Aspen
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"Meet me at our old favorite hiding place at ten pm. I want to play a game."
It was the text sent to me by my old friend's phone number almost an hour ago. A number that had been inactive for ages.
I blocked him years ago because I knew I couldn't let him go, and there were too many things happening in my life, so I also removed him from my contacts and then blocked a bunch of telemarketers so I wouldn't know which was his when I decided to add him back.
He wasn't a bad person, not really. I just couldn't handle our friendship anymore after what happened two years ago.
I scoffed as I walked through the deserted graveyard.
"Friendship."
Yeah, that was a lie that could've been seen a mile away.
We displayed our relationship as a friendship, we snuck away many times to kiss and make out, but we never really had sex.
But I needed him...
I felt my core pulsing as heat swarmed me.
Shit. Uh, think of something else...
Dying puppies... uh... little kids falling off roller coaster until they die.
I felt my heart ache at the thought, and the pulsing subsided.
Ah, thank fucking god. That's better.
I had to do this every day for the past two years, and it was one hell of a denial, but it worked.
But as I inched closer to the abandoned house, I felt my heart pound harder against my ribcage.
Last time I saw Ace was two years ago... and he wasn't particularly happy with me. He was angry because I wouldn't give him answers, and I'm sure he blamed me for what happened.
He didn't understand, and I couldn't make him understand...
Not when my sister was still out there in hiding. If I told them where my brother was... he'd hunt Summer down for sure.
They'd lure her to him.
It still hurt... Shoving him away, subsiding into the fantasies I created in my mind so I could let myself come alone so I didn't go seek him.
But... now...
Now that mom finally got the money to send me off to college...
The same college as Ace, he finally found interest in me and contacted me through one of his friend's cellphones, asking me to come talk.
I'd have to ask him how to unblock his number.
If he still liked me, that is.
I let out a breath into the cold, misty air, clutching my four-year-old parka as the cold wind pierced through me.
When I glanced at my phone, it was two 'till ten, so I walked inside.
I knew he hated to be kept waiting... I started wondering if he'd changed after all this time.
Was he still the badass protective friend he was when he was eighteen?
I was one year younger than him, so our age never really mattered when it came to relationships.
It was my family.
They hated me. HATED me.
They never wanted to see me succeed. Only my mother did, and my sister, but I had to shove them away into hiding so they'd be safe.
I wasn't safe, but I didn't care. For all I knew, Orion could be watching me right now through all these dusty graves outside, but I didn't care.
If I died, I died.
I'd rather die than let my little sister get taken away from me.
I glanced nervously around the dark shed, taking a deep, shuttering breath and letting it out.
This place always gave me the creeps—especially at night—it was so creaky and dusty and no one went in here; a perfect place to hide a crime.
"Hello?" I called into the darkness, my voice wavering.
It was definitely ten now. They should respond.
My heart pounded at the silence, and I took a shuttering breath and gazed around nervously.
I knew it wasn't some random number who texted me, it was Ace's best friend, Nick's number. I've kept in contact with him occasionally to make sure everyone was alright.
He was nice to me, but he wasn't my type.
But something chimed in my pocket, startling me a little.
I shuffled my phone out of my parka after wrapping my jacket further over me, gazing down at the screen.
Stay where you are.
Uh, okay.
I shuffled my feet as I stood by the door, folding my lips between my teeth nervously.
My phone chimed again.
Do you remember when we played hide and seek?
"Yes," I said aloud, not sure if he could hear me.
Then find me.
I blinked.
Huh?
"What do you mean?" I questioned. "Find you?"
Hide and seek. Find me.
"Why?" I questioned into the darkness.
He hadn't talked to me in years, why was he suddenly interested in old times? I cut them out, yes, but I do admit I contacted them to ask if Ace and everyone were okay. And he told me they didn't need me anymore, and to stop texting them.
So why did he suddenly want to talk?
My phone lit up when my heart started aching.
Come on. It'll be fun.
I shook my head in disappointment, tears filling my eyes but I blinked them away. "I'm done playing your games, Ace."
But a shadow hovered from the balcony above me, and I nearly screamed when the figure dropped from the railing and landed loudly in front of me.
My breaths quickened when his figure fully stood.
He was ten feet in front of me, and I was already sweating with the heat in the room.
He kept his place, and I noticed he had a black sweatshirt on, the hood drawn over his face and enclosing it in shadows despite the moonlight casting through the broken windows.
I took a step back, questioning if this was actually him.
Or just some murderer.
But he pulled his hood down, and I stilled.
I knew from his dark, black hair and familiar angled features that...
It was him... It was Ace.
He smiled at me. His knowing, crooked smile. "You're still no fun, you know that?"
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