400 First Kisses

by E. L. Todd

  Blade talked to Lady like everything was normal. Cypress watched the TV in the corner, keeping his eyes on the score.

  I made eye contact with Amelia.

  She looked like she was about to cry. She pulled her phone out of her purse and read a text message that was never sent. “Sara is sick and needs me to come home. I’ll catch up with you guys later.” She didn’t say goodbye to anyone and nearly tripped on her way out the door.

  Everyone stared at her, knowing something was off because she’d left so abruptly.

  Lady was the first one to say something. “Is she okay?”

  “She’s got two little girls at home.” I covered for my sister, not wanting her to be humiliated. I wanted to chase after her and comfort her, but if I did, everyone would know something was wrong.

  An hour later, Lady excused herself to the bathroom.

  That’s when I pounced. “Ace, what the hell?”

  He was about to take a drink when he stilled. “What? You want another drink?

  “No,” I snapped. “You slept with Amelia last night, and you’re still seeing Lady? What the hell, asshole?”

  Blade’s head snapped in Ace’s direction so fast he nearly broke his neck.

  Cypress’s hand tightened on his glass, and he ground his teeth together so hard I could practically hear it.

  “You slept with Amelia?” Blade asked. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I know exactly why he didn’t tell me,” Cypress said coldly.

  “You think you can do that to my sister and get away with it?” I demanded. “The second we get outside, I’m kicking your ass.”

  “Whoa, hold on.” Ace raised both hands. “I didn’t know she told anyone about that…”

  “What does it matter?” I pointed at my chest. “I’m her sister. Of course she told me.”

  “And I’ll help my wife kick your ass,” Cypress said.

  It was the only time I didn’t give him shit for calling me his wife.

  “Everyone, chill.” Ace lowered his hands. “I didn’t think last night meant anything. I thought that was just two friends hooking up.”

  “When does Amelia just hook up with someone?” I exclaimed. “That’s not her, and you know it.”

  Ace ran his hand through his hair, clearly uneasy about the whole thing. “I know she’s been single for a long time, and I thought she just wanted to get laid. She just walked up to me at the restaurant and kissed me. She didn’t tell me she had feelings for me or anything. And when a hot woman kisses me like that, I ain’t gonna say no.”

  “So you’re okay with cheating on Lady?”

  “I didn’t cheat. She and I aren’t exclusive.”

  “So if I told Lady about Amelia, she would be just fine with that?” I asked.

  “I’m sure it would make her uncomfortable, but she wouldn’t be mad,” Ace said. “And I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t tell her that.”

  “We’ll see,” I threatened.

  “Dude, I can’t believe you hooked up with Amelia,” Blade said. “That’s just insane.”

  “Actually, he asked for a death sentence,” Cypress said.

  “Is that why she left?” Ace asked. “Because Lady made her uncomfortable?”

  “She left because she thought you guys were a thing,” I explained. “Not just two friends hooking up.”

  When Ace realized the truth, he actually looked sad. He lowered his gaze then ran his hand through his hair again. “Honestly, I didn’t know. She and I hardly said two words to each other. We hooked up, and I walked her home. That was it. I stopped by the house earlier to bring her the mail, and everything was normal. I just assumed nothing had changed.”

  My anger dimmed—slightly.

  Cypress looked just as pissed as he had from the beginning.

  “Dude, you shouldn’t hook up with friends,” Blade said. “Never goes well.”

  “It all happened so fast,” Ace said. “She kissed me, and before I knew it, we were grinding against the wall and her dress was up.”

  “It’s called self-control,” Cypress said.

  “You’re one to talk,” I jabbed.

  Cypress sighed then took a drink.

  “And she’s a damn good kisser,” Ace continued. “Like, wow. Maybe it’s because she hasn’t been with a guy in so long, but she’s charged.”

  “What are you going to do?” Blade asked.

  “I—” Ace stopped talking when Lady appeared at his side. “I love fried cheese sticks. Wish they had some here.”

  Worst cover-up ever.

  “Yeah, me too,” Blade said as he joined in. “Can’t get enough fried cheese…”

  Lady didn’t find the conversation suspicious at all. “I’m a jalapeno popper kind of girl.”

  Ace didn’t put his arm around her again. He rested both of his elbows on the table, his eyes heavy with thought.

  Lady popped a few chips into her mouth before she picked up on Ace’s mood. “Everything alright?”

  “Yeah.” He straightened and shoved some chips into his mouth. “I was just thinking about work. You know, work never sleeps.” He drummed his fingers on the table, getting lost in his thoughts again.

  Lady hooked her arm through his, being affectionate even though Ace didn’t want to be.

  Blade cleared his throat then changed the subject. “Too bad the highway is closed down before Big Sur. Thought we could go hiking one day—”

  “I’ve got to go.” Ace pulled away from Lady. “I just realized I have something to do at the office.”

  “Uh…okay.” Lady dropped her hand and gripped the edge of the table.

  “You want me to give you a lift back to Monterey?” Ace asked.

  “Uh, I drove,” Lady said. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine,” he said quickly. “Well, I’ll walk you to your car.” He didn’t say goodnight to any of us before he took her hand and pulled her out of the restaurant.

  “What was that about?” Blade asked.

  “He’s probably going to talk to Amelia,” I said.

  “He better be.” Cypress was in the same sour mood he’d been in since he found out what Ace did. “But I’m gonna give him a black eye anyway.”

  Cypress was quiet on the way home. He didn’t make small talk with me. In fact, he didn’t say anything at all. With his hands in his pockets, he walked straight without turning to look at me.

  I kept my eyes on the road, just as disappointed by the way the events had unfolded. “I’m not sure how I feel about Ace right now. People hook up. I can’t really be mad at him for it.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with hooking up with someone.” He spoke quietly, his masculine voice barely above a whisper. “Screw whoever you want. Have fun. Whatever. Don’t fuck your friend who’s been going through a rough year. Unacceptable.”

  “He seemed genuine, that he didn’t know. And she did walk up to him and kiss him… It wasn’t like she asked him out on a date.”

  “No excuse.”

  I probably shouldn’t say what I was going to say, but I said anyway. “You’re being awfully harsh when you’ve done something a lot worse.”

  “And you won’t hear me make an excuse for it. It took years for everyone to forgive me. I paid my dues and accepted my punishment. That’s why I’m here now.”

  “What punishment?”

  “Losing you for a year. And then losing you again for another year. It’s like that accident happened just to torture me, to force me to live on while the love of my life didn’t remember anything good about me. It sucked.”

  I swallowed the lump in my throat, feeling sadness when I shouldn’t. “Where did we go on our honeymoon?”

  “Maui.”

  “Where did we get married?”

  “The Perry House in Monterey.”

  “When’s our wedding anniversary?”

  “Halloween.”

  I turned to him in surprise when we reached 7th. “We got married o
n Halloween?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Why?” I loved Halloween as much as the next person, but it wasn’t significant to either of us.

  “We officially got back together on Halloween. You’d told me you could never forgive me for what I’d done, so I finally let you go. But later that night, something changed your mind. You came to my house, kissed me, and that was it.”

  I took my time walking down the hill in my sandals. They weren’t very tall, but they were tall enough that I needed to be careful. I tried to picture this memory, but my mind kept turning blank. “Was our wedding Halloween themed?”

  “We gave out masks as a party favor, and we had some scary stuff for the photo booth. But that was it.”

  “Oh…”

  We reached Casanova then turned right. When we reached Cypress’s house, a quiet bark came from the door.

  “Dino must want to get out,” Cypress said. “He’d been cooped up all evening.”

  “Poor guy.”

  Instead of hugging me or trying to convince me to come inside, he turned to the steps. “Good night.”

  I was finally getting a night off. I didn’t have to reject his advances and stop him from kissing me. “Cypress?”

  “Hmm?” He turned around, his powerful arms resting by his sides.

  “You’re really upset?” I was asking a question, but I wasn’t entirely sure what I was asking. I knew he was protective of my sister, but it surprised me how close they’d gotten while I’d been incapacitated. I distinctly remember her wishing he was dead.

  “Amelia is probably my closest friend in the world. We both had to go through a lot when Evan left and you lost your memory. She was the person I talked to when you were having a particularly bad day. She was the person I talked to when I felt like giving up. I was the person she came to when things became too difficult and she needed help. She’s not my sister-in-law. She’s my sister.”

  I bowed my head, touched by what he said. He could have just left me and moved on with his life, abandoning me and my sister. But he stayed and looked after both of us. He didn’t know I was ever going to get better, so everything he did came from the heart. “I’m sorry for being so harsh on you…”

  “It’s okay,” he whispered. “I understand.”

  “I don’t know why I can’t let it go and focus on what’s happened. It’s just hard for me.”

  “I understand that, sweetheart. You don’t remember everything. I get it. What I did was really horrible. You can take all the time you need to get through it. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll always be here—right next door.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest, fighting the cold. “How long did it take me to get over it the first time?”

  He sighed as he thought to himself. “Probably six months. And even after that, you didn’t really trust me. Took at least a year.”

  That was a long time.

  “You can take even more time this year if you need it. I just want to work it out together.”

  “A friendship is all I can give you for now.”

  “That’s fine,” he said. “I’ll take it.”

  “But I want a divorce.”

  He shook his head. “Nonnegotiable.”

  “I never said it was negotiable. That’s what I want. What if time goes on, and I can’t get over what you did? We’re just gonna have to get a divorce then.”

  “And we’ll worry about that when the time comes. But for now, we’re focused on making this work.”

  “It makes me feel trapped. Like I don’t have a choice.”

  He played with his wedding band on his left hand. “You’re the love of my life, sweetheart. I can’t let you go. I’m willing to be patient. I’m willing to be understanding. I’m willing to do whatever you want to make this work. But I’m not willing to compromise on that.”

  He was so stubborn. “Cypress, it’s not a choice for you. I can get a divorce even if you don’t want one.”

  “Then out of recognition for what I’ve done for you, could you please not do it? I’ve taken care of you every single day for the past eighteen months. I took care of your sister when she couldn’t get out of bed. I’ve taken care of your business and paid all of your bills. I’ve gone above and beyond for you. Can’t you just give this to me?”

  When he put it like that, I couldn’t deny him. I couldn’t take away something that meant the world to him. “You’re basically guilting me into staying married to you.”

  “I’m asking you to give me time.”

  “How much?”

  “A year.”

  “A year?” I asked incredulously. “Six months at the most.”

  “Eight.”

  “Six,” I repeated.

  “Seven.”

  I sighed, knowing I should do this because he’d done so much for me. I didn’t see him the way he saw me, but I appreciated how devoted he was. I couldn’t sweep that under the rug. “Fine. Seven months.”

  “Thank you.” He turned around and walked up the stairs.

  I walked over to my house, unable to believe I agreed to stay married to him for seven months. That meant I couldn’t date anyone. That meant I really had to keep an open mind about this. I had to hope I would fall in love with my cheating ex.

  Again.

  17

  Amelia

  Was I the dumbest person in the world? Was it stupid to think Ace actually wanted to be with me? Of course, I was just a piece of ass to him. Why did I think it would lead to something more meaningful when we barely said two words to each other?

  I hoped Bree wouldn’t say anything to Ace or the guys. I didn’t want him to be uncomfortable around me or feel bad for me. Pity would be even worse. Instead of going home, I went to the office above Amelia’s Place. I couldn’t put on a straight face for my girls and watch cartoons with them. They liked it when I read to them at night, and I wasn’t in the mood to do that either.

  I flipped on the lights and sat at my desk. We had a TV in there, but none of us ever watched it. I wasn’t even sure if we had cable. Since I wasn’t doing anything productive, just sitting there, I opened my laptop and did some work. Now Cypress wouldn’t have to worry about it in the morning.

  The knob turned on the door behind me, and I nearly jumped out of my chair. I was used to the silence and solitude, and no one would be coming into this office unless they planned to rob it. I snatched the lamp off my desk and yanked the cord out of the outlet, ready to kick some ass.

  “Whoa, it’s me.” Ace held up both hands like I had pointed a gun at him. “Put the lamp down.”

  “God, you scared the shit out of me.” I set the lamp down, but I didn’t plug it back in. My hand moved over my heart, and I sat back down in the wheeled desk chair. “What are you doing here?”

  “Well…” He slid his hands into his pockets and walked to Cypress’s desk, which was directly next to mine. “I went to your house, but Sara said you hadn’t come back yet.”

  Oh, shit. Bree had told him. “Oh…”

  “And this is the only other place you would go.”

  Damn, we’d known each other too long. I lowered my gaze to the floor because I was humiliated. I could only assume Bree told him everything, and I looked like a clingy girl who got her heart broken. “What did Bree tell you?” I wasn’t putting my cards on the table until he put his down first.

  “She told me it wasn’t just a one-night stand to you. That you were under the impression that we were together…or exclusive.”

  I hated my sister.

  “I’m so sorry, Amy. I didn’t have a clue that’s how you felt. I thought we just hooked up…”

  “Ace, you don’t need to apologize.” I didn’t want to lose his friendship or make our working relationship weird. “It was my fault. I was stupid, and I wasn’t thinking. I don’t blame you for getting the wrong impression. I wasn’t very clear.”

  “Wow…you’re gonna let me off the hook for this?”

  “Well, I just don’t
think it’s all your fault.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest as he looked at me. “You know I would never do anything to hurt you. You’re family to me.”

  “I know…” He was one of the sweetest guys I’d ever met.

  “I know you haven’t been with anyone since Evan, and it’s been…a really long time. I just thought you wanted to get laid. And I thought you came to me because you wanted it to be with someone you felt comfortable with and you wouldn’t have to explain yourself. Obviously, I totally misread the situation. I should have clarified.”

  “It’s my fault too. When I saw you with Lady…I just lost my shit.”

  “She and I aren’t exclusive,” he said. “I don’t want you to think I’m a cheater or something.”

  “No, I know. I just…never mind.” We had already established we were in different places. There was no need to explain what I thought.

  “What?” he pressed.

  “Nothing,” I said. “I’d really like it if we could go back to being friends and forget this whole thing happened.”

  “We were always friends,” he said gently. “We wouldn’t be going back to anything. But there’s something we have to talk about. I’d rather get it out in the open instead of having another misunderstanding later down the road.”

  “Okay…”

  “Bree made it sound like you wanted something more serious with me. Is that true?”

  I was backed into a corner where I didn’t want to be. I wanted to lie my way out of it, but that wouldn’t do me any good. If I didn’t want something serious, I wouldn’t have been upset about Lady in the first place. It was a moot point. “I don’t know if I’d say something serious…but I think you’re a great guy. I guess I’ve had feelings for you lately.”

  Ace stared at me with a stoic expression. Normally, he was easy to read, but now it was impossible to figure out his thoughts. He had a stern jaw but soft eyes. He could be ruthless but so gentle at the exact same time. He was the kind of man that used his strength to protect people, not exploit them. He was honest, loyal, and not to mention, he was great with my kids.

  “It started a few months ago. I told Bree about it, and she said I should try to make a move. She said you used to have feelings for me when we were in high school, so I thought I had a chance.”