. She sent an icy glare over to me and started trying to pull him back down but he merely flicked her off like an annoying bug.

Kaz turned to look at me, slight amusement flickered on his features for a few seconds before he returned to his grumpy state. Ryder was still stabbing at his food with a spork but glanced up when Ace started walking over to my table.

I looked to Lilli, my eyes wide with question. What was he doing? She shrugged and shook her head as if she had read my mind, confused herself. I turned back to where Ace was and stood when he got even closer.

I grabbed my backpack and started walking toward the door. This was not happening right now. But as soon as I had almost made it to the door, I felt warmth touch the middle of my back and I flinched.

I whipped around and saw Ace, his eyes wild and filled with regret and determination. "What do you want?" I asked him.

"You said we could talk at school," he answered as if I should have already known.

I scoffed. "I never said that."

"See you at school?" He said, trying to jog my memory.

I sputtered. "Well yeah. I meant I'd see you here. Not that I'd talk to you here. I don't want to talk to you."

"Well I want- no I need to talk to you Mel," he pleaded.

I shook my head. "You've hurt me too many times already Ace. And we weren't even together. If we did the whole girlfriend/boyfriend thing, who knows what you'd do to me then."

"The only reason I lashed out and made the stupid mistake of hurting you was because we weren't together Mel. Trust me when I say, if we were together together, I would do everything in my power to never let you be hurt again," he told me loud enough for half the cafeteria to tune in.

I looked around embarrassed. "I can't do this right now," I told him and then spun around to complete my mission of leaving the room.

But Ace wouldn't let me. He reached out and caught hold of my wrist and pulled me back to face him. "Don't leave- please."

"What do you want me to do Ace?" I raised my voice even though I knew everyone was straining to listen.

He stepped closer, still holding my wrist. "I want you to be able to kiss me and not regret it. I want you to hold my hand and for it to be real. I want you to be able to call me your boyfriend without cringing inside and I want you to be with me."

My breath came out in heavy bursts and my heart felt light and heavy at the same time. I bit my lip softly when his voice cracked at the last sentence.

"I want you Mel, if that wasn't already clear as fucking water."

And without another word, he pulled me in close and gave me the softest kissed I had ever felt. His hands shook when he held my face in between his two large, callused hands as I kissed him back.

I realized then that I wanted to kiss him for the rest of my life. Even if he hurt me a million times; I would still want him to kiss me like that.

Hello! This chapter went in a direction I wasn't planning on but I am not mad about it.

I hope you guys are happy with this chapter. Only one week until my summer break and so I'll be writing more frequently!

This chapter was over 1,600 words (another thing I wasn't planning on).

I'll see you guys next chapter!
-Haley