Ace
The drive back to Phoenix’s house was silent. Ace was seething. How dare that asshole come up and try to ruin their date? And just when things were starting to go well! Phoenix sat in the passenger’s seat, rocking side to side and stroking Lucy’s fur steadily. The encounter had shaken him to the core, and Ace didn’t blame him. There was nothing he could compare it to. Not really. Ace had never been on the receiving end of such a horrible joke.
Lucy stayed close as they made their way down the road that led to Phoenix’s place. She was practically in Phoenix’s lap. It was worrying, seeing him like this. Not because Ace thought it was strange, but because Phoenix seemed to be taking it so hard. Ace wondered what was going through his mind.
A few minutes later, Ace pulled into Phoenix’s drive and turned the car off. Phoenix didn’t move. He didn’t even seem to register that they were home. Ace looked over, his heart aching as he realized that Phoenix had tears running down his cheeks. He started to reach over and brush them away, then thought better of it. In Phoenix’s state, it probably wouldn’t be a good idea.
Instead, he unbuckled and climbed out of the truck. Walking around to the passenger’s side, he opened the door and reached over to unfasten Phoenix’s seatbelt. Phoenix still stared straight ahead.
“I need you to walk to the house,” he said gently. “Come on. Let’s get you inside.”
Phoenix moved as though he were wading through syrup. He slid out of the truck, and Ace worried for a moment that he wouldn’t be able to hold himself up. He did, though he relied on Lucy for support. Slowly, they made their way to the house. After fumbling for keys, Phoenix let them in.
Once the door was closed, he turned to look at Ace. “You can leave,” he said. “You don’t have to stay.”
His tone was a mixture of defiant and resigned—as though he expected Ace to leave, even if he didn’t want him to.
Ace shook his head. “I’m not going anywhere. That guy was a jackass, and I should have broken his arm instead of letting him just walk away. Come here.”
He took a step forward and wrapped his arms around Phoenix, holding him tight. Firm touches were good, he remembered. Hopefully this wasn’t too firm.
It seemed that was the right thing to do, though. Phoenix hugged him back, burying his face in Ace’s neck. He sniffed, and a moment later, Ace felt the hot wetness of tears on his skin. That only made him angrier. No one had the right to make Phoenix feel this way. Especially not some asshole who had asked him out as a joke ten years ago. And then it hit him.
If the only time Phoenix had been asked out was as a joke, had he thought Ace was playing a prank on him by asking him out? That would explain his hesitation and reluctance to go out with him. He just hated that he hadn’t known sooner.
Slowly, Ace ran his hand up through Phoenix’s hair. Phoenix would either love it or hate it, but Ace hoped it was the former. Fortunately, it was. Letting out a small sigh, Phoenix gripped him even tighter, as though if he let go, Ace would disappear. That wasn’t going to happen.
“Come on, let’s get out of the hall.”
He pulled away and Phoenix stared at him, those expressive eyes wary. But all he did was peel off his blue jean shirt. That way, Phoenix would know he wasn’t leaving.
“Do you want to lie down?” he asked.
Phoenix nodded. “My bedroom’s at the end of the hall.”
They walked silently to the bedroom. It wasn’t exactly how Ace had planned on seeing Phoenix’s bedroom for the first time, but he wasn’t going to complain. This was far worse for Phoenix than it was for him.
Phoenix’s room was smaller than his own, but still comfortable. There was a fireplace in one corner, and a king size bed took up much of one wall. There was no dog bed, so Ace assumed that Lucy slept with Phoenix. His theory was confirmed when Lucy hopped up on the bed and curled up at Phoenix’s feet. Ace took the right side, scooting just within arm’s reach.
“Are you okay?” he asked quietly. “I mean, I know you’re shaken. What happened wasn’t okay. But are you going to be all right?”
It took Phoenix a moment to respond. “I think so. I just keep thinking about it. And the night it happened.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” Ace wasn’t sure he wanted him to. Otherwise, Max might find himself with a broken arm after all.
“Not really. He asked me out, I said yes, and the night of homecoming, I sat in a parking lot for three hours because I didn’t know any better.”
“Son of a bitch,” Ace muttered.
Phoenix shook his head. “Martha’s a nice woman. I don’t know how he ended up so different.”
If not for the situation, Ace would have laughed. Instead, he scooted closer. “Is it okay if I hold you?”
There hadn’t been an issue earlier, but things might have changed since then, especially since he was so upset. Phoenix nodded, though, and rolled into Ace’s arms. He nuzzled against Ace’s chest, and Ace had to remind his body of the fact that he was just supposed to be comforting Phoenix. Nothing else.
“When I asked you out, did you think it was a prank?” he asked quietly.
Phoenix shook his head. “Not really. Not until Ben brought it up. Then I thought it might be.”
That surprised him. “Really? What made it different?”
“You were nice to me before you asked me out. Max wasn’t ever really mean to me, but he didn’t talk to me, either. I trusted you.”
Ace smiled. “I’m glad you did. I don’t mean to upset you, and if I do, just tell me. Why did you agree to go to the dance with Max if he hadn’t really talked to you before?”
Phoenix was quiet for so long Ace started to worry he had upset him. He was about to tell Phoenix he didn’t have to answer, when Phoenix spoke.
“Going to the dance was something everyone did,” he said slowly. “All the juniors and seniors were going. Even some of the sophomores and freshmen who were dating upperclassmen. I didn’t like crowds, but I didn’t want to be the only one who wasn’t going. Max was attractive, I guess, and I knew if I didn’t have a date, I wouldn’t go. So I thought ‘what’s the worst that could happen?’”
He broke off and sighed, then ran a hand across his face. “I just wanted to fit in.”
Ace understood that. How many times had he stayed out at the bar way too late because his coworkers were doing it? And it was all for nothing, too. He’d still lost his job and ended up with no friends to speak of.
“Fitting in isn’t all it’s cracked up to be,” he said.
“I know that now. But I was sixteen. I didn’t know any better, and I hadn’t been diagnosed yet, so everyone just thought I was strange. Most of them still do. It isn’t like I go around advertising I have Asperger’s.” Phoenix rubbed at his nose. “Do you think I’m stupid for being upset over something that happened ten years ago?”
“No, why would I?” Ace asked, frowning.
Phoenix shrugged. “Sometimes I feel like I am. It’s happened a long time ago, and I know most people would be over it. And I am,” he added quickly. Then he yawned. “Most of the time, I don’t think about it. But most of the time, I’m not dating, either.”
“Well, I’m not going to judge you for it. If my only dating experience had been that, I would feel pretty traumatized by it, even years later.” He dropped a kiss to Phoenix’s head. “Close your eyes. I’ll stay as long as you want me to.”
Nodding, Phoenix cuddled closer. A few minutes later, his breathing evened out, and Ace wrapped his other arm around him.
“I’m right here,” he whispered.
He thought of the interview he had coming up next week, and for the first time since he got the call, he couldn’t bring himself to look forward to it.