Sixty Three

CHAPTER 63

Alicia's flat, New York.

"I've been waiting for you here for over an hour, Alicia."

The blue-eyed girl immediately lowered her head. Feeling guilty for making her boyfriend wait longer than usual in front of the flat.

But quickly, Ace, Alicia's boyfriend, lifted her chin and smiled warmly at her. "I was so worried, you know?" He then gently rubbed the top of Alicia's head. "But now that you're here. I feel better when I see you."

"Really?" The blue irises looked remorsefully into Ace's eyes. "I'm sorry for not telling you, Ace." And the tall man immediately nodded in understanding. "I had to do some work and didn't realize that my phone was off," she continued to explain.

Actually, Alicia wasn't entirely lying. The blue-eyed girl had done her college work before meeting Nicholas at the theater center.

But still, Alicia couldn't avoid the guilt.

"It's not your fault. So, stop feeling guilty like that," Ace comforted her. "Ah, by the way, I brought you your favorite food."

Ace immediately ran to his car to get a box of pizza--which was now cold--for Alicia. He gave a quick shrug of his shoulders as Alicia stared at him in disbelief. "I guess we can call it frozen pizza now," he joked.

And that made Alicia laugh instantly. She hurriedly accepted Ace's box of pizza and lifted it into the air. "Let's eat this frozen pizza and enjoy the night together." Ace laughed too.

The two of them then entered Alicia's luxurious flat. While flats in America usually consisted of several units, Alicia's adoptive parents preferred to provide their daughter with something luxurious and personalized.

Alicia's flat itself has walls that are dominated by gray. There wasn't much on the walls, other than photos of her and her adoptive parents, a photo of Alicia at her graduation with Brittany and of course a photo collage of Alicia with her boyfriend, Ace.

Since she lives alone most of the time, Alicia also prefers minimalist and mostly portable appliances.

The cold pizza was placed in front of Ace, but there was no way Alicia would let him eat the cold food. The girl who always wore a suede bracelet to cover the tattoo on her left hand quickly ran into the kitchen and pulled out some ingredients.

"Are you going to cook something for me tonight, sugar?" Ace walked over to Alicia who seemed to be busy there. And embraced the girl's stomach intimately afterward. "You should rest, Alicia."

Annoyed by Ace's breath intruding on her ear, Alicia quickly moved away and let go of Ace's embrace. "You're going to burn the chicken nuggets, Ace," Alicia grumbled.

"Aren't burnt food and frozen food a good match, sugar?" joked Ace. To which Alicia only replied with a short snort.

"You'd better wait over there," Alicia ordered as she pushed Ace's body out of the kitchen. "Don't spoil my food either, Ace."

And that made Ace laugh with delight. "My boyfriend is more possessive of my cooking than I am. It sucks," Ace said in an artificially sad tone.

"Stop making that stupid face and wait over there." This time Alicia pulled Ace's body until the man was completely seated on the sofa and unable to move. "Don't. Make. My food. Burn."

But before Alicia could step away, Ace immediately pulled the girl's body until she was now on top of Ace's body. And this close, Alicia was pretty sure that Ace was wearing Antonio Banderas Blue Fresh perfume from its strong marine (aquatic) scent. "Don't leave me, Alicia," he said as he gently kissed her lips.

Not wanting to continue, Alicia hurriedly pulled her body away from Ace and got up. "I smell burnt food now!" she screeched as she ran to the kitchen.

Leaving Ace who shook his head in amusement at Alicia's behavior.

And not long after, Alicia returned to the living room with two plates in her hands. The girl immediately put the food she had made on the table and ruffled her waist. "Next time, don't bother me while I'm cooking," Alicia protested in an annoyed tone. "I don't like having to cook again because the food I made burned, Ace."

The man only responded to her complaints with a chuckle. "Gosh, you're so adorable when you're angry." He then winked mischievously at Alicia. "Can I get one more kiss for tonight?"

"No," Alicia quickly denied. "Hurry up and finish your food and get some rest."

"Ah...," Ace rolled her eyes lazily. "Very well, great mistress."

The two then got busy eating the food Alicia had made earlier. Some ready-made chicken nuggets and pasta. There wasn't much serious talk between them. Just light-hearted questions about Alicia's activities on campus and how Alicia and Brittany's relationship was going.

"How's your dad, Ace?" Alicia asked after she finished eating her pasta.

And the dark-haired man just shook his head in despair. "There hasn't been any change. And since you brought it up, I have to tell you something."

"Something?" Alicia looked at Ace enthusiastically. "What is it, Ace?"

"I'm going to Italy for the weekend to meet some of Dad's business colleagues there," explained the man with the dark brown eyes. "Maybe I'll stay there for a week or two."

"You're going alone to Italy?"

But Ace shook his head. "That's precisely why I wanted to ask you. Do you want to come with me? I really wish you would go to Italy with me, Alicia."

Staring into Ace's hopeful eyes, Alicia was instantly conflicted. Never mind her coursework for next week. But that bad feeling suddenly popped into her head along with the Nicholas case she was working on.

Alicia had already promised Nicholas about the case.

But she also couldn't possibly tell him the real reason just to reject her own boyfriend, Ace.

She put down her swept pasta plate and looked at Ace straight on. "Coming with you?"

"Yes. I'm leaving tomorrow night." Ace then grabbed Alicia's fingers and held them tightly. "Are you able to come with me, Alicia?"

"About that... I...,"