~*~
Juliette and Ace had been walking for a little over five minutes and neither one of them had said a word. Ace hadn't said anything because he didn't know what to say, I mean, how do you ask someone if his or her father is abusive? How do you know that person is going to tell you the truth? How do you know they won't hate you for treading on their family's private secrets?
Juliette hadn't said a word because it was Ace who wanted to talk; it's not that she didn't want to talk because she did. It was just the fact that he had wanted to say something important and she didn't want to rush him.
Ace stopped unexpectedly on the sidewalk next to a few houses, he couldn't think of the right words to say, what the hell was he suppose to say?
Juliette looked at Ace worriedly; although she had only known him a week she could tell this wasn't his usual behaviour. "Ace?" She said, breaking the long silence.
"Yeah?"
"Is there something wrong?"
"No," he lied, "why'd you ask?"
"You tell me you want to talk me about something important, give me the silent treatment and now you've just stopped for no reason."
"I forgot what I wanted to tell you." Ace replied with a sheepish smile.
"Oh."
"But I just remembered something I wanted to ask you."
"What?"
"Last week I said I'd show you the lake, I was wondering if I could show you tonight? You know, since its warm."
"I'm not sure." Juliette answered honestly. After the noise she heard from inside her house, knowing her father would be angry the next time he wakes up; she really didn't want to leave Dawn by herself.
"Why not?" Ace asked, a hurt expression on his face.
"I....." Juliette started trying to think for the best lie in the world, she glanced at Ace and saw the way he was looking at her, whatever lie she told him, he'd know it was a lie, he knew she would lie. Did he know? Did he know she was afraid for her sister and herself? Did he know that they both covered up bruises on their bodies from where their father had hit them repeatedly? "I just can't go."
"That's it?" Ace asked sounding more hurt than he looked.
"That's it." Juliette answered, repeating what Ace had just said.
"Your not even going to give me a reason?"
Juliette answered, "I think you already know my reason, I think you heard it anyway."
"You mean the..."
"Don't," Juliette said with tears in her eyes, "I don't want you to finish it, its bad enough that you know, let alone have you say it."
"Why is it bad that I know?"
"Because it makes it more difficult for me, knowing that people know." Juliette said, raising her voice slightly, wiping away the unshed tears that threatened to fall down her flushed cheeks.
The awkward silence had returned to haunt the two yet again, but this time it was worse, but better at the same time. The silence irritated Ace because all he wanted to do his carry Juliette away take her home, put her in his bedroom and protect her from the world, but at the same time he couldn't. Juliette looked so alien to him at that moment, he had interpreted her as full of laughs and confidence, and she now seemed shy and vulnerable to the world, a complete transformation.
Juliette wanted to run, runaway from it all, leave her life and start afresh, but she couldn't although it seemed silly, even impossible, she couldn't leave Ace. She was drawn to him, it was like there was a magnetic field between the two and it kept getting stronger as they learned about each other. At the same time, not only did Juliette wanted to run away, but also when she tried she wanted Ace to stop her, she wanted them to hold each other and not let go.
They stood there, not moving, not talking. The magnetic field that made it seem impossible for them to live without one another suddenly pulsated a jolt of electricity making them embrace each other, tightly and strongly, they clung to each others clothes, as if reaching for something that they had but wanted more of.
Juliette buried her face in Ace's shoulder, she didn't cry, she just wanted to feel safe, and she did. Ace had that certain quality about him, he made her feel that she was protected, mainly because he had shown her his knife that he claimed to carry with him at all time but also because he seemed to care about her.
Ace was having a strange sensation in his stomach, one that he hadn't experienced before, it wasn't something he'd eaten, but it was an emotion. Ace thought for a moment it could be love, but he almost laughed at himself. Of course, if Juliette died tomorrow I'd mourn her death, but I've only known her a week, I couldn't possibly love her, could I? Could it be love at first sight? Could true love really exist? Could soul mates? Kindred spirits? Was Juliette any of those things to me? Did she feel the same way? All those questions raced around Ace's mind, he tried to ignore them.
Juliette inhaled through her nose and smelt Ace's scent: cigarette smoke, a tiny bit of alcohol and his cologne – a mix of exotic fruit and... oil? Juliette knew he hung around cars a lot, that's probably what it was. But the aroma of exotic fruit was definitely his cologne.
Ace had moved his head so that his cheek rested on Juliette's hair, which (as he had predicted earlier) looked curled, not tight curls, but loose spiralling curls that came down to her waist, he began to soothingly stroke her hair, often twirling the odd strand around his finger, letting it go just to see it spring back to its original form. He breathed in deeply through his nose and smelt the captivating smell of cherries radiate from Juliette's loose curls.
Ace broke the silence this time. "You want to go bowling instead?"
Juliette laughed light-heartedly, the soft melody that Ace admired. "Nah. I'd just whoop your ass."
They were both glad that humour had returned to the conversation, Juliette being the not-so-serious type and Ace being the one whose never had a serious relationship, come to think of it, never had an actual relationship.
"Really?" Ace asked with amusement.
"Yup." Juliette said as she pulled herself away from Ace.
"How about we go bowling tomorrow night?"
"Only if you're sure you could handle the embarrassment of being beaten by a girl."
"Ooh, that's fightin' talk." Ace said, punching Juliette in the arm playfully.
"Your damn right." Juliette said, returning the favour by then kissing him slowly on the lips, a short but sensual kiss.
"What was that for?" Ace asked, still a little shocked.
"It was my thank you."
"For what?"
"Being here." Juliette said, blushing slightly, as they both turned and began to walk back in the direction they came.
"Anytime, Blue."
"Blue?" Juliette asked confusingly.
"It's my pet-name for you." Ace explained.
"I'll ask it again, Blue?" Juliette asked, more confused.
"Your eyes."
"Awe, that's so cute. I have to go tell Dawn and be all girly." Juliette said, getting ready to sprint home.
"Hey, wait a minute," Ace said as he quickly grabbed Juliette's arm.
"What?" Juliette said turning back to Ace.
Ace pulled her into his arms, and kissed her deeply, like the kiss they shared on their first date, this one was hot, steamy and passionate, one of Ace's arms around Juliette's waist, the other entangling itself in her hair, Juliette's arms around his neck.
When they finally broke the kiss, they were once again breathless. They kept their faces close together, feeling each other's breath on their mouths.
"You're going to have to stop kissing me like that on the spur of the moment Ace Merrill."
"Why?" Questioned Ace.
"I may have to get you a leash." Juliette said teasingly.
"Kinky," Ace replied with a grin.
"'Bye." Juliette said kissing Ace on the cheek.
"See you tomorrow night." Ace replied kissing Juliette lightly on the forehead and finally letting go of the grip he had kept on her hand most of that night.
~*~
Author's Note:
The reason I wrote this chapter was to show how Ace and Juliette are feeling towards each other, I am a strong believer in love at first sight, soul mates, true love and all that stuff.
Anyways, I just want to thank everyone for their reviews, I actually can not believe I got them from Author's whose stories I have read and have really enjoyed. Reviews!
Pip Pip!
Juliette and Ace had been walking for a little over five minutes and neither one of them had said a word. Ace hadn't said anything because he didn't know what to say, I mean, how do you ask someone if his or her father is abusive? How do you know that person is going to tell you the truth? How do you know they won't hate you for treading on their family's private secrets?
Juliette hadn't said a word because it was Ace who wanted to talk; it's not that she didn't want to talk because she did. It was just the fact that he had wanted to say something important and she didn't want to rush him.
Ace stopped unexpectedly on the sidewalk next to a few houses, he couldn't think of the right words to say, what the hell was he suppose to say?
Juliette looked at Ace worriedly; although she had only known him a week she could tell this wasn't his usual behaviour. "Ace?" She said, breaking the long silence.
"Yeah?"
"Is there something wrong?"
"No," he lied, "why'd you ask?"
"You tell me you want to talk me about something important, give me the silent treatment and now you've just stopped for no reason."
"I forgot what I wanted to tell you." Ace replied with a sheepish smile.
"Oh."
"But I just remembered something I wanted to ask you."
"What?"
"Last week I said I'd show you the lake, I was wondering if I could show you tonight? You know, since its warm."
"I'm not sure." Juliette answered honestly. After the noise she heard from inside her house, knowing her father would be angry the next time he wakes up; she really didn't want to leave Dawn by herself.
"Why not?" Ace asked, a hurt expression on his face.
"I....." Juliette started trying to think for the best lie in the world, she glanced at Ace and saw the way he was looking at her, whatever lie she told him, he'd know it was a lie, he knew she would lie. Did he know? Did he know she was afraid for her sister and herself? Did he know that they both covered up bruises on their bodies from where their father had hit them repeatedly? "I just can't go."
"That's it?" Ace asked sounding more hurt than he looked.
"That's it." Juliette answered, repeating what Ace had just said.
"Your not even going to give me a reason?"
Juliette answered, "I think you already know my reason, I think you heard it anyway."
"You mean the..."
"Don't," Juliette said with tears in her eyes, "I don't want you to finish it, its bad enough that you know, let alone have you say it."
"Why is it bad that I know?"
"Because it makes it more difficult for me, knowing that people know." Juliette said, raising her voice slightly, wiping away the unshed tears that threatened to fall down her flushed cheeks.
The awkward silence had returned to haunt the two yet again, but this time it was worse, but better at the same time. The silence irritated Ace because all he wanted to do his carry Juliette away take her home, put her in his bedroom and protect her from the world, but at the same time he couldn't. Juliette looked so alien to him at that moment, he had interpreted her as full of laughs and confidence, and she now seemed shy and vulnerable to the world, a complete transformation.
Juliette wanted to run, runaway from it all, leave her life and start afresh, but she couldn't although it seemed silly, even impossible, she couldn't leave Ace. She was drawn to him, it was like there was a magnetic field between the two and it kept getting stronger as they learned about each other. At the same time, not only did Juliette wanted to run away, but also when she tried she wanted Ace to stop her, she wanted them to hold each other and not let go.
They stood there, not moving, not talking. The magnetic field that made it seem impossible for them to live without one another suddenly pulsated a jolt of electricity making them embrace each other, tightly and strongly, they clung to each others clothes, as if reaching for something that they had but wanted more of.
Juliette buried her face in Ace's shoulder, she didn't cry, she just wanted to feel safe, and she did. Ace had that certain quality about him, he made her feel that she was protected, mainly because he had shown her his knife that he claimed to carry with him at all time but also because he seemed to care about her.
Ace was having a strange sensation in his stomach, one that he hadn't experienced before, it wasn't something he'd eaten, but it was an emotion. Ace thought for a moment it could be love, but he almost laughed at himself. Of course, if Juliette died tomorrow I'd mourn her death, but I've only known her a week, I couldn't possibly love her, could I? Could it be love at first sight? Could true love really exist? Could soul mates? Kindred spirits? Was Juliette any of those things to me? Did she feel the same way? All those questions raced around Ace's mind, he tried to ignore them.
Juliette inhaled through her nose and smelt Ace's scent: cigarette smoke, a tiny bit of alcohol and his cologne – a mix of exotic fruit and... oil? Juliette knew he hung around cars a lot, that's probably what it was. But the aroma of exotic fruit was definitely his cologne.
Ace had moved his head so that his cheek rested on Juliette's hair, which (as he had predicted earlier) looked curled, not tight curls, but loose spiralling curls that came down to her waist, he began to soothingly stroke her hair, often twirling the odd strand around his finger, letting it go just to see it spring back to its original form. He breathed in deeply through his nose and smelt the captivating smell of cherries radiate from Juliette's loose curls.
Ace broke the silence this time. "You want to go bowling instead?"
Juliette laughed light-heartedly, the soft melody that Ace admired. "Nah. I'd just whoop your ass."
They were both glad that humour had returned to the conversation, Juliette being the not-so-serious type and Ace being the one whose never had a serious relationship, come to think of it, never had an actual relationship.
"Really?" Ace asked with amusement.
"Yup." Juliette said as she pulled herself away from Ace.
"How about we go bowling tomorrow night?"
"Only if you're sure you could handle the embarrassment of being beaten by a girl."
"Ooh, that's fightin' talk." Ace said, punching Juliette in the arm playfully.
"Your damn right." Juliette said, returning the favour by then kissing him slowly on the lips, a short but sensual kiss.
"What was that for?" Ace asked, still a little shocked.
"It was my thank you."
"For what?"
"Being here." Juliette said, blushing slightly, as they both turned and began to walk back in the direction they came.
"Anytime, Blue."
"Blue?" Juliette asked confusingly.
"It's my pet-name for you." Ace explained.
"I'll ask it again, Blue?" Juliette asked, more confused.
"Your eyes."
"Awe, that's so cute. I have to go tell Dawn and be all girly." Juliette said, getting ready to sprint home.
"Hey, wait a minute," Ace said as he quickly grabbed Juliette's arm.
"What?" Juliette said turning back to Ace.
Ace pulled her into his arms, and kissed her deeply, like the kiss they shared on their first date, this one was hot, steamy and passionate, one of Ace's arms around Juliette's waist, the other entangling itself in her hair, Juliette's arms around his neck.
When they finally broke the kiss, they were once again breathless. They kept their faces close together, feeling each other's breath on their mouths.
"You're going to have to stop kissing me like that on the spur of the moment Ace Merrill."
"Why?" Questioned Ace.
"I may have to get you a leash." Juliette said teasingly.
"Kinky," Ace replied with a grin.
"'Bye." Juliette said kissing Ace on the cheek.
"See you tomorrow night." Ace replied kissing Juliette lightly on the forehead and finally letting go of the grip he had kept on her hand most of that night.
~*~
Author's Note:
The reason I wrote this chapter was to show how Ace and Juliette are feeling towards each other, I am a strong believer in love at first sight, soul mates, true love and all that stuff.
Anyways, I just want to thank everyone for their reviews, I actually can not believe I got them from Author's whose stories I have read and have really enjoyed. Reviews!
Pip Pip!