The truth comes out

“We’re here.” Ace announces and hops off the horse. He helps me off and as soon as I’m off I lay on the green grass and wildflowers, shutting my eyes and running my fingers through the grass. This is the place you would most likely see in a perfect dream.

“Your not high again are ya Cupcake?”

I snicker, shaking my head.

“I just love nature.”

He lays next to me, propped up on an elbow, looking down at me in awe, as I look up at the sky.

“So... are you going to finally tell me about your past Ace?” I say after a few minutes of peacefulness, and he sighs, tilting my face towards his.

“Not now, soon, I promise, but for now let’s go pick some apples.”

He stands up and pulls me up with him. He pulls me up so fast that I land against his chest.

“Oh, sorry,” I say pulling away, but he holds me in place. He gives me a smoldering look.

“You just can’t wait to get your hands all over me huh Heather?”

I smack his shoulder.

“Oh please, you’re the one holding me, and don’t think I haven’t noticed you’ve practically undressing me with your eyes all day.”

He takes a quick inhale, his eyes roaming down from my head to my toes. Everywhere he’s eyes are my body heats up.

“It’s hard not to picture you in cute, pink lingerie, with long white socks.”

I shake my head at him, deciding I want to tease him a little.

“What if I want to wear black and red lingerie, and some red bottoms heels to match?”

His lustful eyes quickly shoot up to mine, his breathing quickening. I got him right where I want him.

“How about we add some red handcuffs, not the fluffy ones, and a black leather paddle?”

Dang, now he has me where he wants me. I moan softly at the thought. I’ve seen a few videos of BDSM, and I can’t lie. It looks interesting. My eyes now travel up and down his body shamelessly.

“You’re biting your lip, care to share your thoughts?”

My eyes snap back to his, and I remember that drawing he showed me when he first met me, the one with the woman submitting to her dom.

“Uh, do you like that kind of stuff, you know, BDSM?”

He squints his eyes at me, before smiling.

“Curious Cupcake?”

I nod and he runs his thumb across my lips parting them.

“The things I would love to do to you, if only you were mine.” He whispers holding my gaze.

“Come let’s pick some apples before sundown.” He says pulling me through the trees and looking up for the best apples.

“But...”

“To be continued, I promise.” He says cutting me off, then I see the most perfect apple ever.

“Ace. This one is perfect, It looks like the kind of apple that would be found on an oil painting.”

His eyes follow where I’m pointing and he gives me a half-smile.

“Good eye Cupcake.” He climbs the tree effortlessly and picks the apple. He jumps down, and lands perfectly.

“You make that look easy Ace.”

He places the apple in the basket.

“What climbing a tree? I used to climb a lot of things growing up. I bet you could do it with a bit of practice.”

I shrug.

“I’m not strong enough. I would probably fall and hurt something.”

“Don’t be silly. I wouldn’t let you get hurt.”

He takes my hand and walks us back to our spot after picking ten pretty apples.

He lays down on the grass next to me and we both chew on crunchy, juicy apples. His body is facing mine hovering over me a little. A bit of the juice drips down my lips and I gasp as Ace kisses the juice off my lips slowly, savoring it.

He groans before kissing me again, harder this time. My heart picks up as I wrap my arms around his neck pulling him closer. My tongue desperately shoots out to meet his. We kiss each other so passionately it takes my breath away.

But then he pulls away breathless and falls back onto the grass.

“I need to tell you this now.”

I sit up to look at him.

“Okay, tell me Ace.”

He rubs the side of his head and sits up with me. He avoids my eyes as he speaks.

“I was... I was in a gang, Heather, while I was in high school.”

I hold my breath, and see him frowning. I don’t know that to do or say, I’m just frozen in shock. A million questions flood my thoughts.

“But I guess I should start at the beginning of my story shouldn’t I?”

I nod silently, and he continues.

“Clara and I were abandoned as kids by our shitty parents. We were placed into a foster care facility, along with other abandoned kids, and among them was a little chubby kid named Cameron. He looked nothing like he does now, but all three of us became fast friends. It wasn’t until we were ten that we got adopted by a sweet couple named Peter, and Janice. Our forever parents.”

He sighs, shaking his head sadly.

“One day in 9th grade, Clara and I were taking a math test when the guidance counselor came in wanting to talk to us in her office... She told us our parents had died in a house fire. Our house.”

“Oh my God,” I say in a cracked voice, as tears spill down my face. I can relate to losing one parent. But both? That’s incredibly sad.

“Grandpa Jim wanted to take us in to live with him, but as much as I love my grandfather he was just always too busy on the farm to really spend time with us. Once I got my driver’s permit, I was illegally driving my sister and me to high school every day. I was depressed, I wanted to have a family again, and I needed cash, So I did the stupidest thing in my life. I met a guy named Baker in high school. You, unfortunately, know him by the name Viper. He saw how fucked up I was one day when I showed up to school drunk, and he told me he would change my life.”

I looked at him wide-eyed.

“Is... he...”

“Yes, he is the one who introduced me to the gang. Honestly when he told me there was someone who wants to speak to me I thought it was a counselor or a shrink or something but then I saw some tough-looking dudes all dressed in the same color. Neither of them looked friendly, but they promised me protection, loyalty, a lot of money, and a family with them, as long as I joined the gang.”

“So you did it?”

He nods looking away from me.

“Yes, but before you ask... no, I have never killed anyone. They tried to make me kill someone and I couldn’t go through with it so I ran away and hid from them. I couldn’t go home because they knew where I lived, so I took Clara with me and made up a bullshit lie to my grandfather, telling him we were joining a summer camp, and that we would be back home in a few months. I told Cameron what was happening and he told us we could secretly live in his basement that his adoptive parents never go into. He decked the whole place out with beds and a makeshift bathroom. His parents never noticed since the basement had an outside door.”

I try to take in everything he is telling me, but it’s too much. I know I should be worried and scared of him, but I’m not, I’m just saddened that him and Clara went through all of this. I reach over and place my hand over his, before squeezing it. He looks up at me surprised.

“Heather, I just told you was a gang member, and you want to comfort me?”

I nod, as tears fall down my face, and he pulls me close to him kiss the tears off my cheek.

“You’re insane Cupcake.” He whispers over my face. Then it hits me. I’m just insanely In love with him. Like a true criminal he stole my damn heart.

“Thank you Ace, for trusting me enough to tell me the truth.”

He nods, as he smiles sadly.

“Come on, let’s get you home.”

“So soon?” I ask him with puppy dog eyes, and he laughs.

“We’ve been here for hours, and I forgot to mention, but I need to wake up early for a flight to New York.”

I nod stand up.

“Yeah, Clara told me about that."

***

On our ride back into town I can’t help but think hard about everything he told me. He asked my address and stops just before my house, careful not to wake my dad up. He shuts the bike off and I hop off and hand him the helmet.

“Thank you so much for today Ace, everything was beautiful.”

“Including you, cupcake, you’re welcome.” He smiles at me warmly.

“Well... good night Ace...” I go to walk away but he grabs my arm and pulls me towards him. My face is centimeters away from his, and I breathe against his lips.

“Aren’t you going to kiss me goodnight Cupcake? I won’t see your beautiful face in two weeks. I need something to get me by.”

“Ace,” I whisper against his lips like a prayer, before smashing mine to them. He holds me tightly his hands sliding down my hips as he kisses me with the same force. Our tongues Dance together deliciously. He tastes like sweet apples, and I can’t get enough of him. We moan together as we struggle to pull away but then I hear something that has me flying away from him.

“Heather? Who is that? What are you doing?”

Remi’s voice chimes in from the front door of my house and I hold my chest thankful it wasn’t my father. I hold a finger to my lips at her, and shoo her away. She gets the hint and giggles as she shuts the front door.

“So that’s your little sister? She looks just like you.” Ace says casually as if he isn’t at all embarrassed.

I shake my head in disbelief before giving him one last soft kiss on his lips and whisper...

“Good night Ace.”

He winks at me as he starts up his bike.

“I’ll be thinking about those sweet lips every day, Cupcake, and when I come back I’m going to take you on another date. I promise. I don’t know what we’re getting ourselves into, just know you have me wrapped around your cute finger.”

He takes off on his bike before I can reply, and my head spins as a touch my lips that still feels like he’s pressed to.