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Audrey felt a shiver run down her spine as Ace's eyes locked onto hers. She couldn't deny the attraction between them, but she was scared of getting hurt.
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"I need time to think," she said finally, turning to leave.
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Ace nodded, but his voice stopped her. "Audrey, wait."
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She turned back to see him holding out a small piece of paper.
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"My number," he said. "In case you want to talk... or meet up."
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Audrey took the paper, her fingers brushing against his. It was like a spark of electricity had passed between them.
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As she walked away, she couldn't help but wonder what she was getting herself into.
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That night, Audrey found herself staring at Ace's number, her mind racing with possibilities. She thought about James's warning, but she couldn't shake off the feeling that Ace was different.
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I must have slept off because when i woke up, my body was aching from sleeping on the floor. I cursed myself for passing out from crying too much, a new habit I wasn't fond of. Mrs. Bree, our maid, knocked on the door, and I struggled to respond, my legs and voice failing me.
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After what felt like an eternity, I managed to tell her I'd be with her shortly. I checked my phone and saw 18 missed calls and 45 unread WhatsApp messages. I ignored a call from an unknown number and began to get up, hissing in pain as my legs stung from laying in the wrong position for too long.
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As I got ready for a quick hot shower, I thought about James's warning and felt my head spinning with worry. But I decided to focus on ignoring Ace and shutting down my friends' encouragement.
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Feeling better after my shower, I walked into the room to grab my phone and found Ace sitting on my bed, playing with my phone. I screamed, and he held me down, teasing me about dressing in front of him. I asked him why he was with Estella, sounding jealous, and he scowled, looking for answers on the ceiling.
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He pulled me close, almost touching lips, and asked if I wanted to know how he got in. I gave him an apologetic look, and he laughed, teasing me about being smartly cautious. He pinched my butt, and I told him to stop, but he promised to go soft on me.
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Finally, he let me go, and I said I'd be back, stealing a glance at him before leaving. My heart felt warm and at peace.
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As I walked downstairs, I couldn't shake off the feeling that Ace was hiding something. But at the same time, I couldn't deny the connection we shared. I felt like I was torn between my head and my heart.
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Mrs. Bree greeted me warmly and asked if I was okay. I nodded, trying to brush off my worries. But she could see right through me.
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"Audrey, what's going on?" she asked, concern etched on her face.
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I hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. But something about Mrs. Bree's kind eyes made me open up.
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"It's just... Ace," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know what to make of him."
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Mrs. Bree nodded thoughtfully. "Ah, Ace. He's a complicated one, that's for sure."
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"Complicated?" I repeated. "That's an understatement."
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Mrs. Bree chuckled. "Well, let's just say he's got a lot of layers. But I think he's worth getting to know, if you're willing to take the risk."
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I raised an eyebrow. "Risk?"
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Mrs. Bree nodded. "Yes, risk. Because when you get close to Ace, you're not just getting close to him - you're getting close to his secrets, his fears, his demons."
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I felt a shiver run down my spine. What secrets was Ace hiding? And was I ready to face them head-on?
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