The next few days passed in slow motion.
Not because anything huge happened—
but because I was waiting for it to.
Waiting for the ground to shake.
For my parents to find out I was still seeing Ace.
For Jaxon to come back.
For the good to break again.
But none of that happened.
Instead, there were moments.
Soft ones.
Almost like peace.
---
On Monday morning, I stood in the kitchen holding a cup of tea, wondering how to explain Ace to my parents.
And shockingly?
They noticed.
My mom glanced over. "You okay?"
I hesitated.
Then… I nodded.
"No," I said. "But I'm trying to be."
She set down her paper and really looked at me. "Is it about a boy?"
I laughed, startled. "It's always about a boy, isn't it?"
She smiled gently. "Is he good to you?"
"Yes," I said. "But he's not good to himself. And I don't know how to fix that."
"You can't," she said. "You can only love him. And let him learn to love himself, too."
I blinked. "Since when are you this wise?"
"Since you were born," she teased, standing to kiss my forehead. "Just… be careful, sweetheart. You've always had a heart too soft for this world."
---
That day after school, Melanie caught me slipping a note into Ace's locker and raised an eyebrow.
"You guys writing letters now? Is this some cottagecore rebellion thing?"
I blushed. "It's just… quieter this way."
"Everything's okay between you two?"
I nodded. "We're working on it."
Mel sighed, then—surprisingly—smiled.
"Okay. Then I guess I should tell you something."
"What?"
"I may or may not have cornered Ace by the vending machine yesterday and threatened to ruin his social life if he ever hurt you again."
I gawked. "Mel!"
"He handled it like a champ," she shrugged. "Said, and I quote, 'I already hate myself enough. Hurting her would destroy me.'"
Silence.
Warmth bloomed in my chest.
She smirked. "So yeah. I still don't fully trust him. But… I'm starting to believe he loves you."
My heart skipped. "He hasn't said that."
"Yet."
---
That evening, Ace texted.
Meet me at the music room. After hours. I have something to show you.
It was against school rules.
Obviously.
But I went.
Because when he asked now…
I always said yes.
---
The music room was empty when I arrived.
Lights dim.
A single lamp glowing near the piano.
Ace was sitting there—headphones around his neck, sheet music scattered.
"You play?" I asked, stunned.
He shrugged. "Not well."
"What is all this?"
"I write songs sometimes," he said, sheepish. "Helps when I can't draw."
He handed me a page.
It wasn't titled.
But the lyrics were raw.
I never said I needed saving
Until I saw you smile at me.
You walked into my ruins
Like you belonged in the debris.
My throat tightened.
"It's beautiful," I whispered.
"I don't know what this thing between us is," Ace said quietly. "But it scares me."
"Me too."
He looked at me, and his voice dropped—gentle, breaking.
"But Hope… I think I'm falling in love with you."
My heart paused.
Not skipped.
Paused.
Because everything in that moment
—my fear, my hurt, my past—
collapsed into one truth:
I was falling too.
"I don't think," I whispered, "I know."
And then I kissed him.
And this time, there was no maybe.
No storm.
No running.
Just us.
Just love.
---