We haven't talked about last night and I don't want to push him to if he doesn't want to. He's been in bed all day, holding me like I would drown if he let me go. I don't mind at all though.

Theo freaked out when I told him Ace isn't coming in today. He asked if he was okay. If he was hurt. And when I answered his questions he told me that he should've been there for him. I told him not to stress himself out about it but he said that yesterday wasn't the first time Ace had done something like that before.

Of course I didn't question him further because I want Ace to tell me in his own time.

"Ace?" I whisper, shaking him awake slightly.

He buries his face further into my neck and sighs, "Mm." He hums.

"Eat this for me, mi amor." I say softly, brushing hair away from his forehead.

"Don't want it." He mumbles into my neck.

"It's your favourite." I murmur, kissing his forehead.

He turns his head to the side slightly and looks at the food on the nightstand before turning it back to my neck, "No." He grumbles, shaking his head. He hasn't eaten anything all day.

"Ace, please. Just one bite?" I sigh, reaching over and grabbing the food from the side. His favourite is tortellini with grilled chicken on the side. I told him to try it with garlic bread but he said he doesn't like it.

He's quite a picky eater but still eats anything I do.

He doesn't reply so I move his head away from my neck and hold a forkful of food to his mouth. His drowsy eyes meets mine as he slowly eats the food of the fork.

"Stop looking at me like that. I know you like it." I say, grinning at him as I put more food on the fork.

"You said one." He grumbles, attempting to put his head back in my neck.

I grip his chin and put the fork to his mouth, "I know you're hungry."

He rolls his eyes and eats the food anyways. Even if he doesn't admit it out loud I still know he is.

"We've never been on a date now that I think about it." I blurt out.

He raises an eyebrow, slowly chewing on his food, "I married you before I said I love you. A date is the least of my concerns." He says, shaking his head and taking another forkful of the tortellini.

"Such a gentlemen." I sigh dreamily, rolling my eyes.

His lips twitch at the corners. Please smile.

"I know right." He says, shrugging his shoulders.

I wrap my arms around his neck, "Ask me out you whore."

He wraps his arms around my waist and sighs softly, "Want to go out, mia cara?"

(My darling)

"Yes," I smile widely, "I have a place in mind."

xXx

Dinner dates are overrated. Plus I like simple things which is why I brought him to an empty beach I found one night on the way back home. It's hidden behind some trees so you wouldn't really find it.

I don't need to go to a five star restaurant for a date. As long as I have him I don't really give a fuck where we go or what we do.

We brought snacks obviously because what's a date without food?

I turn around to face him, propping myself up on my elbow and resting my head in my hands. His eyes were closed as I trace his facial features with my fingers.

We are laying on the sand on top of a blanket we brought. The sound of the waves crashing together was the only thing I could hear along with our light breathing.

My fingers stop tracing by the scar that sliced through his eyebrow.

"How'd you get this?" I whisper.

He exhales through his nose. His eyes remained closed and his mouth parts slightly as he mumbles, "When I was fourteen my father threw a beer bottle at me."

His father is a piece of shit.

I close my eyes and place a kiss there. Each scar on his body shouldn't be there.

I sigh and kiss his lips as he wraps his arms around my waist. He sits himself up, continuing the kiss as he sits me on his lap. I trail my fingers through his hair and pull away.

"I know it's hard for you but talking about it helps," I say quietly, leaning my forehead against his, "I'm here to listen, Ace. Always will be."

His green eyes hold uncertainty as he looks down at our intertwined hands. But when he looks back up, I finally see him.

The walls he had put up for years were finally breaking.

Then he starts talking. Telling me everything that happened to him in the past. From when he lost his brother due to a car crash. To what his father did to him. How he got the blame for something that was never his fault.

And by the end of it we're both crying.

I hold him. Listen to him. Wipe the tears away from his pretty face.

"I don't want you to feel repulsed by me. It wasn't my fault River. I swear." He whispers, shaking his head.

I furrow my eyebrows in confusion. Wondering why he needs to defend himself for something he never did.

"I could never feel repulsed by you. I know it wasn't your fault so there's no need to defend yourself. You did nothing wrong, Ace." I say, cupping his cheeks and wiping his tears away with my thumb.

He swallows hard and lets out a broken exhale. "Mi ami?" He mumbled. I don't think I've ever heard his voice sound so vulnerable. It was like he was afraid my answer would change.

(Love me?)

It never would though. It'll always be him.

"Forever and always."

He sighs, leaning his forehead against mine."I'm so tired. So very, very tired, love."

"Like you said before, it'll be over soon. I promise." I whisper, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

"Come up with your own lines." He says as his lips lift upwards slightly.

I chuckle, shaking my head, "Piss off."

Then his lips settle into a beautiful dimpled smile that I've missed so much.

"There's that smile," I grin, poking his dimples, "Don't let me go that long without seeing that smile again."

He blushes. "Okay that's enough now."

"Aww Ace, are you blushing?" I coo, pinching his cheeks and laughing when he glared at me.

"I will throw you into the ocean." He deadpans.

"No you wo-"

I squeal when he suddenly throws me over his shoulder and starts walking towards the ocean.

"Put me down right the fuck now." I grit out, thrashing in his hold.

"You seem angry River. Maybe you should cool off."

"No-"

I didn't get to finish my damn sentence because the motherfucker threw me into the ocean. I gasp for air when I get my head out of the water and I see him smirking at me.

"I hate you!"

"I love you, baby."

I splash water on his face and glare at him. He gapes at me and I smirk at him.

He slowly starts walking over to me, tugging his shirt off with a evil glint in his green eyes. I was about to run away but he suddenly grips onto my hips and pulls me flush against his hard chest.

"I've got you now." He whispers.

I huff and wrap my arms around his neck. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I smile up at him as I brush wet hair away from his forehead.

I'll never got bored of him.

He wraps his strong arms around my waist and places a feather like kiss to my forehead. The sun illuminates on his face, highlighting his devilishly handsome features. Beads of water drip down his face and defined body.

"You're the best thing that has ever happened to me, River. The world would end before I let you go. Everything would be useless if you aren't in it." He says, tucking a loose strand of wet hair behind my ear.

My stomach flutters at his words. It's official, Ace Del Rosso will be the end of me.

I sigh, feeling my eyes burn, "I would burn the world down in your name if it came down to it. That's how much I love you, idiot."

He smiles. A dimpled one may I add.

"I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you. It has to be you. No one but you, Riv."

I lean up and kiss him, smiling against his lips. "No one but you." I hold out my pinkie to him so he wraps his around mine.

An unspoken way we promise each other. And if there's something you should know about Ace Del Rosso is that he's a man of his word. His promises means everything to him.

He intertwines our hands together and starts leading me out of the ocean. I frown, staring at the scars on his back and now knowing the reasoning behind them.

His fucked up father. Hell, he isn't even a father.

"They were my birthday presents." He says after sensing my gaze, keeping his eyes onward as he swallows thickly.

My mouth parts as I intake a sharp breath. I reach over and brush my finger tips over his scars. His body tenses but he doesn't pull away so I continue.

"Oh my God." I breathe out, my voice quiet and filled with shock. "Was," I swallow thickly, "Was your birthday yesterday?" I whisper when the realisation hit me.

He turns his head towards me and makes direct eye contact. There's tragedy and beauty in his eyes: something stoic that refuses to be moved. Then the beauty of it that I fell in love with.

It was like someone was slicing open a wound on his body. The pain. It hurts him.

He slowly nods his head and my heart falls. It breaks for him. His birthday was a reminder of his father. And I can't even begin to imagine what was going on in his mind.

"Last night," He suddenly says, "You saved me." He brings me closer to him and wraps his arms around my waist, "The pain was too much but I heard your voice. And I reached out to you," He whispers, leaning his forehead against mine, "I was thinking about you the entire time. You were the only reason stopping me from pulling that trigger. And as cheesy as this may sound but you are my light, River."

I wipe the tears away from my face with the back of my hand. If I came in that room a second later he wouldn't be standing in front of me right now. And my chest tightens at the thought. If he wasn't in this world then I would find a way to take myself out of it. No questions asked.

"Always reach out to me. Promise me, Ace."

"I promise, amore mio."