Beautiful Ruins

Chapter#10

When he reached the location Ace had sent, he found himself standing in the park outside the town’s hospital which was almost empty except for few doctors who had come out to smoke.

He saw Ace’s figure among them, sitting alone on a bench, her head in her hands. She almost looked lonely. His heart felt a painful stab within it which he ignored as he walked towards her.

She raised her head before he said anything. Her eyes for a second were confused seeing him there but immediately cleared. He noticed she had her walls strongly up today. There wasn’t even a crack for him to see through.

His mind went back the call he received today after he met with Ace under the tree. It was her brother. He didn’t explain how he got his number but even Daniel knew it wouldn’t have been hard. He didn’t have much association with Mike, except for when they passed by each in hallways or classes.

But that call was made to warn him. Mike had warned him- no, not to stay away from Ace but to keep himself safe from her instead. He had been surprised at that time to hear that Ace’s own brother was cautioning him against his own sister. Mike told him Ace enjoyed playing mental games with people, she was someone who wouldn’t even blink as she burned the bridges she made even herself so what would his count for in her eyes? She was the girl who had no heart so for her, playing with other’s heart took no conscious.

But this didn’t look like a girl who didn’t have a heart, a conscious. What was he supposed to believe? Was he really a fool?

He, who was falling for this heartless girl.

He, who knew nothing about this lonely girl sitting in front of him but falling for him. He have realized that you don’t need a reason to fall in love with someone. He realized he can’t control how deeper he falls, he can’t not fall deeper because he was. Unconsciously, every time he saw her- his emotions came by stronger, his heart hurt longer. His heart didn’t race on her sight, it just clutched tightly in his chest. The time he spent away from her belonged to her as well because his mind kept revolving around her.

He didn’t miss her sight but did grasped that he was thirsty for it when he saw her.

He have started to find her sight striking, beautiful.

Now, his only hope was this beautiful girl would remain as merciless as his brother told her and actually just play with him so he could maybe find himself to resent her.

He have really turned hopeless.

Ace pushed herself to the left to make space for him, her face wasn’t blank. It was normal as if everything was okay which itself showed it wasn’t but what had happened for her to go from the girl he met under the rain few hours ago to this lonely person? Did he had a right to ask?

She wasn’t sick was she?

“Are you sick?” he blurt out, his voice urgent as he stared at her for answer. His inside panicking, twisting.

She stared at him in amazement and he saw laughter in her bright eyes as he was just an amusing sight for her eyes. She smirked, her expression one of pleasure as she said, “Yes, I just find out I have cancer.”

He immediately glared at her which made her laugh out loud and he forgot to keep his expressions impact as they fell into one of daze as he suddenly find he couldn’t breathe in her sight sometimes. This was one of those moments.

She had noticed his changing gaze just like she had this morning because she stopped smirking and turned away from his, as if avoiding his feelings.

“Stop looking at me like that.” Her voice broke him out from his trace. She didn’t sound angry but like she was somehow uncomfortable.

Before he could apologize she said, “I am not used to being stared like that.”

“Like what?” He didn’t realize the question he simply thought in mind was already on his tongue.

She turned her large eyes back to stare at him. She didn’t say anything for a while as if she was reading him, looking inside his mind to find answers for questions she had. He let her look, he had no reason to hide. And even if he did, he didn’t think he can hide anything from her. She saw everything. She probably realized he was falling for her.

“Stop leaving yourself so bare in front me.” She didn’t answer his question but simply warned him- her voice dropping in a dangerous tone.

He couldn’t find himself to be afraid of her anymore.

He saw she had more to say so he kept quiet as he waited.

“I am not a nice person, Daniel.” She stated and he felt like she was surrendering in front of him. As if she was telling him that she was already tired of this game they were playing, the game which might no longer be a game for either of them.

“I can’t take responsibility for your bare skin.” She continued softly.

He didn’t recognize the her who was sitting beside him anymore. This was like another person was had taken over the Ace he had always seen, was used to seeing. He had thought he had seen all of those disguises she kept but this was a new one. The one he wasn’t ready to see but she was willing to show.

“Ace, I never said I needed your nice.” He slowly said.

It was true. He had never thought she was a good person but she wasn’t bad either. It was simply he never cared the kind of person she was, he just wanted to understand her, know her- not judge what kind of person these qualities make her. It never crossed her mind to put her in a box marked bad or good. She was someone he kept outside, to roam freely as she wished to be.

She sighed and looked away from his eyes, as she had seen something which bothered her and then softly said, “Okay, let’s keep playing this game. I want to see how it comes down.”

He nodded slowly in agreement. After all, this was a game for both of them but it started with only his showing his cards as Ace simply played to humor him but now, she was ready to show her cards and Daniel, who was already playing a losing battle could only hope she was ruthless with him as she usually was.

Seeing him nod his head, she gave him a blank smile and rise up. He followed suit as they started walking around the large park which was now completely empty. They talked about nothing for a long time as they moved around in circles. The night was too dark since there were still dark clouds in the sky. It was still chilly and he soon noticed Ace was in a mere full sleeve t-shirt. He slowly pulled of his hood and put it over her shoulders. She accepted it without a word.

“I am an orphan.”

Her words froze him. He searched her face to see if she was joking but saw no sign of it but he still searched, almost desperately to find answers of the million questions he had in his mind.

“I was born to a priest name Father Jordon and Lauren. Just Lauren because that's all she was. Jordon found her bruised and half dead outside the church on a Wednesday. Nothing was different about that day except that day, two lives changed. Lauren didn't even knew what hit her, never thought she could trust a man, love a man but she fell in love with Jordon. They were married a mouth after that Wednesday. Jordon was twenty-three and Lauren was twenty. I was born a year after, six pounds, named Ace Lauren Adams, bearing both the part of my parents in my name and in myself.” Her voice took away that far away tone like she was living in a time. She took their names as she was telling about people she didn’t know like the story didn’t belong to her.

He wanted to touch her to see if the girl beside him was real because at this moment she almost look transparent like she was disappearing.

The words seemed to have come to her naturally like she have told this story a thousand times. She continued without thinking what her words were doing to him, “It was January, we were in the car, the truck came out of nowhere almost like an asteroid from the sky. We were rushed to the hospital and there, Matthew attended them. He later told me that mum could have saved herself easily if she had not covered me with her body, the glass went right through her heart and missed mine.” She said and easily dragged her shirt down from neck to show a fain scar over her chest.

“Jordon was in bad state, but when he found out that Lauren died, he stopped fighting. Matthew adopted me since I looked a lot like Sally and also because Sally and he couldn't have any more kids. He wanted a daughter desperately.” Her words were slowly starting to make so sense.

“I am two months younger then Mike. There are only three people alive who know about this, including you. Mike doesn’t know. Matthew didn't wanted me to be insecure or feel like I am not part of the family hence him along with Sally agreed with the twin thingy. I made my birth name official when Matthew passed away but everyone already knew me as Ace Adams. Mike never understood my wonder with that name but I wanted to have something of my real parents and since Matthew died there was no reason to not do it. Mike followed suit not caring.”

It was silent after that. It seems she was done talking he was still just processing her words. The story she told made no sense at all. At least it gave him no answers that could help him get to know her better. It didn’t explain why she put on these disguises, didn’t explain her indifference, didn’t explain Ace Adams.

He was staring at her, his eyes just confused but from her face which was calm, expressions which were casual, it seems she wasn’t giving him an explanation either. She was simply tell him a bit about herself. This time, she was the one baring herself for him to run away.

How could he run away when his feet refused to move? He couldn’t even feel his body left all try to make himself do something. It all just felt numb and bewildering.

She left him alone to his thoughts, left him to judge her as he wished as they started walking towards his car. He tried his best not to drag his feet, tried his best to not touch her.

The drive to her place was also silent. So silent, he almost believed that he was alone if not for the fact he couldn’t stop looking at her, if not for the fact that he was too aware of her existence beside himself.

He couldn’t afford to fall deeper but he should have known, when she gave him the warning- it meant that she was going start playing earnestly. He actually poked a sleeping dragon and now, it might be standing on a point where he could only jump down.

When he stopped the car outside her house, she nodded at him and silently left the car. His hoody still over her shoulders which he didn’t bother to remind her and she, herself also didn’t notice.

He had only closed the front door of his house when his mum loudly called his name.

He had a feeling he was in major trouble.

Entering the lounge greeted him with his mum sitting on the love seat with his dad who was grinning foolishly at him. He cursed his dad and hoped he didn’t open his mouth which he really doubted was the case seeing as his mother looking like she was going to bite him any moment.

“Sit down!” She commanded. Her eyes glaring at his figure.

He took the seat furthest away from her and sat down cautiously as if afraid she would throw something at him.

“Daniel Schmitt Andrew, who was that girl?”