Page 24 of The Fire We Make

Ace chuckled. “What brought you up here?”

She looked down and Ace watched her drag her red nail up and down the bottle. “I’m supposed to be celebrating,” she said with a somber smile that didn’t even lift her cheeks let alone reach her eyes.

Ace lifted a brow. “And you chose to do it alone?”

Her eyes flashed with sadness and pain. “No. I came with someone but… I needed to be alone for a while. It’s better that way.” The last sentence was said on a resigned exhale, whatever had made her seek out solitude still weighing on her.

Ace knew that feeling all too well. He learned long ago that it’s lonely at the top and the hollowness in his chest was the sacrifice he made for his duty. For power.

Most days, he didn’t mind it. In fact, he preferred it. Other days, like today, the desire for something more became to loud to ignore.

He slid an inch closer, their elbows touching on the concrete. He looked over at her again out of the corner of his eye, unable to look away despite how hard he tried. Something about this woman felt… familiar. He’d come up there seeking solitude as well and had instead found something he couldn’t name but wanted more of.

He wanted to say something but his whole body felt arrested. Something foreign coiled low in his gut and his chest tightened but he welcomed the ache.

“What about you?” she asked, turning her eyes back on him.

He simply shrugged. “I’m celebrating too.”

She snorted. “The celebrations usually happen inside.”

“Yeah but I’m having more fun up here.”

That was the truth. He’d been more stimulated, more engaged in the five minutes he’d spent with this mean ass woman than he had in years.

For the first time since Ace approached her, she turned to him fully. “What are you celebrating?”

“Promotion,” he answered.

She narrowed those eyes on him. “You don’t seem too excited about it.”

Ace shrugged in response, picking up the bottle and wrapping his lips around the opening hers had been on a few moments ago, taking a swig.

“Mo money, mo problems?”

He chuckled and began flipping his lighter open and closed. “Something like that,” he mumbled.

She didn’t say anything else and they let the moment stretch on for a moment.

“So is this what you do when you’re having problems? Bother random women?”

He grinned. “Only the ones dangling off of ledges.”

She rolled her eyes with an exasperated huff. “I wasn’t dangling, I was sitting and I said I wasn’t gonna jump.”

“Mhm, whatever you say. Don’t act like you’re not enjoying my company. Plus, how would you have lit this—” he snatched the blunt out of her hand “—without me.” He brought it to his lips with a grin.

He took a slow pull, the ember flaring bright in the dark.

“Thank you,” she spoke softly, scooting closer to him.

Ace glanced at her, surprised by the sudden shift in her tone and desire to be closer to him. “For what?”

She raised her shoulders then dropped them, “For not letting me spend tonight alone.”

Something about the quiet honesty in her voice pulled him closer before he even realized he was moving. Ace stepped into her space until the backs of her thighs touched the concrete ledge behind her. He planted one hand beside her hip, caging her in without quite touching her.

Ace couldn’t help himself. He brought his hand out and caressed her cheek then traced the outline of her lips with his thumb. “You spend a lot of time alone?” he asked.