Page 50 of Between

Caius’ meetings were not frequent, but they happened often enough to keep the business afloat. The fact that he was cooped up in his office two days in a row was definitely out of the ordinary.

Ace shook his head, his blonde hair shifting slightly along the top of his forehead. “I don’t think this is a meeting. More like an offer.”

I narrowed my eyes. Someone else wanted to own Purgatory. I’m sure the offer was a good one, since the weight of the ownership was heavy.

“Caius will tell him to fuck off. He always does.” Ace shut the door behind me, clicking it in place. “Give it ten minutes, maybe less.”

“Where’s Mel?” I asked, keeping my voice low.

“She’s on a date with that Ethan guy.”

“Ethan?”

“Yeah, Ethan Vail.” Ace started, shoving his hands in his pockets. “A guy she’s been seeing off and on for a while now. He’s a total jackass, but I don’t know. There’s something in him she likes.” Ace’s eyes fell to the red box in my hands. “Whatcha got there?”

I grinned and handed him the box, allowing me to take off my rain jacket. “It’s a surprise.”

“Surprise, huh?” Ace smiled back. He was dressed casually, wearing a grey band t-shirt and dark blue jeans.

Once my jacket was off and hung up, I took the box back and made my way to the kitchen, with Ace following close behind. I placed the box on the center island counter, opened it, and sat down on one of the island’s stools.

“Those smell so good,” Ace remarked, sitting down on a stool next to mine. He leaned in to peek into the box. “What are they?”

“They’re Red Panda cookies,” I began as Ace reached in and took one out. “They’re from The Red Panda Bakery. My mom used to work there before she got pregnant with Serena, and since then, we’ve been going there almost every week. Sometimes more. It’s a local business not too far from here, andsometimes they struggle to stay open, so I do my best to buy from them when I can.”

I reached in and grabbed a cookie, my mouth watering at the simple sight of it.

“They’re just red velvet cookies with white chocolate chips, but their recipe is amazing. I don’t know what they put in them. My mom knows, but she refuses to tell me. Whatever it is, it’s so good, and they’ve won awards to prove it.”

Ace took a bite, and his eyes went wide. I could see the enjoyment in his expression as he continued to chew.

“Holy shit, Cel, these are amazing.”

I flashed a smirk, taking a bite of my own cookie, my heart warming a bit at the mention of Ace using my nickname. Not only was I becoming more comfortable with myself, with this place, and with everyone else, but they were also comfortable with me.

The first time I came here without my makeup on, to say I was nervous would be an understatement. My palms were sweaty, and my heart was racing, all at the chance that someone would see me and think differently of me. I was afraid they would see the three on my skin, see the growing white streak on my hairline, and laugh at me.

But when I stepped in that door, with Ace and Mel in the main corridor, they treated me as if nothing was different. They didn’t say anything, they didn’t point it out, and I don’t think they even looked at it for more than a second. I don’t know if Caius had a hand in that, but if he did, I was thankful.

I wanted to be treated like everyone else, and them not saying anything made me feel like there was nothing different about me.

I was grateful.

Now, as I sat across from Ace as we ate our cookies, I felt like I had somewhere I could be myself completely.

Somewhere I belonged.

“I can’t remember the last time I saw Caius eat a cookie,” Ace stated, his mouth full of the red treat. “Mel usually makes Christmas cookies every year, so maybe then? But she was sick last Christmas, so, two years ago?” he mumbled to himself, clearly thinking out loud.

His thoughts triggered a question in me.

“Have you and Mel lived here long?”

Ace swallowed the rest of his mouthful and brushed any crumbs off his hands. “Yeah,” he replied, furrowing his brows slightly. “Cai didn’t tell you?”

I shook my head. “I never asked.”

Ace nodded. “Mel and I were foster kids our whole lives. We bounced from home to home until we were almost eight, and that’s when the Attilas adopted us.”

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