Chapter 33: Chapter 33

Chapter 33 Sunset

Fluffy white clouds paint the brilliant blue sky and the sun shines radiantly though the clouds. The sound of sea birds is shrill and carries through the clean ocean air.

The magnificent waves of the azure ocean crashes loudly on the shore, roaring its mighty strength. The wind combs through my hair and blows in my face. I can taste the saltiness of the sea upon my lips.

"Ace, this is beautiful! I've never been to the ocean before." I exclaim in wonder.

Ace and I stand atop a rocky cliff overlooking an amazing view of the ocean. This was worth the long drive.

"My parents used to take me a lot here as a child. We'd be bored at home so they'd take me here." Ace says.

I furrow my eyebrows. Ace knows my personal life, but I don't know his. "What happened to your parents exactly? If that's to uncomfortable to talk about then....I understand."

Ace doesn't say anything for a moment, and I fear that maybe I shouldn't have asked such a personal question.

But then he speaks.

"When I was around thirteen years old, I found out my family was involved with some gangs. We were a poor, struggling family, and my parents struggled feeding me and my two other siblings."

"Two other siblings? I thought....Katelin was your only sibling."

"I'm getting to that. One cold thanksgiving day, my dad came home with a big turkey, potatoes, a large ham, and vegetables of all sort. He said, 'kids, it's time you experience what a real thanksgiving is like.' I was suspicious....where had he gotten all the money to buy this?"

Ace sighs, digging his hands into his pockets and looking down. "I pushed my concerns away, and my whole family had a great time that night. It was the first time in my young life that I had finally went to bed with a full stomach. But that all changed in the blink of an eye."

I feel the dread forming in the pit of my stomach. I can just guess what happened. He looks sad, and so I reach my hand out to him. I run my thumb over his large knuckles, and he gazes at me with sad eyes. "You don't have to tell me anymore if you don't want to."

"No, I want to. You deserve to know the truth." He says, looking down again.

"So, apparently my dad had borrowed lots of money from some gang. We were in debt, and my family never paid them back. One night, I awoke to the sound of gunshots. I shared my room with Katelin as we were the younger siblings, and Cole was the oldest at fifteen. I told my sister to hide while I checked out the situation. And so I left the room and...."

Ace takes a deep breath. "I saw....I walked into the living room to see my parents and Cole, my oldest sibling, on their knees. Men shrouded in dark clothes were behind them, pointing their guns at them and yelling. Terror danced around in all of their eyes, and my mom begged me to leave. To run before it's too late. Too run before I witness their deaths."

"But you didn't run." I whisper sadly. Ace and I stand close now, my chest touches his chest and I look up into his eyes with compassion.

"No, I didn't run." His voice is quiet and low. He flashes me his eyes and they look so sad and regretful.

"I couldn't run. I was frozen in my spot. The man behind my mom shot her point blank in the head. He then did the same to my dad, who was crying hysterically at the loss of my mom, his wife, and lastly Cole. Cole never cried. He didn't even cry as the weapon was loaded behind his head. Instead, he looked at me the entire time. His eyes never wavered once from mine."

Ace's voice breaks, and my heart breaks along with it.

I hug him tightly. He buries his face into my neck and I hear the low drumming of his heart in his chest.

"And then they pulled the trigger."

Those are Ace's last words before I feel his tears drip onto my neck.

And we both stand there on the edge of the rocky cliff, embracing each other and silently crying together.

I will gladly help Ace work through his problems, struggles, and pain. He's been there for me, and now it's time for me to exchange the same care he showed me.

The wind wraps us up in its refreshing embrace, calming us both. Soon, Ace pulls away, and sighs as he wipes his eyes. "I'm sorry for ruining the mood of this date." He says, chuckling.

"No, you didn't. Not at all, actually. We are in a beautiful place together, if that's not date material, then I don't know what is."

Ace laughs. "Alright, well...I've got another place to show you, then."

And so we once again hop in the car. The windows are rolled down and the nice breeze fans the both of us. Music blasts loudly in the car, and I attempt to sing.

Key word: Attempt.

Ace just shook his head and laughed at me.

He wouldn't join me in singing because he said he can't.

I can't sing either but here I am blasting my lungs out until they shrivel up and die.

But either way, it was a fun drive that led to something beautiful.

Ace pulls up to a sandy beach. The sky is now fading into vivid hues of oranges, yellows, and pinks. The ocean is a deep blue, and the sand beneath my bare feet squishes between my toes.

I giggle quietly at the feeling, and Ace smiles at me.

I feel like a child.

I've never done something like this before in my life, and it's like the childhood I missed I'm finally gaining some of it back. No, I'm no longer a child. But what I'm experiencing now is something I should have experienced a long time ago.

"Ace, what are you doing?" I ask in shock as Ace gets down on one knee in the moist sand.

But he doesn't answer.

Instead, he pulls out a little silver ring from his pocket with a smile on his face.

"It would be an honor if you excepted a title. A title I like to call girlfriend. So, would you please be my girlfriend? We have been through things both in our past and together that most people would think only happens in books and movies. But through the trials, we grew together."

I smile at his words. I remember all the events leading up to this. If someone would have told me two years ago that I would be standing right here, right now on a sandy beach clothed in beauty with an equally as beautiful guy, I would have laughed.

I would have laughed in their face.

I would have cried.

I would have cried because it sounds too good to be true.

But now as reality dawns on me, joy fills my heart.

Joy fills my heart because I'm finally living a life that I would have never thought I would have lived.

"Yes, Ace, yes. I will be your girlfriend." I say through teary eyes.

He slides the ring on my finger and I leap into his arms. I hug him, and he hugs me tightly back.

It's amazing how life can take drastic twists and turns. One moment I'm down on the ground, struggling to survive. The next moment, I'm rising up from the ashes I once was suffocating in and live life in a different, nice way.

Maybe this is all a beginning to something more.

Maybe this is all a beginning to a brighter future.

Ace takes me by the hand, and leads me out onto the ocean's edge. I watch in awe as the waves gently caress the shoreline, and I don't hesitate to run out and deep my feet in.

But the cold water laps against my feet and ankles, and I squeal.

The water is too cold!

Ace laughs back.

"Pfft! It's not like it's that cold! See, watch I can do-- HOLY SHIT that is cold!" Ace exclaims as he runs out of the water like a mad man.

I'm thrown into a fit of laughter as he escapes the waves, his face looks terrified like a deer caught in the headlights before it meets its violent end.

Wow. That was dark.

I chuckle to myself at my thoughts, and Ace now stands beside me.

"You were right, that water was pretty cold." He says.

"Yeah, I'm not sure why you didn't believe me when I told you the first time." I say, playfully swatting his chest.

His chest rumbles with a low chuckle, and the sunset dance in his eyes as he looks down at me. Some dark tendrils of hair hang in his face, adding to his beauty.

He runs a rough hand along my cheekbone, soon cupping my face.His other hand finds mine, and he takes it in his firm hold.

"So beautiful." He murmurs, looking into my eyes.

He said it so quietly that I don't think he meant for me to hear it.

But I sure did.

I look down to hide my blush, but he puts a finger under my chin to stop me from doing so.

"Don't hide that blush from me, Dakota. It's something that I cherish." He says, smirking at me.

His words certainly didn't make my blush fade away.

"Glad to see my embarrassment entertains you." I reply sarcastically in an attempt to mask my awkward state.

Ace winks at me, and I get lost in his eyes.

And then I make a bold move.

I don't even think about my actions as I fist my hand in his hair and pull his head down.

I land my lips are on his.

What have I done? What have I done? What if he doesn't kiss me back? Dumb. Dumb. Dumb.

My mind is plagued with worry as I kiss his unmoving lips. Ace jumps a bit at first, obviously surprised at my bold move.

But then he starts to kiss me back gently.

Relief floods me, and I return the same gentleness he used with me.

We kiss gently under the sunset. The soft light seems to make our features glow and the breeze has seemed to cease. It's just the two of us lost with each other on a beautiful, slightly chilly beach.

I stand on my tippy toes and wrap my arms around his neck to deepen the kiss, and Ace's tongue slides against my lip.

Nope. I'm not going to go that far.

I deny him entrance, but he doesn't seem to mind.

Instead, he just kisses me more passionately. Our breathing is labored and in sync with one another. His hands find my waist and grips it firmly. Goosebumps crawl across my skin from his touch, and it seems to light my soul on fire with passion.

When we pull away, he looks at me with compassion.

"I love you." He breaths out, his voice sounding raspy.

I am frozen with joy.