Chapter 44. Trust and Turmoil

Ace’s hands caressed my sides, leaving hot sparks in their wake.

“Like, right now, you’re thinking about how exhausted you are. How much you want to go to sleep. In my arms.”

He leaned down to kiss my brow. “I want that too. How about we go home and take a nice nap together? Please. We both need it.”

That did sound nice.

“You know, before this year…” I sighed. “Before this year, I had perfect attendance. Straight As. I was an incredible student. I was even thinking about going to college. What the heck happened?”

“We grew up. And you figured out that your worth does not depend on your grades or attendance. You have bigger things going on in your life.”

I allowed my forehead to fall on his chest. “You were such a jerk,” I murmured. “I should never talk to you ever again.”

“I know. I was horrible to you. But it was just because I was worried. I wasn’t thinking clearly. I didn’t know I was hurting you. It’s no excuse, but I have a hard time con