Laura decided not to tell Connie about her closet interlude, mostly for fear of having her be suspicious of what else had happened besides an apology. Laura almost felt guilty for Connie trying to protect her non existent virginity.
She explained to the nurse she had been ill in the bathroom as an excuse for missing homeroom and continued her day without incident. When she arrived home Ace was once again asleep in her bed. This was starting to become a regular occurrence.
She lay down beside him and closed her eyes herself, only waking up when she heard herself called to dinner. She sat through this torturous daily ritual without complaint, sneaking food into her napkin as she figured Ace would be hungry. She was correct, as soon as she returned with the food Ace devoured it at a shocking rate.
"Not as good as yours babe," he said, nibbling on her cheek, "or as good as you even," playfully nipping her.
He wrapped his legs around hers and was running his hand down her side, kissing her softly when the door opened.
Mrs Morris screamed and burst into the room, physically yanking them apart.
"You filthy girl," she screeched, "you can't even be trusted in your own house?"
"Hey," Ace growled, "don't you fucking touch her."
Mrs Morris fell back as if she was physically injured by his words. She seemed to recover however and switched targets. "And you! Breaking into a house and perverting this girl, you should be locked away."
"You should be locked away!" he fired back. "How dare you slap my girlfriend," he hissed finally getting a chance to exact his counter attack for that particular incident.
"She's a wicked girl, full of sin!" Mrs Morris snorted.
Ace pushed her backwards out of the bedroom and into the dining area. Laura was becoming seriously afraid he was going to beat her.
"You're a fucking bitch," he said grabbing her by the collar and yanking her so she was staring him face to face. Then he pushed her away once again.
"You're ruining her life," he said jabbing his finger towards Laura, "I don't know why I didn't do this weeks ago."
"Please stop," Laura said weakly, she was shaking like mad. She went to grab Ace's arm to try and hold him back but he flung her to the floor. He picked up a chair and threw it at the older woman who was retreating to the kitchen.
"Get out of here, get out!" she was screaming.
"You get out!" he said pulling out his blade.
Mrs Morris looked like she was about to faint. He walked over to where she stood and pressed the knife to her throat.
"Get the fuck out of here now," he said steadily and evenly, "and if I ever see you again, I'll kill you." He dropped the knife from her throat and she bolted out of the house leaving everything she had there behind.
Ace looked around for Laura but she was nowhere to be seen. He looked around for her and eventually found her in the bathroom. She had been sick. He went in to help her off the ground but she stopped him.
"Please just leave okay?" she said, still shaking.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Just go," she said laying down on the cold bathroom tiles.
He turned around wordlessly and left her in the empty house. Laura got to her feet and locked all of the doors and windows. She had only been this frightened once before and then she had been locked in the back of a car of a boy with sinister intentions.
She returned to her room and grabbed one of her childhood toys and went to sleep in her mother's room. She had left the light on.
The next morning Connie beat on the front door to wake Laura up.
"Why are you in you clothes from yesterday?" she asked, "didn't dragon lady do your laundry?"
Laura let out a single sob and relayed the entire story of what had happened the previous night.
"What?" Connie said, trying to overcome not only the shock of the violence but the fact that Ace had been in Laura's bed.
"I was so scared," she said, looking very pale again, feeling like she might throw up again.
"I'll drive you to your mother," Connie insisted.
"It's four hours away, we'd miss school" Laura said feeling hopeless.
"Who cares," Connie said, "you need to see her."
They made sure the house was completely secure and started to make their way to Clairmont. Connie had Laura lay down in the back seat as she was still looking shaken up.
"What are you going to tell her? The truth?" Connie asked.
"I don't know," Laura said. She was scared but she wasn't sure she wanted to sell Ace out to her mother just yet.
"He hit you Laura," Connie reminded her.
"Not exactly," Laura said softly, "I just got into his way."
"It's the same thing," Connie insisted, "Once he does it, there is every chance he'll do it again."
Connie was as disgusted as she was angry. She had disliked Mrs Morris just as much as Ace but never in a million years would she have threatened her with a knife.
They arrived in Clairmont and after a few misdirections from the locals they were able to find the retirement home. They entered the building, finding the reception area completely empty.
"Maybe it's Lunch?" Connie suggested. They had no idea what time it was.
"Can I help you girls?" came a voice from behind them. A fairly young lady approached them with a suspicious look on her face. "You know visiting hours are later this afternoon, you may return then."
"We're here to see Mrs Stratford, this is her daughter Laura," Connie explained.
The woman's hard features immediately softened.
"Oh I'm sorry, of course right this way," she said leading them to a room covered in landscapes of the sea. "Please wait in here, she'll be right with you."
They sat and stared at the pictures as they waited for Caroline. After a few minutes she came through the door.
"Is everything okay?" she asked worriedly.
"Mrs Morris left," Connie said deciding to do the talking, "She got into a fight with Ace and it's left Laura a little frightened." Connie pursed her lips, it wasn't her place to described the full nature of what had happened.
"Oh dear," Caroline said, "that boy certainly has a mean streak."
She looked at Laura who looked as if the world was ending and at Connie who was biting her tongue and knew they weren't telling her something. "Would you girls like something to eat?"