Page 30 of Cedar Edge
I cross my arms, embarrassment licking up my spine. “I know that, Ace. I grew up here too, in case you forgot.”
“Trust me I will never forget where you came from.” He scoffs, judgement flicking over his gaze.
“What is that supposed to mean?” Confused by the tone he’s taking, I try to keep my breathing calm.
“Just vivid memories of the last time I saw you is all.” More confusion swirls through me. I shake my head as if it’ll make sense of everything going on. “Tell me, did that city boyfriend of yours know how to fuck you just right? Or is that why your back, so we can give you what you're craving before you crawl back home to him?” He takes a step towards me, eyes traveling over the length of my body.
The words hit hard, tears welling up, as I rear back. I can’t even form words to defend myself because none of it makes sense. Unless…. Unless they haven't told him anything. Logan had mentioned multiple times how Ace was working so maybe the boys didn’t want to distract him while he was out on a job.
My mouth tries to open to explain what happened but no sounds come out. The frustration in my body is a physical entity crawling up my spine as I desperately try to explain to the man standing here that everything he knows, the story he heard, is all a lie.
I need to get Logan or Law. They can explain to him.
I move to shove past him, but he grips my arm hard. The point of connection feels like an electric shock moving up and down my body. His eyes bore into mine.
“Let go of me right now.” I do my best to inject confidence in the command but I fear it comes out weaker than I want.
He smirks, but doesn’t release me, his grip only tightening. “To be clear, Thea, you are inmyhouse withmyboyfriends. And while they may be good fucking you I’m not.”
“Oh my god, are you kidding me?!” I manage to rip my arm from his grip and step backwards.
Ace eyes me up and down, the feeling visceral. “Why did you really come back here Thea? You get bored of the city dick?”
This time I do laugh. The sound masking the hurt that he is carving into my body. “You are delusional.” Ace crosses his arms over his chest, the sneer on his face that I try not to flinch back from.
“You need to leave Thea, pack your shit and get out. You aren’t welcome here, not anymore. Like I said, they may be good with fucking you but I have no interest in a used up whore.”
White hot rage pulses through me as it all sinks in and I let out a wild, frustrated cry. As though everything in me has snapped and the anger that has simmered below the surface, the anger I shoved down each time Royce hurt me explodes outward. I’m on Ace before he can think, my hand flying across his face, the slap loud in the barn. He looks at me with shock before I see the flames dancing in his eyes.
“You don’t know what the fuck you are talking about.” I pant. Without thought, I rip my dress up to my chin, exposing my ruined body. Ace's eyes flare wide as he takes in the carnage that Royce left behind but they turn to pure venom when he lands on the brand.
“You think I wanted this?! This is what he does to his toys, Ace! Take a good fucking look. My body is ruined because I was stuck with that man. I didn’t have a fucking choice! And if you had stopped to ask any questions or talked to Logan or Law you would know that!”
My hand moves down to the brand, my finger tips tracing over it as the words pour from me like an avalanche. “Thiswas particularly fun. Have you ever had someone brand you? Ever felt your skin literally melt off? Oh and then get fucked afterwards and have to pretend to enjoy it?! Because lord knows what would have happened if he thought I wasn’t enjoying the torment. He made sure I could never leave and if, on the fucking off chance I did escape, that everyone would know who I belonged to.”
“Who?” He asks with quiet calm.
I shake my head. “It doesn’t fucking matter. You didn’t care to ask questions before you came charging in here. So why start now?”
Ace is silent, his eyes traveling over my body as if they need to catalogue every single scar left behind. The anger that once blazed in them has faded to something much more dangerous. “Those don’t look like they are from him.” He nods towards my thighs, the horizontal lines scarred across them before his gaze travels up to my wrist.
“No, those were from me.” I say with zero shame in my voice as I drop my dress back down. I take one step towards him, my finger poking into his chest. “I texted you three, on the day I thought about killing myself. I begged you all to talk to me, to help me. And when you didn’t respond I did the next best thing I could think of. So you don’t get to judge me for the ways I kept myself alive.”
Ace is quiet. The barn around us is even silent except for his heavy breathing.. The tension that leaks off him is palpable but it's the regret shining through his eyes that makes me back away.
“I came back to this town because it’s all I know. When Logan found me I had taken the last of the magical little white pills that he used to give me when I was good for him.” I laugh again, the sound unhinged but I can’t stop. The words and sounds just keep pouring from me. “Jokes on me I guess because according to Dr.Everheart, it wasn’t just when I was ‘good’, apparently he was giving me just enough to keep me under his thumb at all times.”
“What do you mean he gave them when you were good?” He takes a step closer now, eyes locked on my face.
I shake my head, exhaustion settling into my bones as the flames of my anger turn into a simmering ember. “What do you fucking think?” I say with absolutely no ability to sugar coat it. I want Ace to feel it, I want him to understand exactly what I went through. I want him to hurt as much as I do.
“Who Thea? Who fucking did this to you?”
“Royce Ripkins.” I shake my head. “Is that better now? Does that help soothe your fragile male ego?”
I stand watching him struggle with the feelings as he begins to pace back and forth and the longer it goes on the more hurt and disappointed I become. I don’t know what I was expecting from my grand speech, for him to get on his knees and beg for my forgiveness? For him to wrap me in his arms and tell me he’ll never let the world hurt me again? For me to feel better?
“I’m done here, just leave me alone.” I say softly before brushing past him. When my feet hit the threshold I pause, glancing back towards him over my shoulder. “I thought you were different Ace… but you are no better than he was.” The words explode into the quiet barn and I leave Ace to detonate with them.
