Ace (Playtime Series Book 1) by Gemma Arlington (distant reading TXT) 📕

“Umm” she mumbled, as she stood up. I wondered if she had decided this meeting was a bad idea, but she wasn’t leaving, she was removing her jacket.

Holy fuck… my night was about to take a turn for the worse.

~Chapter Twenty-One~

Ace

“This isn’t my fault Ace,” Eric sighed, running a hand through his gorgeous hair. I felt a small tug at my heart strings. I hated that I loved him so much but I couldn’t love him the way I once had. He’d fucked up big time and it seemed this might be the only wakeup call that would get through to him.

“Eric, maybe it’s time for you to grow up. Think about it, this isn’t the worst thing that could happen to you,” I said. I didn’t really know what else to say to him, I wasn’t mad at him, in fact I was almost relieved that this so called relationship had come to an end. But how do you explain that becoming a parent is actually the best thing in the world?

How do you tell someone who has been a selfish prick for the majority of his twenty-six years on earth that a one night stand with a sweet, Southern girl is going to result in him having to share more of his life than he had bargained for?

Eric, out of all the band members, had his head screwed on. Well at least I thought he did, but it seemed that one night while the band had been touring in Alabama he had let his guard down and now was about to face the biggest challenge of his life.

“Just remember, this is you and me, not the rest of the band. Just me you’re talking to. The Eric I know wouldn’t just throw away everything because he is scared to see the truth, and trust me I know a lot about truth and it hurts like a mother fucker. The Eric I know would be happy; scared as shit, but happy, that one night of passion is going to result in many years of heartache, but good heartache. That sweet girl out there,” I pointed to the doors which led out into the corridor where Grace, the future mother of his child, was waiting to see how Eric was going to react.

“She is kind, sweet and is going to make an incredible mother; just like I know you’re going to make an incredible father. Because E,” I sighed, “You have so much to give the world; so much, and even though you’re angry with her and yourself for this, you will see that it’s not the end of a life… it’s just the beginning.” I walked towards him and threw my arms around him and hugged him.

I knew out of everyone he had the most potential to be the best at anything he threw himself into, it’s why in the beginning, I had

flung myself into a genuine friendship with him.

I gravitated to him, even when all my feelings for the other bad boy rockers were yelling at me like a siren. I might have been physically attracted to Jake per say, but mentally and physically Eric was my equal, and deep down Hank had been my savior and I would always be grateful to him for that.

“Just so you know, you’re special and I couldn’t think of anyone else I would share this with,” he mumbled into my ear. I pulled back and stared into those big, brown eyes. He was sweet, charming as hell and very attractive. Above all that, he was my friend and friends help whenever they can. I couldn’t let him do this alone and never intended to.

“For what it’s worth, this child is going to be one lucky duck,” I grinned, embracing him in a hug again.

“This child is going to need their Aunty Ace to help keep their daddy in line,” he replied.

I laughed, because deep down he didn’t need my help, he just couldn’t let go of what we used to have or what we could have had. The problem was, I no longer belonged to him. I didn’t belong to anyone.

Hank had left for New York…

permanently it seemed, and I wasn’t sure when or if he was ever going to return.

The truth was a bitch, because as much as

I didn’t want to admit it, the truth was the only

thing that could set me free. The truth was wrapped around my heart and it was pulling on my strings like a puppet.

“You sure you’re going to be ok Ace?” he asked.

I smiled; I was going to be fine. I lived alone and as far as I was concerned being alone wasn’t as scary as I once thought. I bit down on my lip trying not to laugh at the goofy smile Eric was throwing my way. He looked like a school kid. He was seriously going to be a great dad.

˜*˜

It had been a few weeks since JED’s newest single had hit the music scene and the boys were excited that they were climbing the charts yet again.

It seemed everyone from young, teenage girls to old grannies enjoyed hearing their music, some lyrics were:

‘I need you baby, jump in my truck I have a pick-up baby… where we can fuck.’

It made me laugh every time I heard the song playing on the radio. Because right after the pick-up truck lyric it jumped straight into:

‘Ace you’re the man, you’re the bomb, you’re the best. Ace you’re a chick who can grind on my

chest… I need you baby, jump in my truck, I have a pick up baby… where we can fuck.’

It was weird to think the song was written about me; written at a time when I barely knew Eric or Jake but I had