Chapter Five

~Ace~

“Really, Ace. You've barely started with the hockey team and look at you, a suspension already?” My father barks through the phone, his voice tight with that familiar mix of anger and disappointment.

“He deserved it,” I scoff, the memory flashing back instantly.

‘Maybe you can take this to your dead brother, Blackwood.’ That bastard's words rang in my head as I made my drink order. Fuck him. Fuck Kingsford. Fuck my father and his constant lectures. I've known Kade Salvatore was a prick long before I joined the team. I make it a point to read the profiles of all my potential teammates; it’s a habit. I like to know who I’m dealing with.

I never even wanted to go to college in the first place. My parents insisted, stating that a higher education was "good for business." That's really what it all boils down to, isn't it? That's what happens when you're the sole heir to the number one hockey agency in the state. It’s a sickening, constant weight on my shoulders.

“You get triggered too easily and that's your biggest problem, Ace. I expect you to act properly. We're considering a transfer; the incident at Kingsford is way too embarrassing. So you'll apply to join Quington College in England. Applications are still open and we can make it work,”

"What?” My eyes widened as the waiter places two bottles of beer on the counter in front of me. The cold glass does nothing to cool my rising anger. "I'm not going to England,”

“Well, you've earned this for yourself.” His tone is final.

“Fuck you,” I cursed, turning off the phone and blocking him immediately. I’ll unblock him later, of course. I always do. I'll have to face him eventually after I leave Vegas.

For now, I can just pretend that future doesn’t exist. My plan is simple: get drunk, maybe get laid, and go back to my hotel. I just need to clear my head and forget about all of it.

I start drinking, the beer bitter and cold. As I’m halfway through the first bottle, I notice someone new walk into the VIP lounge. She’s searching for her table with a ticket clutched tightly in her hand, looking like a rabbit tossed into a cage fight with a snake. Innocent, hot, and weirdly familiar. It’s a VIP section, so I'm pretty sure I've seen her at some event before; I know almost everyone who frequents these places.

I can't pinpoint where exactly I've seen her, but my eyes follow her all the way to her seat. She's wearing a simple pastel yellow dress and black heels, nothing too revealing, but it hugs her waist perfectly as her wavy brown hair falls down her back.

While she waits for her order, she looks around the place, her eyes scanning the room until her gaze accidentally meets mine. I don't flinch or look away. I want her to know I'm looking. She blinks and looks away from me quickly, just as some random guy I didn’t notice before joins her table.

That causes me to lose my interest. I look away and focus on my drink.

I'm going to be shipped off to England soon. The thought of my current reality slips in, but I push it away forcefully and glance at my lock screen. It's only 10pm. The night is still young.

I keep drinking, trying to shut down my thoughts and get properly wasted as the world around me slowly starts to blur into a colorful haze. By 11:20pm, the party is officially in full motion as louder music starts playing. A girl in a tiny pink dress that does little to cover her body dances over to me, pulling me to the dance floor while biting her lower lip suggestively.

Maybe I will be taking her home tonight. I allow her to grind against me, going through the motions.

Then the music switches up in a heartbeat as ‘12 to 12’ by Sombr comes on. The crowd erupts, and we switch partners in a chaotic flip. Suddenly, a new set of warm hands are around my neck, and I breathe in a soft, blissful scent of coconuts and lavender.

She's laughing hard as she sings the lyrics aloud, and there's a trace of faint alcohol on her breath as she rests her forehead against mine while the pre-chorus plays. It’s the girl from before. The one in the yellow dress.

Then she's moving in sync with the beat like the song was made just for us. She twirls, places her hands on her hips as I guide her against me, and she squeals again when I lift her up and spin her around effortlessly.

She's genuinely enjoying this, and her pure excitement is weirdly contagious. We both sing the bridge together loudly, and she giggles when she can't hit the high notes. Her hair is getting soaked in sweat, a strap of her dress has fallen down to her shoulder, and she looks incredibly gorgeous right now, completely lost in the moment.

With one final spin, just as the song changes to Mabel's ‘Mad Love’, she hugs me, breathing heavily as she tries to steady herself. We don't keep dancing; we just stay still, holding each other, and my heart is racing fast against hers. I lean down, my face next to her shoulder, breathing her in. It feels strangely intimate to hold her this way, like she's the only thing in the world that matters right now. I don't want to let go.

"Hey, Quinn!” A voice bellows from behind us through the loud music, jerking me out of my haze. I blink and look up to see that guy from earlier, the one who joined her table, approaching us. Is he her date?

I pull away from her gently as she giggles, still swaying. I'm slowly getting sobered up by the interruption as the guy finally squeezes his way through the crowd around us.

“What's with you, man? Why didn't you switch partners?” He snaps at me, his voice aggressive.

"Sorry, I didn't...” I can't even find a decent excuse and just gently take her hands off me. The guy grabs her hand roughly as she tucks her messy hair behind her ears, staggering a little on her feet.

She pulls her hand away from him, and he grabs her again, tighter this time. I should probably just go. I should walk away. But slowly, I feel my old anger brewing deep in my chest.

“Do you know her?” I ask him, my voice low.

“Yes,” he frowns, annoyed. He grabs her again, and she pulls away from him once more.

“Well, she obviously doesn't want to go with you.”

With a nasty smirk, he pokes my shoulder, barely making an impact as I tower over his smaller frame. “Mind your own business, bro,” he grunts. Then he turns back and holds her again, and when she protests, he spanks her bum and pulls her hard against himself.

Whatever thin thread that was keeping me together at that moment snapped. I pulled her away from him and punched him square in the face, knocking him to the ground instantly.

He got up in an instant, trying to retaliate, but I was ready. I held him by his arm, twisted it behind his back, and tossed him aside like a ragdoll. The music had stopped by now, and everyone was watching, waiting for a full-blown fight to explode.

'Stay calm, Ace.' I heaved a breath. I can't afford to let another video slip out. My father already did his best to cover up the fight with Salvatore, along with a couple of other incidents I can't even keep up with. My eyes find the girl, whom I now know is named Quinn. She's running off with her hand covering her mouth, and I decide to follow her, quickly catching up.

I grabbed her by her arm and turned her to face me. "What's wrong?” I ask, my voice coming out rougher than I intended.

She pushes me away, stumbles toward the edge of the pool, and kneels, retching up the contents of her stomach into the water as the people in it screamed and scrambled out. Shit.

I knelt down next to her without thinking, holding her hair up before I tied it up in a loose bun to keep it out of the way. I grab a nearby bottle of water. I don't know why I'm doing this. I shouldn't be doing this. Maybe it's because I still want to fuck her; my body is already hot from all the body contact and the tension. Maybe that's the only reason I'm here.

I handed her the bottle just as the club's security finally approached me. She washed her face, splashing water everywhere.

“I'm sorry, Sir. We've received complaints of you causing trouble with your girlfriend. You have to leave now,” the guard said, his voice firm.

“Girlfriend?” I repeat, confused, just as I hear a sharp gasp beside me.

I turn to see Quinn, now back on her feet with her face entirely washed and dripping, staring at me with wide, shocked eyes.

“Blackwood?”