The car came to a halt, and I looked at Ace, who was just staring right ahead of us at particularly nothing. He seemed lost in deep thoughts.

I took my time to stare at him as I drank each and every detail of his face. The small scar right beside his eyebrow that made him look sexier and his sharp jawline. The long lashes and —

"Take a picture," he turned his head towards me. "It lasts longer."

I lowered my head down in embarrassment. I didn't think he was aware of me shamelessly staring at him.

He climbed out of the car and came all the way to my door as he extended his hand for me to take and I jumped out of the vehicle.

"Where are we?" I asked, taking in our surroundings, which were pitch black and gave away nothing.

"Come on," he took my hand and started dragging me towards God only knew where.

"We are literally in the middle of nowhere," I wrapped my hands around his arm and hissed at him.

"I know," he whispered back.

Great. The alcohol was really taking its toll on him.

"I swear to God if you're planning on killing me and hiding my body somewhere here, I'm gonna haunt you in your dreams and drive you crazy," I whisper-shouted at him.

"Too bad you found out," he whisper-shouted back.

We walked a little further, and I kept looking at him suspiciously trying to figure out what the hell could he possibly want from me in the middle no freaking where.

As we neared a huge tree, Ace held my hand in his and stopped me from walking. I turned my head towards him and frowned.

"Princess.." he whispered and the moment those words left his mouth the whole place lit up, blinding me for a few moments.

Fairy lights illuminated from everywhere and the entire place came into focus. The trees were decorated with chains of lights from top to bottom and there was a table set in the center of it all.

It seemed so magical that I felt my eyes prickle with tears but I took a deep breath and swallowed them back. Silly me.

I turned my head back to Ace who not so surprisingly was staring at me instead of the scene before us.

"This is....beautiful," I whispered and a small smile made its way on his lips.

"So are you," he pulled me into his chest and rested his chin atop my head.

"You see that treehouse?" he pointed towards a treehouse built on a tree at the far end.

"Mhm.."

"That used to be my safe haven," he whispered and I looked up towards him to find him looking at it like remembering a distant memory.

"Come on," he took my hand and walked towards it.

***************

I burst into fits of laughter and clutched my stomach as I heard how he fell down the ladder and broke his arm.

We were currently sitting inside the tree, which by the way was still strong enough to have two grown persons inside it without falling down, and Ace was telling me about his childhood.

I could tell how much this place and these memories meant to him and I was so moved that he'd want to share all those parts of his life with me.

"Isabelle..." he inched a little closer to me and I knitted my eyebrows together as I saw the expression on his face.

"I...I have something to tell you," he said and I nodded my head and gave his hand a little squeeze.

"What is it?"

"Noah and I...we're not childhood friends," he trailed and I frowned, already lost.

"What do you mean?" I gave him an awkward chuckle.

"We're...brothers," he said and I choked on my saliva.

"I'm sorry, WHAT?!"

"Uh— I have a confusing past, to say the least," he chuckled humorlessly and I looked at him with weird eyes, wondering what in heavens was he telling me about.

"I...um..don't know what to say.." I said as I leaned back against the wall and heard him heave a deep sigh.

"I was five when I got to know that William wasn't my real father because my mother had apparently cheated on him with his own brother; Dave, who unfortunately, is—was my biological father," he started, his face devoid of any emotion.

"When William found out, he asked her to leave him alone, little did he know that she was actually going to pack her stuff and file for a divorce, planning to spend her fairy tale with Dave, not caring what it would do to the mental health of both her sons," he said, his voice was so distant and plain, it seemed as if he had numbed himself to any sorts of emotions.

"Well, even after William found out that I wasn't his son, he asked my mother to give him the custody to both of her sons and although she happily agreed because we were a little too much for her to handle, Dave refused and demanded my custody."

"Years passed and their little fairy tale ended when they were burdened with loads of taxes and bills, and not long after the usual fights, getting wasted, taking their anger out on me because apparently it was fun," he chuckled and that was when I noticed the struggle in his voice.

"I left home when I was thirteen, Isabelle," he finally let his guard down and I saw how much pain his eyes held.

"I couldn't live with a man anymore who'd beat me to a point where I thought I was going to die. I just couldn't. After all those years, I couldn't accept him as a father so I went to the only person I thought ever loved me like his own," he heaved a deep sigh and turned his head towards me. "William."

"Oh..wow..I—I didn't know you had been through all that," I stuttered like the idiot but moved forward so that I held both of his hands in mine.

"You're the first one besides Alex to know this," he brushed the loose strands of hair off my face and I smiled and held his face in my hands.

"Thank you for...for letting me in," I said and pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

"But Isabelle I thought you should know that after having a past like that I—I've changed. I have anger issues. I wake up in the middle of the nights sometimes because of all that haunting memories. I get insecure...possessive even. It's hard, very hard to keep up with me. I don't want to put you in a situ—"

"Are you freaking kidding me?!"

"What..."

"I stood by you all those months Ace, when you acted like an ass to me I never quit the job, not because I couldn't, but because at the back of my mind I still had hope for us. Even when the doctors told me there was no hope for you I sat beside your bed and told you how stupid they were to think that you—you of all people wouldn't pull through. I talked to you for months not getting a response back and I was just fine!" his expressions showed how taken aback he was with my sudden outbrust but God I couldn't help it. I was angry he thought I wouldn't stand by him through all that.

"What makes you think that I can't handle a little anger? What makes you think that I wouldn't be able to hold your hand or calm you down when you're having a hard time getting over the nightmares from past? Ace I don't you see? I'm here. I always was and I always want to be if you'd let me," my voice became a soft whisper at the end and I could see the glistening of his eyes that made me want to cry too.

"Isabelle...." a tear slid down my cheek and I moved my head sideways, not wanting him to see what a crybaby I was.

"Come here," he took my hand and started climbing down the treehouse and I brushed my tears away and followed him outside.

When we right in the middle of all the ornamentations, right where the lights all circled together making a flower, Ace stopped and I frowned and turned my head his way.

"Ace what are you...." my voice got caught up in my throat when I saw him on his knee right beside me.

Pools of tears made their way out of my eyes and my voice got thick with emotion, "Oh, my God. Ace—"

"Isabelle..." he cut me mid-sentence.

"Isabelle I look at you and all I see is...love. You don't know how long I've waited to finally tell you this. The moment I've laid my eyes on you, every instance—," he stopped as a tear came sliding down his cheek. "Every instance has been about you. Baby you don't only matter—you're everything. You're so perfect, Isabelle," he held my trembling hand in his and started kissing my fingertips with such tenderness as if I were going to break under his touch.

"Ace I..." I couldn't stop my tears from pouring out.

"I wish I knew how to quit, but I don't. I want you, now and forever," he said with so much sincerity in his eyes and such confidence in his tone that made me want to fall to my knees and kiss him senseless.

"I love you, Isabelle."

He slid the ring in my finger and stood up as I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. We shared a long passionate kiss as I ran my hands through his soft hair and he kept pulling me closer to his chest till their was no space left between us.

We pulled away, both panting heavily and he rested his head against mine and closed his eyes.

"Ace?" I whispered.

"Mhm? he hummed with his eyes still closed.

"I love you, too," the words tumbled out of my mouth and in an instance his eyes flew open as he looked at me as if he couldn't believe I had said it back.

"Say it again..." he whispered in disbelief.

"I love you, Ace Rhodes," and that was when he swept me off my feet and swung me around as the sound of our laughter erupted in the alley.

I was happy. Truly happy. After a long time, I felt like that profound emotion of love again and no matter how hard it was going to be, I was going to hold onto this love till my last breath.

********