Chapter 6

"Dalia."

"Wake up."

"Dalia."

My eyes flickered open, and I saw Ace sitting beside me.

What happened…

I yawned and groggily sat up, groaning at the ache in my muscles. Had I slept in the wrong position?

Wait.

Everything hit me at once.

Last night, I had refused Ace. He had left the room and never come back. I had waited for him for hours, but he had not returned. I went to find him, but he was already asleep in the guest room next door. I remembered crying myself to sleep.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

I nodded, not knowing what else to say.

"I'm so sorry. I did not mean to upset you," he said, his fingers gently touching my cheek.

He clearly realized that I had cried last night. A lot. My puffed up, red eyes were painfully obvious.

I could no longer hold back my tears. "You did not come back."

"I thought you needed space. I did not want to overwhelm you," he said, taking my hand in his. "Please stop crying. I'm sorry. I hate seeing you cry."

I wiped away my tears and took a few deep breaths. "It's okay."

"Are you fine now?" he asked.

I nodded, feeling slightly better.

"Let's put this behind us." He sighed. Then with a small smile, he tried to change the topic. "Tell me, have you chosen a university yet?"

I shook my head. "I'm confused."

"Okay," he said, looking thoughtful. "Let's do one thing. When I come back tonight, we will shortlist some universities together. Then next week, we will go and visit them all. You can then enroll in the one you like the most. And while we are at it, I can also show you around the city. How does that sound?"

"Thank you," I said, smiling.

He smiled back, obviously relieved. "Great. Now let me freshen up. Then we will go down for breakfast."

I nodded.

He got off the bed and disappeared into the washroom.

What is wrong with me? Why did his touch scare me so much last night? My heart always races when I'm with him. He makes me feel unexplainable things. But what happened last night? Why had I withdrawn? Why had I not let him…

I felt tears burning my eyes again. Something was wrong.

I have hurt him. I have hurt myself.

A sudden vibration brought me out of my thoughts. It was Ace's phone. I picked it up from where it was lying next to me. He was receiving a call from someone named Xavier.

I ignored it. Ace would call him back once he was done with his shower.

Dalia, it's all right. You were simply not ready last night. It's fine. You have a right to say no to what you don't want. You did nothing wrong. Ace understands.

The phone vibrated again. It was the same person.

Sighing, I placed a hand on my chest.

It will not happen again until you're ready. He will not force you. You do not have to feel guilty. Relax, okay? It's your body.

For the third time, Ace's phone received Xavier's call.

Maybe it is something important.

I picked up his phone and answered the call. "Hello?"

There was no reply.

"Hello?" I tried again.

The line went dead. The person had cut the call.

Weird.

Not thinking much of it, I kept his phone aside.

Right. Where were we?

Don't let last night hold you back, Dalia. Terrible things happen sometimes. It's best to let them go. Focus on the future. Your life is great. Once you start university, you will feel much better. Let it go, okay?

I licked my lips and smiled. Everything was fine. There was no need to worry.

I was about to get off the bed when Ace's phone vibrated again.

Xavier.

The same scene repeated itself.

I picked up the phone.

"Hello?" I said, answering the call.

No answer.

"Who is this? Ace—" The line went dead before I could complete my sentence.

I narrowed my eyes at the phone. "Stupid person."

Ace came out of the washroom. "What happened?" he asked, seeing his phone in my hand.

"Some Xavier called you multiple times. I answered twice but he cut the call without speaking both times," I said, handing him the phone.

His eyes widened and he snatched the phone from my hand.

"Any problem?" I asked, frowning at the way the color drained from his face.

"No, nothing," he gave me a nervous smile and walked out of the room.

Shrugging, I stood up and stretched out my hands. I needed a long, hot shower.