Page 24 of Ace of Spades
I had shoved my head under the pillow, in the middle of wishing I could crawl under a rock and stay there forever, when another text had come through.
UNKNOWN:For the record, yours isn’t too bad either.
A wild blush has spread through my cheeks at that one.
ME:Are you saying you like my ass, Langford?
UNKNOWN:Gotta give credit where credit is due. And call me Wes.
That had been just one of the few conversations we’d had since then. Neither of us would ever admit it, but whatever we had between the two of us had grown far from loathing. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was, but I knew that it gave me butterflies. And I knew that whatever it was, I wanted to see him more and more. I didn’t dare to say it, but I think we had become… friends?
At least, I thought we had—up until he stopped replying completely last week after Ava told Chance that I was going to the dance with Brad. Chance had asked her to come as his date, and she had suggested that I ask Weston, but I had already committed to Brad.
As little as I cared for him, I knew that my parents loved him too much to end things so abruptly. Not to mention the fact that I had recently found out that both of our dads had been talking about getting into some investments together, so I said yes for their sake, deciding to play nice to keep everything civil between the two families. But right now, there was nothing I dreaded more than being forced to spend an evening with him. It made me question what I had ever seen in him in the first place.
Getting up off the bed, I place my phone back on my nightstand, walking towards the gown hanging from my bathroom door. Ava had helped me pick my outfit for tonight—a floor-length sleek black dress with long sleeves and a deep-v neckline, with a slit running up one side to show off my vintage red knee-high boots, paired with a concho belt accentuating my waist and sterling silver earrings that Mom had gotten me for Christmas last year.
I had curled my hair in long waves, finishing off my face with dark red lipstick to match the boots. Slipping on the dress and final touches, I make my way to the main house, knowing that my parents would want to say hi to Brad before we left for the dance.
“You look stunning, sweetheart! Bradley is going to be speechless,” Mom had told me. Little did she know that Brad wasn’t the person I had in mind while I was getting ready.
I have my eyes out for both Ava and Weston as soon as Brad and I step into the venue, a large private hall attached to the indoor rodeo arena. Round tables are placed around the room, and a stage is set up with a live country band and a large dance floor. People mingle about, a buffet set up in the far corner, and an open bar in the other.
I take in the action shots from some of the rodeo legends in the area, the walls lined with hall of fame displays and black-and-white photography. Wrought-iron brands from some of the local ranches adorn the space, the chandeliers casting a soft glow over polished wood and brass table settings.
“Come on, there’s Preston and the others,” Brad says, walking me over to a table where his roping partner sat with a few of his other friends.
I luckily managed to avoid having to join in on any of their conversations for most of the evening, chatting with one of the girls at the table instead and constantly checking my phone for any new messages, hoping that a certain name would pop up. I exited from the conversation with Weston with the two unanswered messages I had left him, opening the one with Ava instead.
ME:Hey, you guys here yet?
AVA:Yeah! We’re at a table on the far left by the stage!
I lock my phone, turning to Brad.
“Hey, I’m going to go say hi to Ava real quick. I’ll be right back,” I tell him, pushing out of my seat and smoothing my dress.
He puts his beer down, the empty bottle joining the other three that he has in front of him. Turning to face me, he offers me a lazy grin.
“Of course, babe. Why don’t I come with you,” he gets to his feet, standing to his full height. He wasn’t as tall as Weston, but he still had nearly a foot on me.
“It’s fine, you stay here with your friends. I’ll be right back, I promise,” I insist. With the way he had embarrassed me in front of both Ava and Weston in the past, the last thing I wanted was for him to come along.
“Don’t be ridiculous, babe. Your friends are my friends, I insist.”
I force a smile, turning to lead the way to find Ava as he places his hand on my lower back. His touch burns against my skin, contrary to how good Weston’s had felt wrapped around me as he had carried me to my bedroom after my birthday party. I had been drunk, sure—but I still remember the way such a simple touch had lit my body on fire.
I spot Ava’s dark curls at a table in the far corner, a dark plum-colored dress perfectly complementing her olive skin.Chance sits at her side, wearing a white button-down with his straw hat sitting over his dirty blond hair.
“Ava,” I call to her as we walk up to the table, my friend spotting me instantly. I scan the table as she stands to embrace me, not seeing any sign of Weston.
“Babes, you look stunning!” She tells me, taking a step back to look me up and down. “Like damn, that dress was made for you.”
“Thank you, you look amazing too! That color is perfect for you.”
She beams a smile my way before spotting Bradley coming up beside me.
“Hi, Brad,” she greets him, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.
