"A date?" he asks, his tone hard and his voice cold as ice. I gulp and turn around. I give him one of my best smiles in hopes to erase the rage in his eyes.

No, wait. He doesn't get to be angry. Not after acting like nothing had happened between us. I wipe the smile off my face and get back to painting.

"With whom?"

I don't answer because I don't have to. Oh, but I would love to see the jealousy if that's possible.

"Noah," I answer coldly after few seconds.

"And what if he is just like Jackson?"

I freeze. Numerous thoughts enter my mind. No, no I won't let him manipulate me.

"Don't you dare manipulate me, Ace," I hiss. My voice almost breaks. I continue to paint red angry strokes around the sun.

"I am just saying, Venus." Venus, not kitten.

"Are you jealous, Ace?" I force a smirk on my lips as I turn towards him with one of my eyebrows raised. His eyes widen in surprise at my accusation but he doesn't say a thing.

I get back to my painting.

"You shouldn't trust people easily, kitten," he says quietly. Back to saying kitten, are we?

"Then, I shouldn't trust you either," I regret my words as soon as they escape my mouth. I know it is different, he has saved me so many times. I have no reason to not trust him.

I cautiously turn around to look at him and I almost gasp when I see his expression that is now morphing into one of hurt but he is quick to mask it. However, his jaw is still clenched and he doesn't look at me. Instead, he stands up and walks away.

I decide to walk after him to apologise but when I am outside the room, he is nowhere in sight. My heart fills with guilt and I search for him everywhere but I don't find him.

I have no choice but to go home. Else, I will be late for the date.

. . .

I come to the conclusion that I attract jerks. Just jerks. Or maybe, good people don't exist anymore.

I blink the tears away as I take one last look at my phone. No messages. Great, I just got stood up on my first date. I straighten my pastel pink dress, one that I was stupid enough to buy and cost more than three of my other dresses combined.

Trying my best to not let the tears out, I walk back home. Why do bad things happen to me?

I had done so much to look good. My hair was loosely curled and I even bought some make-up. I regret doing any of it. Noah didn't even bother to text or call me to tell whatever his reason for not showing up was.

I text Noah on my way.

I understand last-minute things come up, but a little more heads-up would have been helpful, Noah.

I manage to get home without letting even a tear slip but once I reach my door, I can't control anymore. A sob breaks through me and I get inside, locking the door behind me.

"Kitten?" To say I was shocked was an understatement. I look at Ace with wide eyes.

"What are you doing here?" my voice breaks.

"I came to... uh give you your... your bag. You left it in my home," he says, scratching his neck at his horrible lie. I didn't leave my bag at his home. But, I let that pass.

"Who let you in?"

"Samantha, I guess that was her name."

Sighing, I walk to my room, wiping a hot tear that rolls down my cheek. But before I can enter, I am pulled into a very familiar muscular chest. This action causes more tears to fall. Ace pats my back as I let my tears out, occasionally sniffling.

"Please don't cry, kitten," he coos on my ear and mumbles sweet things.

He momentarily pulls back to check my body for any kind of injury and when he's satisfied that there isn't even a scratch, he pulls me into him again.

"I just wanted my first date to be perfect," I cry. He stiffens but doesn't stop to pat my back.

"He's a jerk, baby, don't cry," he says softly. So are you, Ace. So are you. You're messing with my heart.

The mixed signals are killing me.

"I hate him," I mumble.

"Me too," he says in a low voice before kissing my forehead. I sigh at the feeling. My tears start drying out slowly.

"I am sorry, Ace," I say after a moment. His soft expression turns even softer if that is possible. "For telling you I shouldn't trust you," I add before burying my face into his chest again.

"Shh, kitten. I know you didn't mean it." My heart warms and I feel myself melt at his touch as he runs his hand up and down my back.

How many times have we been in this position? Isn't he tired of playing the knight in shining armour?

"I am guessing he didn't show up?" Ace asks. I nod my head.

"How about I take you to dinner? We don't want all this to go to waste," he says suggestively, looking down at me. All this as in my dress, make-up and hair?

"I look horrible right now."

Ace rolls his eyes. "You look beautiful, Venus." My cheeks heat up.

"So, is it going to be like a date?" I ask softly, looking at him in disbelief. He chuckles.

"Sure, kitten."

Sure? What kind of answer is that? I dismiss the thought.

"Okay, let me fix myself a little. Thank you, Ace," I stand on my tiptoes and kiss him in the cheek before walking to my room. I don't miss the way his eyes darken and his lips part when I kiss his cheek.