Wake Up Call

by Victora Ashley

  I heard laughter before Jace walked over and stood above me. "Stop messing around. I think that your rides here. What would she say if she knew that you were on the floor sniffing my worn shirt?"

  "What!" I screeched. "I'm not sniffing your…" I jumped to my feet and punched him in the arm. He was having way too much fun teasing me. “Shut up.”

  He dangled his arm in front of him as if it was broken. "Shit, Avery," he groaned. His face looked pained.

  "I'm sorry. I didn't-"

  He grabbed me up in is arms, tickling my sides, as he laughed. I started squirming around and screaming as I attempted to pull away. "That's so cute," he grinned. "You have such a cute scream. Go ahead. Scream again."

  I kicked my foot out and tripped Jace. His leg gave out on him and we both ended up on the floor with Jace on top of me. He smiled down at me and shook his hair from out of his face. "I like this position," he said breathless. Both of his arms were on the ground around my waist. His face was just inches above mine, his breath, warm sweet, as he breathed heavily. “It’s my favorite.”

  I swallowed hard and turned my face away from his. Being that close only reminded me of that kiss. The one that was never meant to happen and that we hadn't talked about since. It made me nervous. I felt as if I could faint.

  "Umm…"

  We both looked over to see Stacy standing in the doorway. She smiled down at us and shook her head. "Am I interrupting something?" she giggled.

  I pushed Jace over and jumped to my feet. Then I lightly kicked Jace in the leg as he laughed, clearly still amused. "Nope, not at all. I was just-"

  "Sure," she cut in. "Let’s hurry. I made reservations for 'Island Magic'." She grinned from ear to ear. "I haven't been there in ages." She paused and looked at Jace as he stood back up. "Where's your… oh never mind," she said blushing. “We have to hurry.”

  I gave Jace a dirty look before following Stacy out the door. I shut the door behind us and followed her to her purple jeep. It suited her personality well. "So, what is 'Island Magic'?" I questioned as we both jumped in.

  She puckered her pink lips and started the jeep. Her leg was bouncing in excitement as she took off. "It's a fancy restaurant. You will love it," she said with a playful smile.

  I looked down at Stacy's little black dress and suddenly felt a little underdressed in my silver sweater, black leggings and black boots. I really wasn't prepared for a night of fancy dining. Actually, I wasn't prepared for the night to happen at all. What I really wanted was to go home and relax in my warm bed. "I'm sure I will." I forced a smile and then looked out the window.

  Twenty minutes later, we arrived at a glass building. The whole thing was made of glass and as we walked up, I could already see the palm trees, sand, beach chairs and girls walking around in bikinis. It was a crazy sight. I had never even known a place like that existed.

  Stacy looked down at my boots as we started toward the door. "I hope those boots are easy to get off. You're going to want to put your toes in the sand. It feels amazing," she breathed. "It's the closest thing to heaven. That and the boys, of course."

  I stopped and looked down at my boots. They had a few straps on the side, but were easy to slip off and on. Suddenly, I felt overdressed. Everyone was wearing beach stuff. It was the craziest thing I had ever seen. It wasn’t even warm enough to dress that way.

  We entered the restaurant and was greeted by the hostess. She wore a lime green bikini with black flip-flops. Her golden hair was pulled back in a braid and she wore a smile that could light up the whole room. "Welcome ladies. You guys look quite lovely tonight." She reached for a couple of menus and winked at me. "Follow me."

  Stacy grabbed my arm and pointed at the girls butt as we followed her. "That lucky, bitch," she whispered. The girls butt was flawless. I didn't even know that butts that perfect existed outside of movies. Her skin was perfectly tanned and she had a tattoo of a butterfly on her lower back. She was sweet and beautiful. Picture perfect.

  We followed her to a table that was right next to the bar. Four white beach chairs sat around the bamboo table, and a beach ball stuck to the middle. The whole floor was made of glass, but right around every table, it was full of sand.

  The hostess placed the menus on the table and smiled at us both. "You ladies have a wonderful date. William will be your waiter." She walked away glancing back at us, with a flirty smile, before she was out of our sight.

  I sat down in a chair and pulled my boots and socks off. Stacy did the same. "That was weird," I said.

  Stacy grinned and leaned back in her chair. "She's always hitting on the ladies when I come here. I think that she likes us," she said blushing, clearly happy with the attention. "So…?"

  I looked at her confused. "So… what?" I questioned while reaching for the menu. Why is she looking at me like that?

  She didn't take her eyes off me as she opened her menu and grinned. "What's going on with you and Jace? That was a pretty hot scene that I-"

  "Oh no," I cut her off. I didn't want her getting the wrong idea. There was nothing between Jace and I. I didn't want anything from anyone. "There is nothing going on. I was just kicking his ass. You know how he can get," I said. I leaned back in my chair and took a deep breath when I noticed that I was gripping onto the table.

  Stacy's eyes lingered down to my hand right before I managed to let go. "Seems like a touchy subject to me." She smiled. "So did you eat any of his famous chicken?" she questioned. "It’s the best chicken I’ve ever had. I wonder where he got the recipe.”

  I did and it was the best thing I had ever tasted. Although, I wasn’t willing to admit it. "Yeah. It was fine. Not as good as he said it would be though," I lied. "He probably found it online."

  We both looked up when a young man walked up shirtless, wearing only a pair of blue and gray swimming trunks. He had very short blond hair, almost shaved off, hazel eyes, and a masculine jaw line. He smiled revealing a set of perfect teeth as he pointed at our menus. "Hello, ladies. Are you ready to order or can I answer any questions?" I was sure Stacy would have a few questions. He seemed her type. Clean cut and sweet.

  Stacy kicked me from under the table and smiled.

  "Ouch, Stacy," I whined. "What was that for?" I questioned as I reached for my leg.

  She gave me a desperate look and flared her nostrils. "I'm sorry. It was an accident," she breathed. "Hi, William. I have a question." She let out a flirty giggle.

  William leaned into the table and smiled at Stacy. "You can ask me anything," he said entertained.

  Stacy looked at me and then back up at William. Then she reached over and grabbed my chin. "Do you think that my friend here is pretty?"

  I jerked my leg out and kicked Stacy in the knee. I didn't like where she was going with things.

  Stacy shifted in her seat and let go of my chin. She cleared her throat and then placed her hand under her chin. “So…?”

  William looked over at me and smirked. "Sure. She's beautiful," he answered. He gave me a flirty smile and flexed his muscle as he reached for his pen. “I would take her out.”

  Not happy with all of the attention set on me, I threw my menu down, and flicked the beach ball. I’m so going to kick Stacy’s butt later. "I'll take the cod dinner, please," I said sternly.

  William took a step back and shook his head. He looked a little stunned. "Sure, one Cod dinner." He looked over at Stacy and reached for her menu. "How about you?" he asked confused.

  Stacy glared at me and shook her head in disappointment. "I'll just take the same. Bring us two Martinis, please," she muttered, holding up two fingers.

  William grabbed for our menus and walked away with a forced smile. You could tell that he wasn't used to rejection. "Sure thing."

  After William was out of sight, Stacy leaned over and kicked sand at me. "He was gorgeous. What is your problem?"

  I rolled my eyes and fixed my ponytail. "I'm not looking for a boyfriend. I'm fine by myself," I muttered. "I don't even know him. You can
't just ask a total stranger that." I said, leaning into the table.

  She laughed and rubbed her lips together. "Well I just did and he said you were beautiful. Doesn't that count for anything?" she questioned. "If I hadn't already met Alex then I would've gone for him myself. He's hot."

  Is this what normal girls do? Find random guys and jump into a relationship. I don’t think so. I didn’t like that idea and I could never see myself doing that. "Not really. Like I said I'm fine alone."

  Several minutes later, William came back with our food. He leaned over my shoulder and placed the plate in front of me. "Enjoy your dinner," he breathed. "Let me know if I can get you anything. Another Martini or my number," he whispered playfully.

  His arm brushed against mine as he pulled away and walked over to set Stacy's plate in front of her. "Enjoy ladies." He didn't take his eyes off me as he backed up and walked over to the kitchen. I had to admit, he was cute, but still not enough to make me stupid.

  Stacy eyed me as she bit into her Cod. "You could be throwing something good away." She shrugged her shoulders and took a sip of her Martini. "You should just take his damn number. What will it hurt?"

  I rolled my eyes and took a bite of my food. What would be the point? I wouldn't be calling him anyways. "I don't think so," I muttered.

  William came by a few times to check on us. I could tell that Stacy was still a little disappointed that I wasn't willing to give William a chance, but I tried not to let it bother me too much. Stacy was just trying to do what a real friend would do. This was just another thing that made me believe that maybe I just wasn't capable of a true friendship. Maybe it was best to accept his number. To at least make her night.

  I looked up, huffing, as I eyed William. "Hey, William." I stopped him just as he was walking by our table.

  He stopped and walked over with a grin. "Can I get you something else?" he asked.

  I exhaled while playing with my napkin. I didn't like what I was about to do. It had my stomach in knots. "Yeah, your number," I sighed.

  William reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. He placed it in my open hand and smiled. Then he closed my hand. "I knew you would ask. Call me anytime." He winked at the both of us and walked away.

  Stacy clapped her hands and laughed. "You just made my night."

  "Great," I muttered.

  After Stacy dropped me off, I walked into a dark, quiet house. It was ten o’clock and it was unusual for Jace to be in bed before midnight. He stayed up late and always woke up early.

  Without turning on the lights, I blindly made my way over and plopped down on the couch.

  "Ouch."

  I jumped up startled when I felt Jace underneath of me. I ran over to the light switch and flipped it on. "I'm sorry. I didn't-"

  "It's fine, Avery." he cut me off. He blinked a few times trying to adjust to the lighting. "I should probably go sleep in my room anyways. The couch usually hurts my back," he said stretching. "How was your night?"

  I reached in my pocket and pulled out William’s number. "Well, Stacy talked a lot and the half-naked waiter gave me his number. You tell me," I huffed. I nervously played with the tiny piece of paper.

  Jace sat up on the couch and I plopped down next to him. I averted my eyes away from his half- naked body as his silk blanket dropped down to the floor. I guess he was telling the truth about wanting to walk around naked.

  It was silent before Jace looked over at me and bit his lip. "Are you going to call him?" he questioned. He looked down at my hand and ran his hand through his hair.

  I tossed the number on the table in front of us and laughed. "No need to." We both sat there in silence and stared at the paper on the table. Then suddenly Jace’s sister popped into my head and made my stomach ache. I had been curious about what she said the other night. I couldn't seem to get it out of my head. I needed to know. "Tell me about your sister," I whispered.

  He closed his eyes and ran his hands through his hair again. He looked nervous. "Not tonight, Avery," he breathed. "I'm too tired." He stood up and rubbed his hand over his stomach. "I'll see you in the morning." He turned around and walked toward the hallway. Then he stopped and smiled. "The chicken was good wasn't it? Just another reason for you to trust me"

  I rolled my eyes and leaned back into the couch. I suddenly felt exhausted and couldn't think anymore for the night. "It could've been better," I smirked.

  He nodded his head and turned the other way. "A word of advice." He paused. "Don't call that guy." He grinned. "Goodnight, Avery."

  I laughed to myself and pulled my jacket off. "Goodnight, Jace." At least I wasn't alone on this one.

  Stacy definitely wore me out. Now I knew what he meant...

  "Avery, come out, come out, wherever you are."

  I cowered back against the wall, hitting my head on the bottom of my bed. I stifled back a cry as the pain shot through my body, causing my head to throb instantly. I wanted so badly to scream, but I knew that it would give away my hiding spot. So, instead I covered my mouth with trembling hands in an attempt to stay quiet.

  I heard the creaking of the closet door opening, before seeing items of clothing as they fell down around the bed. I knew that my father would check there. He had always found me in the past. "We can do this all night or we can get this over with," my father growled. "You're asking for it you, rotten little brat."

  My father’s footsteps echoed throughout the little room as he stomped over to the bed and yanked the blankets off. I could hear him breathing heavily as he struggled to free himself from the tangled mess.

  "No," I whispered. He was getting closer and my heart was beating faster.

  "Henry!" A drunken female shouted. "Where is that little brat of yours? That girl needs to learn discipline," she slurred. "My stash is all gone. That little bitch did something with it."

  It was true. I saw the drugs setting down on the toilet and I accidentally knocked the tray over, spilling it into the water. I panicked and cleaned off the filthy toilet the best that I could manage. I knew that my beating would come later. I had been dreading it all day.

  The room went silent for a few moments. My eyes widened and I let out a deep breath of relief. I was in the clear. Maybe he had given up.

  I was just about to close my eyes and force myself to sleep, when suddenly I felt a firm grip on my ankle, yanking me out from under the bed. My elbow slammed against the leg of the bed and a cry of pain forced its way out through my parted lips.

  "I didn't mean to," I cried.

  "Avery," Jace whispered. "Are you okay?" His warm breath kissed my cheek as I slowly opened my eyes. I couldn't tell if I was still asleep or if my mind was just playing tricks on me.

  I moaned softly as Jace's hand slowly trailed over my shoulder and down my right arm, leaving a trail of goose bumps. His touch was somehow cool and comforting and I didn't want it to stop. Even if I am just dreaming.

  I blinked a few times, trying to focus, before realizing that it wasn't just a dream. He really is here. I groggily turned my head and looked up at Jace as his body hovered above mine. His bare chest moved slowly as he breathed and the look in his eyes was almost painful to look at. It made my heart ache.

  "I heard you screaming," he whispered.

  I turned my eyes away from his gaze and shook my head. The last thing I needed was to keep Jace awake because of my horrible night terrors. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake-"

  "Don't be sorry," he cut in. "I don't really like sleep much anyways. All the good stuff happens when I'm awake." He smiled and grabbed my chin. Then a serious look crossed his face. "Tell me what happened, Avery. I want to know."

  I took a deep breath and pushed his hand away from my chin. I still didn't know if I was ready for him to know the truth. Maybe he deserved to know something at least. He had helped me more than anyone else ever had.

  I swallowed hard and turned away, facing the wall. "I was having a dream about when I was only ten," I paused to swallow again,
trying to find courage. "My father, he wasn't a good man. The look in his eyes..." I flinched at the memory. "I still can't get it out of my head." I-"

  Jace threw his arms around me and pulled me against his chest. "Stop," he whispered. "Some things are better left unsaid." He slammed his fist into the wall beside him, leaving a small dent. The outburst made me jump.

  "I swear that if I ever get the chance to meet that man that he will wish that he never laid…" He stopped and squeezed his eyes shut. His jaw clenched. "It's okay now. I will protect you. No one deserves to be hurt like that."

  I quickly turned my face away as tears threatened to form. I didn't want Jace to see me weak. I didn't want anyone to see me that way. "I don't know what to say," I whispered. "I mean, you don't even know me. I don't know you."

  Jace jumped up from the bed, walked over to the wall, and leaned his arm against it. He pushed his face into his arm and took a deep breath. "I don't know about that. I think that I know you more than you think."

  He walked over to my dresser and picked up my old black and gray shirt. "This is your favorite shirt. You have worn it ten times in just under three weeks." He tossed it back on the dresser, while keeping his eyes on me. It was driving me mad. "And your hair, you always seem to twirl your finger in it when you think no one is looking. Or, the fact that you brush your teeth like five times a day. It doesn't matter, they are already beautiful." He walked toward the door and stopped to peer over his shoulder. "Just like you."

  I sat there feeling stupid as I stared up at him speechless. How does he... why? My heart sank.

  He shook his head, walking out of the room, before I could manage to say anything else. The door shut behind him before he took off down the hall as I listened to his heavy footsteps. Moments later the door to his bedroom shut a little harder than expected, causing me to jump.

  Part of me wanted to go and apologize, but the bigger part told me to stay put. I was an idiot and I didn't mean to upset him. Jace didn't deserve that.

  I pushed my face into my moist pillow and closed my eyes, defeated and helpless.

  What is he doing to me?