Broken Bonds (Unbreakable Bonds #1)

Chapter Twenty

chapter twenty

CELINE

Silence rang in the gym the next morning—no heavy rain, screaming winds, or bursts of thunder. Everyone was silent in the room, too—no whispers, no snores. Just quiet, blissful nothing.

I sat up and looked around, trying to see in the darkness. Ace’s chest was rising and falling in deep, even breaths, and it appeared everyone else was sleeping, too. There were no windows in the large room, so we had no concept of time in the darkness, leaving me to wonder if it was morning yet or still night.

Donna, Oscar, and Barbara were missing when I looked to their corner of the room, more than likely making everyone food. I stood up slowly, my legs protesting with loud pops that made my throat constrict. I took one small step and almost crumbled with pain. I had to literally bite my tongue to hold back my moan of pain.

I took another step, biting my lip to stop my scream of pain from coming out, though I still made a strangled cat noise, which was downright embarrassing. Ace shot up into a sitting position, his eyes landing on me.

“What are you doing?” he snapped, his voice husky from sleep. He stood and helped me sit back down on my pile of thin blankets.

“I wanted to help make breakfast, Ace.” He rolled his eyes, lying back down, staring at the ceiling.

“Well, you can’t, so just sit and look pretty like a princess, and let me sleep.” He turned over, giving me his back. Just as I was thinking of a witty response, I heard his soft snores. I scowled at his toned back.

“ Hmph , I’ll show him I can make breakfast,” I muttered to myself and braced for the pain that was going to come when I stood. This time, I stood slower, but the pain still burned with the first small step, then intensified with the next.

I could do this. I was not that weak, pathetic girl anymore. I was strong.

Taking small, wobbly steps, I bit my lip so hard, I feared it might bleed, but I made it to the door before Ace could wake up again and stop me. I followed the sound of Oscar’s deep laugh, the rich baritone a comfort. I held the wall for support and limped one small step at a time until I was finally standing before the family in the kitchen as they attempted to make breakfast.

“Can I help?” My voice was still scratchy from sleep, and I coughed to clear it. Barbara and Donna looked up at once, big smiles stretching over their faces.

“Oh, yes, my dear. Come take a seat.” Barb rushed over, throwing an arm around my shoulders to take some of my weight as she guided me to a metal stool near where they’d been working.

She and Donna did most of the work while I talked with Oscar. Well, I listened as he told me stories from his youth and all the shenanigans he got into. His wife and daughter listened, laughing along when he recounted crazy stories from his days in school and the first time he asked Barbara out.

An hour later, with Donna’s help, I hobbled back to the gym and saw that Ace was still sleeping. She had given me Tylenol a while ago, and it was starting to take the edge off the pain, but every step still burned, was still agonizing.

She took most of my weight, making us slow and ungraceful as we crossed the big room, wobbling from side to side. She helped me sit down on my heap of rumpled blankets before leaving with a smile.

“I thought I told you to sit and look pretty,” Ace mumbled, lifting his head and locking his bleary eyes with mine.

“Oh, you did, but I don’t listen to assholes.” He rolled his eyes, dropping his head onto the pillow with an annoyed huff.

“Why can’t you understand I’m just trying to help you, Celine? I don’t want to see you in pain. I’m not trying to be an asshole, but you keep painting me out to be the bad guy, and I’m not.” He sat up quickly, hurt flashing in his blue eyes, but he turned away from me before I could open my mouth.

“Ace, I’m?—”

“I don’t want to hear it,” he grumbled. He turned around in a flash, his words cutting like a whip. His hair was standing up in the sexy bedhead kind of way, and his clothes were rumpled. And those damned blue eyes, full of hurt, cut me to my core.

He swung his arms under me and pulled me into his hold, my head right next to his. Without a word, he walked us over to where everyone was gathering for breakfast, friendly banter filling the once-silent air.

Ace and I sat next to each other, our arms brushing while we ate, the tension growing between us with every passing second. A rumble of thunder filled the air, reminding us of the doom outside. I’d thought it was finally passing, but apparently not. It’d only been a small reprieve—a tease of what we all wanted so badly. Oscar had the radio dialed into the news report, and we were eagerly awaiting the next advisory.

“Just in, Dawson has finally cleared through the county of Billiards and is losing strength.”

A loud cheer erupted in the big room, people clapping and yelling in excitement. Ace and I shared a brief relieved look before I looked over at Oscar, who was frowning at the radio.

“We can leave now, Oscar. Why aren’t you happy?” I asked, and he shook his head.

“Because we can’t. There’s flooding, and the doors are barricaded shut.”

“What do you mean barricaded shut?” Ace asked, his booming voice catching the attention of the cheering crowd. I winced. I mean, I wasn’t happy about the news either, but Ace sounded pissed .

“Some trees fell down, and we can’t get out until the rescue teams come. It could be days…” he trailed off, looking at the ground, disappointment lacing his voice.

Everyone was tense after the news Oscar delivered, and the big gym was once again coated in silence. Ace and I didn’t speak a word—not even to each other. He was silent as he carried me to the women’s locker room after breakfast and was still silent, just waiting as I showered.

I was shivering after the cold shower, grateful when Ace wrapped, his strong, warm arms around me. “Shit, you’re freezing,” he gritted out, and that time, when I shivered, it had nothing to do with the cold seeping into my bones. How did a man sound so damn sexy?

It was my turn to wait for Ace while he showered. He left me sitting on a bench near the door, and after a few minutes, the main door opened and closed. My blood instantly ran cold at the thought of getting caught in the men’s locker room.

The three greasy-looking men who couldn’t keep their eyes off me walked in, their laughter bouncing off the lockers until they saw me, and then, it went deadly silent. Icy fear ran through me at once from the hungry look in their eyes.

“What do we have here?” one of them taunted.

“A bitch having her boyfriend carry her around like a wannabe princess,” another sneered, his voice high-pitched.

“You mean her fake boyfriend?” the third spluttered, laughing. Fear made my palms slick with sweat. Couldn’t Ace hear them?

“Why do you look so scared, little one?” the last one spoke up again, his greasy, black hair in a ponytail.

“I don’t want any trouble,” I said, hating the lack of confidence in my voice. It even fucking cracked on the last word.

Ponytail laughed. “Neither do we. We just want to have some fun.” He took a step closer, and I scooted further back, my ass almost falling off the bench.

“P-please, leave me a-alone,” I stuttered, my bottom lip trembling.

Where the fuck was Ace? Wasn’t the whole point of me coming in here with him to protect me?

Ponytail took another step forward, and his friends followed. I flew backward onto the floor. They stopped and laughed as I groaned in pain, my legs feeling like someone was shredding them apart.

“Celine, what’s going on?” Ace’s voice came from the shower stall.

Get out of the shower, Ace, please.

Ponytail raised his index finger to his lips, telling me to be quiet. He took a small step forward, indicating for his friends to stay put as he stalked closer.

“I’ll scream,” I warned him, my voice shaky with fear. My heart was in my throat, and my stomach was sloshing, threatening to revolt.

“I want you to.” He flashed me a grin, his mouth full of crooked teeth. “I don’t like the quiet ones.” Bile rose in my throat. This wasn’t happening. Why was this happening? Where the fuck was Ace?

“Get the fuck away from my girlfriend before I fuckin’ kill you for speaking and looking at her like that,” Ace’s threatening voice echoed through the locker room, damn near booming. He was standing in front of me in a towel, water dripping down his shirtless, tan back. His tattoos wrapped around his shoulders, dark lines slicing over his shoulder blades. The word “FORTIS” was written in cursive across his upper back.

“Ah, the cowboy has finally joined us,” Ponytail taunted. “You think you’re some hot shot, don’t you? Working your southern charm on the ladies.” Ponytail took a step forward, his sidekicks moving with him.

Ace helped me up, holding me to his tense, damp body. He was getting my clothes wet, but I didn’t care. He was here now. I was safe. He was protecting me, just like he promised me he would.

“Screw off— now ,” he snarled, his hold on my trembling body tight.

“There’s three of us and one of you,” one of the other cronies scoffed. “I think I like my odds of having some fun with the girl.”

No. No. No.

I looked into Ace’s blue eyes, seeing a storm brewing in their blue depths. His hold on me was so tight it hurt, but I didn’t make a sound.

The homeless man, Timmy, walked into the locker room at that exact moment, pushing his shopping cart into the small room. He stopped abruptly, taking in the scene.

“What’s going on here?” His gruff voice bounced off the walls, almost as booming as Ace’s had been.

“We just wanted to have some fun with the girl, but he won’t let us,” one of the sidekicks muttered, pointing at Ace, who ground his jaw, the sound of his teeth grinding loud next to my ear.

“I think you better leave, Richard,” Timmy said, looking between Ace and Richard warily. It was clear he wanted no part of this, but it was nice to know he was sticking around anyway and not turning his back on the help we clearly needed. I didn’t want to see these guys attack Ace. And I didn’t want to know what would happen to me if they managed to overpower the only person I had on my side right then.

“Don’t get involved, Tim, you waste of space.” I watched Timmy’s face fall before anger unlike anything I had ever seen before took over his features, and he lunged at Richard.

Tim threw one swift punch at Richard’s temple, knocking him out cold, leaving his two sidekicks speechless and fearful.

“You slimy piece of crap!” Timmy huffed before looking at Ace and me with a kind smile. “You can put some clothes on. I’ll make sure she’s safe.” Ace hesitated, looking at me for confirmation. I nodded, sinking to the bench with Ace’s help as he eyed Timmy. “I used to have a daughter,” he said quietly as the other two guys left the room, dragging their unconscious friend out the locker room. Ace nodded once and stalked off, his muscles tense and his movements agitated.

“I’m sorry,” I said quietly in response to Timmy’s admission.

He shook his head, his eyes downcast. “I lost her to my addiction to drugs. She left when I couldn’t sober up, and now, I can’t find her.” Sadness filled his aging, gray eyes.

“Thank you, Timmy, for stepping in.” He nodded, still staring at the ground.

Ace came back a moment later in the sweats he had been wearing the last few days. “Thanks, Timmy. I owe you,” Ace told him, clapping the older man’s shoulder.

“You don’t have to thank me for doing the right thing. These guys don’t deserve mercy.” With that, he headed for the showers, leaving Ace and me alone.

Ace carried me out, my arms wrapped tightly around his neck, still trembling from the adrenaline that’d surged in me. “I’m so sorry, princess.” Ace’s voice was thick with anger, and I was sure it was aimed at himself. I glanced at his face, frowning at the disappointment etched into his eyes.

“It wasn’t your fault.” I rested my head on his shoulder, finding comfort in the steady beat of his heart against my side.

He shook his head, grinding his teeth again. “I should’ve been there sooner. You were almost hurt. I promised your family. I promised you…” He trailed off, his voice vibrating against my ear.

“You saved me.” I swallowed thickly, knowing he needed to hear those words. “You saved me, Ace.”

“Still… I’m sorry.” He kissed the top of my wet head, shooting sparks throughout my whole body.

We ended up in the big dance room again, sitting in silence today, neither of us knowing what to say after the ordeal in the locker rooms. We were leaning against one of the mirrored walls when I eventually started to doze off, the day’s events and sleepless nights hitting me hard.

He pulled my head onto his shoulder, his arm wrapping around my body. “Sleep. I’ll protect you.” He kissed my temple, leaving me filled with questions as I felt my body succumb to sleep.

What was happening between us?

Hours later, after dinner, we were all in our respective corners again, and the energy in the room was tense. Word had gotten out about our run-in with Richard and the other two guys he hung out with. Per Barbara’s rules, they weren’t allowed in the gym anymore once she saw my shaken appearance when the men walked in during dinner.

Now, everyone longed for better news in the morning—news of freedom. And I knew many of the men would barely be sleeping tonight, worried for their wives and daughters.

“What’s the first thing you’re going to do when we get home?” Ace’s deep voice shook me from my thoughts.

“Definitely a hot shower,” I said without even having to think about it. “You?” He laughed.

“I’m going to make some decent food. I’m starving.”

I raised my brow at him in surprise. “You can cook?”

He nodded, and through the candlelight, I could see red creeping up his neck. “My gran taught me before I came here. She didn’t want me to depend on a woman.”

I laughed. “Never heard it that way before. Usually, it’s us girls depending on the men.”

He snorted, shaking his head. “She taught me to cook, clean, and how to do laundry, including ironing. After we got my mother settled in the rehab center, she focused some of her attention on me to make sure I could make it in the world on my own.”

Cook, clean, and laundry. Be still, my beating heart.

“You’re quite the catch, hey?” I fought the feeling of jealousy clawing at my throat, trying to make my tone light and teasing.

Because Ace wasn’t mine. He could never be mine. Not with Ryan standing between us. I knew Ace would never betray his best friend like that.

“Someday, when I find the right girl,” damn, that hurt , “I want to help. I don’t want her to think she has to take care of everything in the house alone.”

He would never be mine. I wasn’t that girl.

We spoke throughout the night, our heads next to each other, our whispers and laughter filling the silence along with an occasional snore from someone else in the room that would interrupt us.

Chaos and excitement filled the air the next morning when we heard loud banging coming from the entrance of the school. Ace jerked into a sitting position, his hand immediately clamping around my wrist like he was ready to yank me up and get me to safety.

“The rescue workers are here, folks!” Oscar wobbled around quickly on his cane, telling everyone the good news. My heart started hammering in my chest.

Rescue workers! We were going home !

Ace and I shared an excited grin and grabbed our belongings before he swung me into his arms and carried us toward the entrance of the school. His heart was beating just as fast as mine was, both of us excited to finally get out of here and get back to my family. To his apartment. Back to normalcy.

“I’m going to get you home, princess,” he whispered next to my ear, his big footsteps jostling me around. With each sway, my legs pulsed with pain, but I didn’t say a word.

“ We are going home, Ace. Both of us,” I corrected, looking up into his blue eyes.

We waited at the entrance with everyone else in the darkness. The sound of a saw ripping through the air and the mumble of voices could be heard from the other side of the door. We were so close. So close .

“One, two, three!” a loud, gruff voice shouted, and then, we heard a loud boom. The building shook, someone screamed, and then, silence rang in the crowded hallway.

The front door cracked open, and a wall of humidity hit us as light poured into the dark space. I squinted my eyes in surprise, and someone groaned loudly. We hadn’t seen light like this in days .

“Are you all okay?” a voice asked, and my gaze landed on a man dressed in a firefighter uniform, his face layered in dirt, exhaustion clear in his voice. No doubt, they’d been working endlessly to clear roads and get people medical attention.

“We’re just dandy, sir. Thank you for helping us out.” Oscar hobbled to the man, his hand extended in greeting. They held a short conversion in hushed whispers as we made our way out of the school and into the fresh air outside.

The schoolyard was covered in debris, fallen branches, shattered pots, lawn chairs, and all sorts of things. People whispered in shock, pointing out the giant tree trunk that had kept us captive.

Ace’s hold on me tightened as he surveyed the damage, fear flickering in his eyes. We were almost trapped in that. We’d literally made it in the nick of time. Any longer, and we would both be dead. I knew that with absolute certainty.

A firefighter came up to us, his red helmet askew on his head. “Do you need medical assistance?”

“Yes,” Ace blurted at the same time I said, “No.”

The man sighed, looking between the two of us. “Well, which is it?” he demanded.

“She needs medical assistance.” Ace’s firm tone left no room for argument. I scowled up at him. There was nothing the paramedics could do for my legs.

“Asshole,” I hissed. He rolled his eyes at me as we followed the fireman to the ambulance on standby.

Thirty minutes later, the paramedics had checked my vitals, noting I was dehydrated, as could be expected, and that my legs needed to be checked out by a specialist. I could have told them that from the beginning, hence why I didn’t think it was necessary to be checked out by paramedics.

They checked Ace too after hearing my story about our near-drowning episode, discovering he had a concussion. The female EMT recommended we go with them to the hospital to get tested for water in our lungs, but I declined, not wanting my parents to be stuck with that bill, especially since I knew they would take me to the doctor themselves when I got home.

“We’ll go to the hospital if any of the symptoms you mentioned appear, I promise,” I told the young woman, who eyed me warily. She clearly wasn’t okay with letting us go, but she couldn’t force us either.

“You shouldn’t play around with your health. I really suggest you come with us,” she urged.

“I’m fine, really. I just need to go to my specialist to fix the nerves in my legs.” Ace stood beside me, his hand reaching for mine where I was sitting on the pop-up gurney.

“We need to get home and see our families. They’re very worried about us,” Ace told her, his hand squeezing mine. I knew he was just as eager to get out of here as I was. I wanted to be home .

“If you insist,” she said with a huff. Ace pulled me into his arms, holding me protectively to his chest.

“Thank you for checking us out,” he said with a nod and smile.

He walked us over to Oscar and Barbara, who were speaking with some of the people from inside the school. “Thank you again for everything. You saved us.” They smiled at me.

“Of course, my dear. It was our pleasure. I hope your legs heal quickly.” Barb’s hand rested on my leg, rubbing it affectionately. I swallowed the urge to scream at her to stop touching it because God , it hurt.

“Y’all survived the biggest storm I’ve ever seen! That new relationship of yours will be a piece of cake.” I barely bit back a snort. “I expect an invitation to the wedding, you hear? Just send it to the school, and we’ll be there, right, Barb?” Heat flushed my cheeks. I wanted to look at Ace, but I couldn’t.

Barb laughed, shaking her head. “Ossie, don’t scare the poor kids. Look at how red you made them!” She playfully slapped her husband on his chest.

“Look at that chemistry—just like us. I just want to see them get married.” Oscar smiled at us, thinking he knew everything, and yet, he knew nothing. Ace and I weren’t even together, and we never would be. He would never betray Ryan.

And I wasn’t his type. He’d made that pretty clear.

“We’ll send the invite. Don’t you worry, Oscar.” I heard the tease in Ace’s voice, but shock settled in the pit of my stomach. Why did he have to keep doing this? It just gave me false hope. My heart refused to get online with what my brain knew to be true.

“See, Barb? The man knows what he wants, just like I did. Now, let’s see if I can find you a ride to that beach house you mentioned. Can’t have you walking all the way there,” Oscar grumbled, hobbling off to the rescue workers. I grimaced at the thought of having to walk all that way again. Judging by Ace’s tensing muscles, I knew he felt the same way.

Oscar came back a minute later with a young man. “I heard you need a ride?” the man asked, jingling a pair of keys in front of us.

“Yes, please,” Ace and I said at once.

“See? Chemistry,” Oscar pointed out, earning a laugh from everyone.