Broken Bonds (Unbreakable Bonds #1)

Chapter Thirty-Eight

chapter thirty-eight

CELINE

Ace came back.

He came back thinking he was going to be my hero and save me from the mess I’d gotten myself into, but he was wrong. I didn’t need him. I didn’t need Aidan. I didn’t need Julian. I didn’t need anyone. I couldn’t rely on anyone but myself.

What I did need to do was get far away from Julian. As far as I could get. The incident replayed in my head on a loop—the first hit, the first kick, his belittling words.

Nobody left me alone in the hospital room. Someone was always sitting next to me. At first, it was Amber, whose cold hand clutched mine tightly, her green eyes glassy, always on the verge of tears. Guilt lingered in her eyes every time she looked at me, and the pain that lay there hurt almost as much as my swollen eyes.

Ace took over at night. He never said a word—just sat there, eyes on the wall, hands in his lap, always looking lost in thought. I didn’t know what to say to him.

Where did we stand?

When was he going to leave again?

I tried to avoid sleep, pretending to close my eyes and doze, but Ace knew. He just grabbed my hand and squeezed. Like he knew I was scared to sleep. Like he knew and understood what awaited me if I gave in.

My body ached. It hurt to breathe, let alone talk, so the silence between us wasn’t uncomfortable—more like a blessing. It didn’t hurt to watch, to stare at him while he sat next to me. My vision was impaired from Julian hitting my face, but it was almost as if I could still see Ace clear as day.

I hadn’t spoken to anyone about what happened in that room. I wasn’t ready to speak it aloud. The pain and sympathy in their eyes were enough. I didn’t need any more. From Ace’s lingering gaze, I wondered if he knew. Sometimes, it felt like he did. Sometimes, I wondered if he had experienced worse from his stepdad, but I didn’t ask.

I didn’t want to know. I didn’t want to think of anyone else suffering like I had.

The gorgeous man I had fallen for a year ago slept peacefully in the hard plastic chair next to my bed, head rolling from side to side every few minutes. I watched his chest rise and fall in the dimly-lit room, listened to his soft snores as I tried to calm my racing heart every time I heard someone walk outside the door of my hospital room. Fear had crept in and wasn’t leaving until I knew Julian was locked up for good.

The doorknob jingled in the darkness, and I sucked in a breath, my eyes darting to the crack of light coming from the bottom of the door, where I could see two dark shadows. Suddenly, my heart skipped a beat. I couldn’t move. I was defenseless in this bed, my right foot elevated and my right arm hooked up to an IV. Instantly, beads of sweat gathered on my forehead as the door squeaked open slowly.

He’s come back for me.

He’s here.

He’s going to kill me.

Sucking in a harsh breath, the heart monitor beeped crazily near my head, waking Ace. He jumped out of the chair, his eyes darting around the room before finally landing on me in my hyperventilating state. “Celine?” His sleepy voice caught my attention briefly before it was back on the creaking door.

The door opened fully as a nurse appeared, holding her brown clipboard, her eyes scanning the contents. Falling back against the pillows, a sigh of relief escaped my lips, and I watched Ace look between me and the door before his gaze settled on me, and he just knew .

It brought tears to my eyes.

The nurse checked my vitals and bandages, then administered more pain medicine before quietly leaving the room without a word. My attention was on Ace now as he stood in front of me, arms crossed over his chest, brows furrowed, his mouth set in a scowl.

“You’re safe with me,” he said, his deep voice washing over me like silk.

“I know, but?—”

He cut me off by placing his finger over my moving lips. My heart skipped another beat, but this time, it was because he was touching me. And I wanted more. “No; he won’t come near you while I’m around. Rest, princess. You’re safe.”

I swallowed thickly, my tongue darting out to wet my lips when he removed his finger. “What happens when you leave? What then, Ace?” I couldn’t help the words. Couldn’t stop them, even if I wanted to. I was just waiting for the moment he left me again. Because the last time I’d needed him, he’d broken his promise and disappeared for an entire year.

Anguish tightened his handsome face.

“I’m not leaving again.”

“Ace…”

Shaking his head at me, he sat back in the chair, crossed his arms, and looked away from me. “Get some sleep. You’re safe now, Celine.” The effect of the pain medicine started to work as I succumbed to the darkness, my eyes lingering on his face until I couldn’t stay awake any longer.

I wished I could take back my words because I hated the pain on his face.

“Why don’t you go home and have a shower and get something to eat, honey?” Mom’s voice filled the silence, pulling me from a dreamless sleep. Fighting the urge to open my heavy lids, I tried to go back to sleep.

“She needs me here, ma’am,” Ace’s tired voice answered.

“I’m here now,” Mom said softly. “You need to take care of yourself. She’s sleeping now, anyway. She won’t even notice if you go for a bit.” The selfish side of me wished she would stop. I wanted Ace here, next to me. I didn’t want him to leave. What if he didn’t come back?

“With all due respect, Mrs. Wilson, I’m not leaving until she can go home. I wasn’t here to protect her from this. I never should’ve left. If…” He paused, anguish clogging his throat, and I fought every instinct to open my eyes. “If I had stayed, she wouldn’t be here. She wouldn’t be hurt or scared of that creep coming back to hurt her more. There’s a shower in the bathroom I’ll use and food downstairs, but Mrs. Wilson, please don’t ask me to leave again because I’m not leaving her.”

“Okay,” Mom sighed, giving in. “Can I get you some breakfast at least?”

“I’ll eat when she wakes up.” The squeak of the door opening and closing reached my ears, and then silence rang again. Ace’s warm hand wrapped around my lightly bandaged one, and it sent a tingle through my whole body. His lips on my forehead were the last thing I remembered as sleep pulled at me again.

I opened my eyes to find Ace’s seat empty, but the soft sound of running water could be heard from the closed door of the bathroom, stopping me from panicking. From the light filtering into the room through the curtains, it must have been midday, and the rumbling of my stomach reminded me that I still needed to eat.

The bathroom door opened with a cloud of steam, and Ace stepped out, dressed in a pair of navy sweats, his hair damp, and his eyes bloodshot. “Morning.” He smiled, coming to the bed and taking his seat, his hands reaching for mine.

“Hey.” My voice was a dry rasp, and he reached for the glass of water on the table beside the bed.

“Your mom and dad are downstairs with Amber getting breakfast. What do you want?” Taking a sip of the water, the cool liquid rushed down my throat, and it felt so good.

“Anything. I’m starving.” He pulled out his phone and started typing away. “Do you know if Amber told Ryan?” I asked.

He hesitated before shaking his head. “She tried the first night but couldn’t get in touch with him. Now, she doesn’t want to be the reason he comes home early. She’s been waiting to ask you if you want him to know.”

“He doesn’t need to know now.” Because Amber was right. He would come home. He would request a transfer to a base closer to home. He wouldn’t be able to accomplish what he’d set out to do. “It can wait until he comes home.”

Ace looked up from his phone, frowning at me. “Celine, I would want to know if you were my sister. This isn’t fair of you.”

I raised my hands, then limply let them fall back to my lap. “What is he going to do, Ace? Julian is going to be locked up. He has to be.” Warmth filled me when his hold on my hand resumed, a constant, gentle reminder that he was here.

“You should tell him, baby girl.” My heart skipped a beat, the monitor giving me away. “Tell him now, and you won’t have to relive all this again in a few months.”

I pursed my lips. “I’ll think about it.”

I was released from the hospital a day later. I asked Amber to bring me a pair of sweats and a long-sleeved shirt. I didn’t want anyone to see the bruises still covering my body. Nobody needed to see the mess Julian made, especially Ace, who had been hanging on by a thread ever since the detective stopped by yesterday and questioned me about that night.

Ace kicked him out after I burst into tears and spiraled into a panic attack when the detective asked if Julian broke my wrist, and then mentioned a few other times he had hurt me in the past. Ace’s look of disapproval and anguish sent me over the edge.

At home, Ace carried me into my bedroom, where he rested me on the bed, being so gentle that his fingers barely grazed my skin. I sucked in a breath when he accidentally jostled me, and pain flared from my fractured ribs.

On my bedside table was a picture of Julian and me from our first winter formal a few months ago. Ace picked it up and took it with him downstairs, leaving me alone. Amber replaced him a few minutes later, sitting on the bed beside me, her red hair twisted into a braid down her back.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, looking down at her hands.

My brows furrowed. “For what, Amber?”

She swallowed thickly. “Not being there in time to stop him. I shouldn’t have left you alone with him. I should’ve known.” She looked at me, those tears she had been fighting for days finally falling.

I shook my head at her, my heart hurting. She shouldn’t feel guilty about this. “You couldn’t have known. I didn’t tell you. It’s not your fault.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she cried, looking completely shattered and heartbroken. My own tears welled in my eyes. “I’m your best friend! Why didn’t you tell me?!” Her head fell into her hands as she sobbed, her shoulders shaking.

“I was ashamed,” I croaked, a tear running down my cheek.

And he was all I had . He had stayed .

“I wouldn’t have judged you. I love you, for Christ’s sake, Cece!”

“I’m sorry.” My own tears fell, and she leaned forward to hug me but hesitated.

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Just hug me, girl.” Wrapping her small arms around me, she barely touched my skin as she hugged me. “You saved me, Amber. You saved me,” I whispered into her ear as I wrapped my arms around her.

Looking over her shoulder, I spotted Ace standing in the doorway, holding a glass of water and my pain pills, so much pain flickering in his blue eyes. Amber pulled away from me and turned to look at Ace. “Just because you’re back doesn’t mean I lose my best friend. We need girl time,” she grumbled, getting off the bed and brushing past him.

“Just making sure she gets better, Amber. That’s all I want.” She huffed as she flounced out of the room, making me smile.

Ace took a seat on the edge of my bed after throwing a blanket over my legs. Handing me the pills and the water, he watched expectantly for me to take the medicine. After I swallowed the pills, he got up and started to leave without a word.

“Ace?”

He turned and looked me over with tired eyes. “Yes, princess?”

“Can you take my sock off? I can’t reach.” A grin cracked the solemn expression on his face, and I was relieved to see it.

Lifting the blanket, he took the sock off and tucked my foot back in. “How’s the pain in your foot?” he asked.

“Honestly, it’s terrible, but I’ve had worse.” His smile fell into a frown. “I would have asked Amber if you didn’t chase her out, but can you help me take off the sweater? I’m going to melt with all these layers.” I smiled at him. I couldn’t help myself.

He walked over to me and helped me raise my arms, then started working the sweater off my cast first, over my shoulder, then the other arm. I held my breath when he pulled it over my head, pain flaring throughout my chest.

His eyes were on my exposed stomach, and I moved to cover myself with my shirt that had risen, but it was too late. He had seen my discolored stomach, and the look on his face terrified me.

“I’m going to kill him.” He pressed one knee into the mattress, his finger gently tracing the outline of the bruise. All the air left my body with his touch.

“You can’t, Ace,” I croaked, hoping he knew I was telling him he couldn’t go on a rampage over this. The law had to handle this.

“Is your whole body like this, baby girl?” he asked, his voice low and filled with pain.

I swallowed thickly. “Yes.”

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered, his gaze still lingering on my stomach.

I reached for him, my fingers curling around his bicep. “I’m here, Ace. I’m going to be okay.”

He shook his head, looking torn apart. Distraught. “I’m sorry I left. My grandmother called.” He flicked those blue eyes up to mine. “My mom needed to see me.” He closed his eyes for a brief moment. “I shouldn’t have gone.”

His mom? The one in a psychiatric hospital?

“Why did you go?” I asked, surprised.

He looked back at me. “It doesn’t matter. If I had been here, he wouldn’t have touched you. You wouldn’t be broken.” His words were soft, pain lacing each syllable.

Tears welled in my eyes. “Then, why didn’t you come back?”

He sighed. “Because I needed to fix me, Celine. I was a broken man, and you deserved better. Ryan was right, even if I didn’t want to admit it.”

Oh, Ace . “Then why did you come now?”

He lifted his hand from my stomach to cup my cheek. “Amber sounded terrified on the phone, and I just knew that I had to come back to you, because, Celine,” his blue eyes bore into mine—intense and focused, “I love you.”