- Ace King -

Mom looked at me as if I was crazy. She placed the tray on the table and sat on the chair so she was about the same height as me.

"Ace, you can't have her," Mom said, offering me a small smile.

I frowned. "Why not? You said I can have anything I wanted!"

"Yes, I did," she responded. "But you can't have a person."

I crossed my arms and huffed in annoyance. Mom said I can have anything I want. So why can't I have that pretty girl? It's not like I'm going to do anything bad to her.

An idea popped into my head and I smiled. Mom looked at me suspiciously when she noticed my mood change.

"Can I be friends with her?"

She looked a bit hesitant and looked at the girl I pointed to before looking back at me. "I guess there's no harm in that."

Grinning, I walked over to the girl who was currently reading the book she held in her hands. She looked younger than me and very innocent.

Luckily, the people who were eating at the table beside them left, so Mom and I sat there instead. I took the seat closest to the girl, and once I did, I lightly tapped her shoulder.

She looked up from the pages until her eyes landed on me.

She has pretty eyes too.

"Hello," I smiled. "I'm Ace."

She stared at me, almost as if I was actually real. And I knew that because she poked me in the shoulder. It was weird, but I didn't care when I saw her smile.

"I'm Mia," she greeted back.

Mia. I love that name.

The sound of our names being said made us look at our parents. They were talking, and when we looked at them, Mia's parents smiled at me.

"What book are you reading?" I asked.

"A Bear Called Paddington," she answered. She started to ramble about the story, but I wasn't paying any attention really. All I could focus on was the happiness in her eyes.

I wanted to be the person who was the cause of her happiness. I don't know why, but I wanted to.

When we finished eating our food, I asked where Mia was going. She said that she and her parents were going to the library to borrow some books.

I didn't want to go home yet. I wanted to be with her longer. So I asked my mom if could come along. She was about to protest when Mia's parents said that it was okay.

"Mia doesn't have many friends," I heard Mia's Mom say. "Even in kindergarten, there are kids who bully her."

So that's why Mia poked me on the shoulder, and why she was so happy that I was talking to her. She didn't have friends. And I'm her first one. But I didn't like knowing that people bullied her.

I frowned when we had to go separate way to go to our car.

"Why can't I just go with them?" I argued.

"Ace, just follow me," mother said, ignoring what I said.

I was about to say something else when Mia tapped my shoulder.

"It's okay Ace. We'll see each other at the library," she said, offering me a wide smiling.

Muttering a fine, I followed a very amused mother.

When we arrived at the library that wasn't as far as I expected, I quickly got out of the car and ran towards Mia's.

Mia smiled as I walked by her side into the library. I don't go to the library that much. I haven't even read a book of my choice. The only books I've read were the once teachers told us to read for homework.

Mia walked into one of the sections in the library, and I followed after her. She scanned through the shelf until she found the book she wanted.

"I always borrow this book," she told me. "I want to buy it, but mom told me they don't have it in the bookstore anymore."

When she smiled at me, it didn't reach her eyes like before, causing me to frown. Was it because she couldn't buy the book?

The next thing I know, I was taking the book away from her hands and rushed to the librarian at the front desk. When she saw me, she asked if I wanted to borrow the book.

I shook my head. "No, I want to buy it."

The librarian looked at me strangely. "You know, you can't buy a book here. You can only borrow—"

"I'll give you two hundred dollars."

A surprised look was evident on her face, and then I grinned when she accepted my deal. I took out the two hundred from the pocket of my pants and gave it to the lady who gladly took it.

Dad said it was for emergencies, but I don't care.

When I found Mia, she was going to say something when I gave her the book back. Telling her what I did, she frowned.

"Why would you do that?"

"Because I wanted to."

I had also told mom and Mia's parents what I had done. They were all telling me to get my money back and just borrow the book, but I refused. I guess my mom knew that I wouldn't do what they told me to do, so she gave up and apologized for my stubbornness.

Mia's parents said that it was fine and that they were just going to pay us back. Of course, mom didn't want them to do that. Because it was my fault anyway.

I didn't care though. Mia was smiling.

"Thanks for this," Mia said as we talked out of the library.

"It's really no big deal."

As long as Mia was happy, then I could live with myself. Her happiness was important to me

She stopped walking so I did as well, and very quickly, she gave me a hug before running off to her car.

Best two hundred dollars I've ever spent in my entire life.

I didn't like what I was seeing. Two days have passed, and now, I'm standing at the altar, waiting for the music to play and for Mindy to appear.

Mr Summer planned to have the wedding outside because it was such a beautiful day. But nothing is beautiful about today. This may be the perfect wedding with all the colourful flowers and fancy things around us.

But, to me, it's not the perfect wedding if I'm not going to marry the woman I love.

There were many people here, all waiting for the bride to finally arrive. I gulped as the music started to play and everyone stood up. The back door to the garden was opened, and Mindy walked out, holder her father's arms as she walked closer to the altar.

In front of all these people, I had to pretend that I was the happiest man alive, but I was far from that.

When Mindy reached the altar, her dad gave her a slight nod and left to go take a seat. Mindy looked at me, her eyes evident with a bit of sadness and guilt, but it was quickly masked when the priest started to talk.

As told to us before the wedding, Mindy and I held hands as the priest started to announce the traditional ceremony saying.

"Do you, Ace King, take Mindy Summer to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in good times and woe, for richer or poorer, keeping yourself solely unto her for as long as you both shall live?"

I looked at Mindy, and I knew she was begging for me to say yes. To agree so that her father can stop abusing Austin. For all her pain and suffering to at least lessen.

But I wanted to say no. I usually didn't care if I hit someone's feelings. I didn't care if I got hurt or not. I didn't care because I only ever thought about Mia's happiness. It's always been my first priority, as well as her safety.

Mr Summer would stop hurting people if I married Mindy. He would stop hurting Mia because he got what he wanted.

"I do."

The priest smiled.

"And do you, Mindy Summer, take Ace King to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in good times and woe, for richer or poorer, keeping yourself solely unto him for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

This cannot be happening. I just want everything to go back to normal.

"If there be anyone present who may show just and lawful cause why this couple may not be legally wed, let him speak now or forever hold his peace," the priest announced.

Someone, please say something.

There was silence.

The priest looked around, and when no one spoke up, he began to say his next line.

That is, until someone cut him off.

"Objection!" I heard Levi's voice.

I grinned as everyone's heads turned to the back of the house. There stood a few men, Levi, Ben, Mia, and a young boy.

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