Just as Hope stepping into the dining room, Ace brushed past her, hitting into her shoulder as he walked past and out of the room with his fists clenched tightly at his side and his entire face boiling from the inside out. Hope furrows her brows as she stops and watches him angrily walk away. She stood there for a moment before turning into the dining room where she spots Penelope staring at the floor with a deep frown on her cherry lips.
She slowly walks towards her, clearing up her throat as she does so, knowing too well that her sister had a fight with Ace. And she knew why.
“Good morning.” She smiles as she approaches Penelope who shifts her gaze to her sister. It took her a moment to pull on a small fake smile, though it was pretty clear to Hope that she was not as happy as she wanted it to seem.
“I wish it was.” She decided to drop her smile when she couldn’t maintain it. Plus, it was pretty obvious to even hide her sadness at this point. “Ace just flipped at me.”
“Is it about Harley?” she asked as she frowned while folding her arms to her chest. “I can tell from how he kind of brushed into me so forcefully.”
“Yeah.” Penelope chuckles as she tucks the loose strands of hair at the back of her ear. “It’s like he came to mock me for being right about you two. So I told him the truth that you and Harley were just going to end up together on way or the other. He got upset and accused us of not even caring about him and how he felt.” She chuckled and shrugged her shoulders as she furrowed her brows in confusion and glanced around, not particularly looking for anything. “I mean… It’s not really anyone’s fault right?” she chuckled again, only that this time, she chuckled mockingly. “He even had the nerve of saying we are doing this to him just because he’s an outsider.”
“I figured he would be like this, after all, he took it too lightly the other day. I was kind of worried.” Hope sighed out as she glanced at the table while biting onto her lower lip.
“He even glared at me, and I felt so terrified.” Penelope laughed out as she smacked her forehead softly. “That’s the first time a glare has ever scared the life out of me.”
“I glare at you most of the time.” Hope shrugs in confusion as she stared at Penelope who began to snatch some cupcakes and cookies from the trays on the table.
“Well, they never really scared me.” She shrugged her shoulder with a small chuckle. “Not even in the least.”
“Seriously?” Hope frowned as she watched her grab an entire milk bottle. “Where on earth are you taking all that food to Penelope?”
“Well, he made me feel kind of guilty with what he said.” Penelope sighs as she glances down at the plate full of cupcakes and cookies in her hands. “I just want to prove to him that it’s not because he’s an outsider. I know it seems that way, but he won’t accept that Harley… really needed this. So, since he stormed out without having anything to eat, I’ll go give him some.”
“Oh.” Hope nodded her head as she watched Penelope walk towards the arch. “Um… could you also tell him to meet me anytime he feels okay?”
“Okay.” She smiled and waved before running out of the dining room and into the massive corridor, running straight for the doors leading outside that were wide open.
*
Ace sighed once more as he stared down into the well just outside the large gates protecting the rest of the pack from the outside world. Protecting them from any kind of threat, from rogues, just like him.
He peeled his eyes from the well and towards the wall with a slightly aching feeling nagging his chest. A lump slowly forced in his throat as he dropped his eyes back to the well and to the bucket he had brought alone beside it.
The farmer had spotted him a while back and noticed how angry he was, so instead of letting him around fuming up the air, the farmer decided to ask him to get a bucket of water from the well just outside the walls. Ace didn’t protest to the idea, though he was well aware that the pack had installed a water system with endless taps scattered all around the entire compound.
He just needed the air. To just breathe a little and away from everyone else.
Fetching water was just a good enough reason to let off some of the steam bottling up his mind and giving him a throbbing headache.
He slowly clenched his jaw as he glanced from the well and towards the trees, hearing the soft flow of water from a distance. He instantly left the well and walked towards the sound of the flowing water. There was a small slope leading further down, and at the bottom of the slight slop is a small river.
Taking careful steps, he walked down the slope and headed to the river that got clearer and blue the closer he got. He stopped right at the edge of the river and stared into the clear water, spotting a few fish swimming about, minding their own business as they went about their day.
A sigh escaped his lips, getting his shoulders to crack a little as they eased and relaxed. Making him feel a little more at ease.
He slowly squatted and pulled his shoes off, setting them aside and away from the river banks. He pulled his jeans up to his knees before sitting down by the edges and dipping his feet into the cool water that instantly calmed even his mind.
He bit onto his lower lip as he leaned back and faced the sky with closed eyes, enjoying the warm touch of the sun against his face with the feel of the smooth flowing river and the soft platters of the fish against his skin.
He could get used to this.
Every once in a while.
Before he could fully drift into the soft breeze and honey coating sun, the sound of rough movements and thudding behind him instantly snapped him from his relaxation into the highly alert state. He instantly stood up and glanced around quickly, only to sigh out in annoyance as he spotted Penelope making her way down the slope with her hands completely preoccupied.
He rolled his eyes before sitting back down and furrowing his brows as he now glared at the water. Clearly not wanting her to just leave him alone.
Not after what she had to say to him.