Love Me Harder [R18]

CHAPTER 13

About an hour had passed and I was sat on the counter in the kitchen. Ace had slipped one of his jumpers to me when I mentioned I was cold. The musky, wooden scent of his cologne lingered in the air as I watched everyone chatting together.

I finally worked up the courage to get up and walk into the living room alone. They were all drinking, including Ace. I watched as his lips met the glass, the golden liquid sliding down the glass and into his mouth. I didn't know what type of alcohol he was drinking, but it didn't seem like my type of drink. I snuck my way in, hoping not to grab anyone's attention. The only free spot was next to a man I didn't know.

I sat next to him uncomfortably, before noticing the unimpressed glance Ace shot my way. The man stared at me while Ace was distracted, talking to one of his friends. He moved his hand onto my knee and I felt a disgusted shiver run up my spine.

"Get your hand off my thigh," I hissed quietly, trying not to draw attention to us.

"Mm, I think I'll leave it there, maybe even go a big higher, I'm Ian by the way." I squirmed as Ian moved his hand moved from my knee to my mid thigh. Ace wasn't looking this way, and I couldn't make a scene, not when it was my first time meeting these people.

Ace was about to look over but Ian made sure he moved his hand away from my leg. I glanced towards Dante who had saw it all....at-least I thought he did. Dante looked pissed.

"So who are you guys bringing to the ball?" Ice chuckled, he was obviously drunk, most of them were.

"Probably one of my sluts," a guy replied.

"Don't call women sluts, it's gross," I scolded the guy and before he could reply, Ace threw him an angry glare.

"Actually, I'm bringing a girl that I love, you guys will finally get to her meet her." Dante smiled, his eyes glimmering with love. There were a few more answers. One that stuck out was 'mafia over love.'

Was that really their motto? It sounded like something my father would say.

"Ace," Ice said, grabbing his attention.

"Who are you bringing?" Ice questioned him curiously.

"Don't know." Ace shrugged carelessly. I saw him glance at me before looking back down at his glass. "He never picks anyone to bring, it's always his dad who chooses." Someone complained, hidden by the amount of people in the room.

"Have you got a problem with that?" Ace grumbled at the anonymous remark. Anger seeping from around him.

"Why don't you go with Sofia?" Dante asked Ace teasingly.

"Shut the f**k up Dante," Ace and I hissed at him. Dante chuckled and everyone else remained confused; Dante was the only one who had saw us dance.

"Why is Sofia even here?" Someone chirped. "Another one of Ace's sluts I'm assuming, she is wearing his clothes." Ice chuckled staring at me. Everyone was now staring at me. He had some audacity speaking about me like that considering he invited me to his bed five minutes ago.

"I'm going back upstairs." I shook my head before standing to my feet.

"Listen up, she's not 'my slut', she's someone who's stuck with me forever so if any of you upset her like that again or call another woman a slut, i will kill you. That includes you two," Ace announced to the room, specifically threatening Ice and Dante.

I turned around to see Ace staring at me.

"Dante get up," Ace snarled at him.

"I'm being kicked off the chair." Dante clenched his chest dramatically as he fell to the floor. I laughed along with the room, who were staring at Dante on the floor.

"You, here." Ace demanded with his finger pointing at the free spot beside him. I walked over carelessly as I knew that I'd rather sit next to Ace than whoever this Ian guy was.

Dante struggled to get up from the floor, so to make things worse, Ace kicked him over again. Everyone laughed. I watched Ace smirk at his friend but like every-one of his slight smiles, it faded away instantly. He took another sip from his glass.

He was so attractive. He just looked flawless, it was almost annoying. I snapped out of my trance when Ace turned to me.

"You want a sip?" Ace offered with a relaxed tone. I shrugged with a worried look on face, I was afraid he would make me drink.

"Have you ever drank before?" Ace questioned me. "You think I could risk drinking?" I smiled, rolling my eyes. "

"Mmm now I see why you're innocent," Ace whispered causing the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. He snickered handing me the bottle.

"Take a sip, I won't punish you for it...well, not in the way you're thinking," he muttered the last part but I heard it.

"Fine," I sighed drinking from the bottle. I didn't like it, it had a sour taste. I made a disgusted face only to see Ace erupt into laughter.

I smiled at the sound of his laugh; I wish I'd heard it more.

"She made him laugh." Dante gasped catching everyone's attention.

"Mm I think Ace likes this one." Dante smirked at me. Ace however, was too drunk to even realize what they were talking about.

"How long until he kills her?" Ice questioned Dante quietly.

"I'd give it less than a month." He muttered in response, not daring to meet my eye.

I turned my attention back to Ace, distracting myself from the conversation I'd overheard. I took another sip from Ace's drink as he watched intently. My expression twisted with sourness.

"Is it that bad?" Ace laughed at me.

"Yeah, it's pretty bad." I grinned.

"Let me get you something nicer," Ace croaked before walking out of the room. I sat awkwardly until he came back.

"Here," he muttered as he handed me a bottle of wine.

"I think you'll like that more." He smiled proudly.

"You think so?" I muttered as I looked around.

"Well I have something else you might like better," Ace smirked sensually, a hint of happiness in his eyes.

"You're too flirty when you're drunk." I warned him, however I couldn't stop the smile from spreading across my lips.

"Just drink it from the bottle, I won't care," Ace mumbled as he took another sip. I shrugged and took a sip of the wine.

"This is better." I nodded with approval.

"I haven't had wine in so long." He swapped our drinks. Even though I didn't like his drink, I still drank it to avoid upsetting him.

"Hey slow down, that's some heavy s**t," Ace grumbled while taking the glass from me.

"I still don't like it," I mumbled, wiping my lips.

"Why'd you drink it then?" He asked me as he handed me the wine.

"I don't know, you were drinking the wine." I smiled shyly.

"I forgot to ask, why did you come to the school the other day?" I took a sip of the red wine as I played with the sleeves of my jumper.

"I didn't want you to go because I knew someone would hurt you." He rested his head against the chair before turning to me.

"I hope you don't expect me to thank you." I teased him.

"Darling, I didn't expect you to thank me, although if you wanted to thank me by getting on your knees I wouldn't mind," he spoke playfully, something rumbling in the back of his throat.

A few hours had passed and it was now 2 am.

Ace and I had finished the wine bottle between us, he had started drinking it with me when the liquid in his glass was gone.

"I should probably go to bed," I uttered to Ace.

"Yeah me too." He shook his head, trying to shake off being drunk. I went to stand up but nearly fell over. "Whoa." He caught me. "Steady."

"Yeah...steady," I repeated innocently. Ace held my waist as we walked, incase I might fall.

We slowly walked up the stairs.

"I don't feel good." I uttered to Ace as I held my stomach.

"Oh no." He widened his eyes as he scooped me into his arms and ran to the bathroom.

I got sick into the toilet, violently. Ace grabbed my hair and held it back.

"Just let it out," he whispered as he slipped his hand under the hoodie and rubbed my back. I lay on the floor, exhausted.

"Come on, Sof," he whispered, helping me up. He brought me to his room and I lay on his bed.

"Just to make sure you don't choke on your vomit." He teased quietly.

I widened my eyes in fear at him.

"I'm joking." He smirked as pulled off his shirt. He grabbed a pillow and placed it on the floor.

"What are you doing?" I frowned at him.

"Sleeping," Ace mumbled.

"Sleep on the bed, why are you sleeping on the floor?" I shook my head at him. He grabbed the pillow and placed it back on the bed.

He slowly climbed in beside me. I turned over and faced him; He stared at me as I gazed at him.

"I hate getting drunk," I muttered closing my eyes. "It's not the best thing ever. I probably shouldn't have let you drink all of that." He mumbled softly, his blue eyes beginning to close with exhaustion

"Where's your dad? He's been gone a few days," I asked Ace, half awake.

"He hosts the ball," Ace responded hesitantly.

"Oh." I mumbled whilst my breathing slowed.

"Do you want to go to the ball with me?" He suddenly asked, as if he didn't care what anyone else thought. He had a calm, quiet tone to his voice. "Yeah, I think it would be fun." I smiled, opening my eyes.

"Yeah, I think it might be for once," he whispered. My hand rested near my pillow.

"When I first met you, I thought I'd hate you." Ace admitted.

"Ouch." I frowned at him.

"You're not so bad." He teased me.

"Yeah well you're the worst," I groaned at him. I saw a smile appear on his face, my eyes adjusting to the darkness of the room.

"You should smile more," I whispered softly, unable to fight the smile on my lips.

"Go to sleep," he whispered gently. I shut my eyes but i noticed his hand inches from mine.

I slowly moved my hand, with my eyes still shut, towards his. If he didn't react I could pretend it was an accident.

I stopped my hand because what am I doing? He doesn't like m- I felt the back of his fingers graze my arm to find my hand. His hand stopped at mine, our fingers intertwining. I couldn't describe his touch; The way it made me feel; My heart exploding in my chest.

I peaked over at him to see he had his eyes closed too. I smiled at him as I shut my eyes once more.

Holding his hand was enough for now.