Page 78 of Broken Bonds

Her gaze swung to mine again. “You can’t do that,” she seethed, anger and hurt glittering in her dark eyes.

“Do what?” I asked, frowning at her.

“Call me ‘baby’ when you didn’t even say good morning to me after you told me you wanted me last night. What the hell is wrong with you?”

Groaning, I dragged a hand down my face. “Ryan doesn’t want us to be together, Celine.” We finally reached the building entrance, and I held the door open, glaring at the kid who bumped into Celine, almost knocking her off the crutches. “Watch it, punk!” Snarling, I helped her into the air-conditioned, three-story building while the kid scampered off.

“You knew that before you kissed me.” The soft blush reddening her cheeks softened me.

“I can’t help myself, baby girl,” I told her honestly. “I just want to kiss those addictive lips all day.”

“Ace!” She laughed, and as we entered the elevator, I saw a bead of sweat run down her face from her temple.She was struggling.Why hadn’t she just taken the wheelchair?

“You wanted the truth.”

She leaned against the wall of the tin square as it shot up to the third floor. “What are we going to do?”

I sighed, hating I didn’t have an answer. “I don’t know.” The elevator dinged loudly before the doors opened. She stood up straight with a sigh.

“This is harder than I thought it would be,” she grimaced, her lips twisted with pain, her brows pulled low over her eyes.

I chuckled, shaking my head. “Refusing a wheelchair on a big campus. That was pretty stupid on your part.”

She laughed, too. “Well, that and us. Nothing is ever easy in my life.”

Her reminder about her past caused unease to settle in my stomach. Ryan’s warning ran through my head.

“I already promised you I won’t leave.” I had no intentions of breaking that promise, no matter what happened between me and her or me and Ryan.

“You say that now, but the next few weeks are going to be hell, Ace.” I held open the door for her, earning a smile. “Thanks.”

“I’m here for the ugly, Celine.” We were the last ones to walk into the hall, and everyone stared at us as we took the two seats closest to the door. Celine slumped into the hard, cold seat with a relieved sigh, putting the crutches by her feet. She didn’t respond though—probably didn’t know how to.

And honestly… I didn’t know how to continue the conversation after my confession.

Class flew by, my thoughts filled with the blonde sitting next to me, who spent most of the time tapping away on that phone, a smile playing at her lips the whole time. She wasn’t even paying attention to the professor.

Helping her to her next class meant I was late, but I didn’t mind. I didn’t care much about punctuality anyway. Just as I was about to walk into the class, my phone started to buzz in my back pocket. Thinking it was Celine, I stopped and pulled it out, my brows furrowing when I saw the unknown number on my screen.

“Hello?” I answered. A shaky breath met my ears.

“Ace, it’s Mema.” Her aging voice cracked, and the emotions I’d kept bottled up since I left her apartment came rushing up to the surface.

She hadn’t called in years—never to even just check up on me. She hadn’t called on my birthday, not on Christmas. Never. It was like I’d ceased to exist the moment I moved out.

“Is she dead?” I saw the person walking past me into class shoot me a strange look. I turned away from my class and left the building, seeking privacy. Fuck my next class.

“Oh, heaven’s no, dear!” Mema gasped, sounding appalled by my question.

“Then why are you calling now?” I couldn’t keep the anger out of my voice.

“I’ve been meaning to for a while now, Acey.” Pain laced her withered voice as she used the familiar nickname. Sadness welled inside of me. Did she really even deserve to call me that after essentially abandoning me? I’d been an adult, but I’d still needed guidance fromsomeone.

And no one had been there.

“Are you dying? Is that it?” I demanded.

She huffed, sounding put out with me. “No, child, I’m not dying. I’ve missed you.”

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