Page 114 of Broken Bonds

“You can’t, Ace,” I croaked, hoping he knew I was telling him he couldn’t go on a rampage over this. The law had to handle this.

“Is your whole body like this, baby girl?” he asked, his voice low and filled with pain.

I swallowed thickly. “Yes.”

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered, his gaze still lingering on my stomach.

I reached for him, my fingers curling around his bicep. “I’m here, Ace. I’m going to be okay.”

He shook his head, looking torn apart. Distraught. “I’m sorry I left. My grandmother called.” He flicked those blue eyes up to mine. “My mom needed to see me.” He closed his eyes for a brief moment. “I shouldn’t have gone.”

His mom? The one in a psychiatric hospital?

“Why did you go?” I asked, surprised.

He looked back at me. “It doesn’t matter. If I had been here, he wouldn’t have touched you. You wouldn’t be broken.” His words were soft, pain lacing each syllable.

Tears welled in my eyes. “Then, why didn’t you come back?”

He sighed. “Because I needed to fix me, Celine. I was a broken man, and you deserved better. Ryan was right, even if I didn’t want to admit it.”

Oh, Ace. “Then why did you come now?”

He lifted his hand from my stomach to cup my cheek. “Amber sounded terrified on the phone, and I just knew that I had to come back to you, because, Celine,” his blue eyes bore into mine—intense and focused, “I love you.”

chapter thirty-nine

CELINE

Ace loved me?

What was I supposed to say to that? He’d only just come back into my life, and now he was confessing his love for me?

Ace’s blue eyes stared expectantly into mine, waiting for something—anything—from me.

“I… I, um—Ace.” He leaned forward and brushed his soft, full lips against my own bruised ones—just a whisper of a kiss—before pulling back. I couldn’t help but close my eyes at the small gesture. My heart slammed against my breastbone, and so easily—so fucking easily—warmth pooled in my belly. My body knew him still, even after a year.

His finger gently traced my lips, and my eyes fluttered open. “Don’t say it now—not after everything you’ve been through, baby girl. I wanted you to know I’m here, and I’m not leaving. Because I love you.”

My cheeks flushed, and I turned away from him. But then, wanting him to know I wanted him here, that Ineededhim here, I turned back to face him, leaned in, and kissed his soft lips like I had wanted to do since I opened my eyes for the first time in the hospital and every moment since. Imissedkissing him. I missed being with him.

I missed beinghis.

I loved how he kissed me gently, his lips always a soft brush, never hurting me, and always eager for more. I wanted to feel his tongue slide against my bottom lip like it used to. I wanted him to erase Julian.

“I just don’t know, Ace,” I said, the words coming from my lips no more than a whisper. Ace’s body tensed, so I rushed to continue. I didn’t want to hurt him. “If you told me a year ago, I would’ve said it back and meant it with every fiber of my being, but you left me when I needed you.” Pausing, I took a deep breath, finally coming to terms with everything I had been thinking and feeling. “I thought I was in love with Julian a few days ago, and now, I’m terrified of the dark. Every squeak and creak, basically any noise I hear, makes me want to scream for help. I needtime, Ace.” He relaxed. “I need time to heal from what he did to me, from the bruises covering almost every inch of my body, the fingerprints from where he grabbed me. The broken wrist,” I looked at him and raised my arm a little, his eyes tracking the movement, “and my broken ankle.”

A rush of tears flowed down my warm cheeks as I looked at him through blurry eyes. My chest ached with the reminder of everything Julian did; hebroke me. I couldn’t go to school because of the bruises covering my face. The four broken ribs made it impossible to walk without being in absolute blood-curdling agony, and I was back to crutches again because of my foot. I wanted to cry until I couldn’t remember Julian’s face, until I couldn’t remember his fist slamming into my face.

Ace’s fingers brushed over my bruised cheeks, wiping away the tears, and I couldn’t help but fall for him with the sincerity and love shining in his blue eyes.

“Take all the time you need. I’ll be here when you’re ready for me, Celine. I want to be in a relationship with you; I want to see where this can go when you’re ready for us. I’ll show you whatit feels like to be loved and cherished. I’ll make the monsters in the dark go away. I’m not leaving you. No one can take me away from you.”

A sob tore itself from my raw throat. He pulled my head to his chest. I cried it out, all my pain seeping into him, and he took it. His arms were like steel bands around my quivering body. His voice was gentle and soothing, always reminding me that he was different from other men.

“Let it out, baby girl. Let it all out.” My tears soaked his shirt, a pain like no other consuming me—my heart, head, and soul all pouring out into him. “I’m here. I’m here.” His fingers brushed through my hair, eventually lulling me to sleep. And he never let go.

When I woke up, the room was dark, and Ace was gone. The spot where he had been sitting was cold. I heard a noise coming from outside my door and tried to shake the cobwebs from my mind. Reaching for my phone, I saw it was almost dinnertime, and my rumbling stomach was a reminder that I hadn’t eaten much in the last few days.

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