Chapter 3. Tension and Temptation

Ace drove us to school in silence. Silence wasn’t unusual with Ace. He was a quiet, brooding man, yet he commanded the attention of every room he entered and could quiet anyone with a single look.

Usually, I didn’t mind how quiet he was. I liked doing all the talking. Ace was an incredible listener and, though careful with his words, gave great advice.

Today, however, his silence was unsettling. He was white-knuckling the steering wheel, his arm muscles taut. There was something on his mind.

I wanted to ask him about what we did this morning but I was too nervous to bring it up.

I didn’t regret anything, but I wanted to know what he was thinking.

The way he touched me this morning was new and shocking and…good. It felt right.

But he was my best friend. And although what happened this morning made it seem like there might be something more between us, it could also have just been a fit of his teenage-boy hormones.

He called me his friend this