“I’m all right. Everything is okay.”

I deflated. Of course that was his response.

He bent down to kiss my lips once before placing his forehead against mine. “I’m sorry. Truly. Sometimes my emotions just get the best of me, and I say things I don’t mean.”

Ace had his demons; this wasn’t new information to me. Ever since we were little, he’d have drastic mood changes, saying things to me that were strange and often possessive or even a little barbaric.

He usually regretted it later, often apologizing to me repeatedly, just like he was doing right now. I had just come to accept it as normal behavior for...