Ace Matteo.
Thanks to social media, I searched him up on Facebook first but didn't see anyone that looked like him.
I found him on Instagram, but it was a lot more difficult than you could imagine. I had to try every combination of his name before I could find him. Most of his posts were pictures of him in Italy, and he actually had a good number of followers.
He had only posted one picture since he supposedly moved from Italy, but why did he choose North Wind of all places? This town was pretty small.
His posts comprised beautiful sceneries, food and the likes of it. Only a few had his face in it. He was clearly into photography.
Apart from the nerdy look, when he cleaned up well, he was really good looking, like really good looking. I'd actually say he was hot. In all his pictures, it was his eyes that were really captivating. I just loved how they seemed to draw you in.
I could tell he was very cryptic and liked to be on his own. If his goal was to blend into the crowd and go invincible, he was doing a good job at that. If not that he kept looking at me with that annoying smirk on his face, I'd probably never notice him like this.
Having an idea, I picked up my phone and dialed his number. He picked on the second ring.
"Liv, how's it going? You don't have a race again until Friday," Eli said immediately as he picked the call.
"Yeah, I know. I need you to help me with something." I bit my lip, not sure how he was going to react.
"Yeah, sure, anything," he answered, and I exhaled in relief.
"I need you to help me do a little research on someone," I started and waited for him to say something.
"Okay?"
"His name is Ace Matteo. He goes to my school, a nerd, but he's really weird," I finally said.
"Aren't all nerds weird?" I could imagine his eyebrows furrowing in confusion at my words.
"Yeah, I know, but he's just on another level of weird. He keeps giving me this look in the hallway and at lunch, it's getting on my nerves." I shuddered and opened my top drawer, pulling out a pack of cigarettes.
"Hmm, I'll see what I can get for you. I've got to go. I'll call you later." He hung up.
Taking out a stick and lighting it, I stood up to open my windows wider to let the smoke go out.
No one in my house knew I smoked, well they thought I didn't do it anymore. My dad once caught me smoking, and he threw out my entire packet of it, ransacked my room for any other hidden ones, and even threw away my lighter.
He made me promise to never smoke again. After that day, I really wanted to quit smoking, but it was hard. I stopped for like two weeks. I even told Eli to stop smoking around me and he did, but when I couldn't hold it any longer, I was at a store getting another pack and a lighter.
Since then I didn't smoke in the house when I wasn't alone, if I really needed one and I couldn't leave the house. I made sure I leaned outside my window so the smell of the smoke didn't enter the house. It was probably the smell of the nicotine that got dad running into my room that day.
About a year ago, I started smoking to relieve stress. I had a rough day, one day when Callum and I argued and my grades were dropping. I was stressed, and I had gone into my father's office to rant, but he wasn't there, so I sat on his chair and somehow I opened his drawer and found a pack with a lighter.
I was scared at first, but I gathered the courage, lit one stick, put it to my mouth and took a drag. I didn't like it at first, but one drag after the other and I relaxed. After that day, cigarettes had become my stress reliever.
I told myself it was only to relief stress but some days I craved it and did it just because I could. I kept telling myself to stop. I believed I could stop one day, but until I found another addiction to take over smoking, I didn't think I could stop.
Those two weeks after my dad had gotten rid of my packet and lighter, I relied on sex to take my mind off it, but it didn't work. Callum enjoyed those two weeks. I did too. I'd sneak out to his house, he'd sneak out to mine at ungodly hours, and we'd use our pillows to muffle our screams of pleasure. But after a while I realized it wasn't working because immediately after sex and we were down from our high, I'd still feel that craving, so I just stopped the sex for a while.
Callum wasn't too happy about it, but when I assured him I just wanted to take a break, he understood and gave me the space I needed.
I crushed the last of the cigarette in my tray and threw the ash into my trash. I cleaned up the tray before placing it inside my bottom drawer where it always was.
My phone beeped, and when I checked it, it was a text from Callum.
Cal- u free?
I texted back.
Me- yh. My parents aren't home.
A second after, he replied he was on his way. I knew what he wanted, and I honestly didn't care.
Five minutes after, I heard the front door unlocking, then opening and closing before it got locked again. That only meant one thing: Callum was here.
He had my spare key so he could come in when he liked if my parents weren't home. I had the spare key to his house, too.
Shortly after, he opened my room door, "hey babe." He made his way to my bed and sat down.
"Hey," I smiled before standing up and going to sit on his laps, straddling him.
"Were you smoking?" He scrunched up his nose.
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, got a problem with that? Do I need to take a shower?" I wanted to get off his laps.
He held me down, his hands firm on my hips, "no, it's fine. I thought you said you were going to stop." He sounded worried.
Only him, Jane and Chloe and Eli knew I smoked and every chance they got, they warned me about it, but they never went overboard with it.
"I want to. It's just hard." I confessed and rested my head on his shoulder.
"Hey," his rough finger lifted my chin, forcing me to look at him. "It won't be easy, but just know that I'm here for you."
I smiled, "thanks Cal."
He kissed me in response, and I kissed him back. I slid his shirt from his body and marveled at how good his chest looked. Muscle over muscle, I ran my hands over it and down to the band of his jeans, a knowing smile on my face.
He kissed me again and this time around, my shirt went off and he rolled us to the bed so he was now on top of me, my back on the bed.
He was quick to take off my yoga pants, leaving me in my bra and underwear. I wanted his jeans off now.
"Off," I tugged at his jeans and he smirked.
He trailed kisses down my neck and down to my chest. His hand went to my back, and I arched my back to give him better access.
"Liv, there's something I need to tell you." He spoke, his hand wavering over my bra clasp for a second.
"Mhhmm," I hummed, telling him to go ahead.
Sliding my bra straps down my hands and off my body, he cupped my breasts in his hand, the warmth of his hand sending me bonkers.
"I like you," he said, and I stopped moving myself against him.
I looked up at his eyes, and his green eyes were staring back at me. He looked sincere.
"What?" I pushed him off me and quickly wrapped my covers over my chest.
"I like you, I'm falling for you Olivia." He told me and I shook my head.
No, it can't be. He wasn't supposed to fall for me and I wasn't supposed to fall for him. This was just for the pleasure of it. No strings attached.
But did I make that clear to him? I guess not.
"Cal," I didn't know what to say.
How do I tell him I don't reciprocate his feelings and I just want him for the sex?
"Liv, I know you don't feel the same way. That's fine. I wasn't supposed to fall for you anyway, but I just wanted to get this off my chest. We don't have to stop what we have going on, I don't mind. Even if I can't have you in a way that I want, I have you in another way and I can live with that." He spoke, and I relaxed a fraction.
I would still feel bad if I continued to sleep with him. He had obviously gotten attached and I couldn't let him get any more attached. I had to move on, and so did he. We had to stop this.
"I know what you're thinking, Liv. Please don't end what we have. I don't mind how things are now, you can just ignore what I said and things will be back to normal I promise," he sounded desperate.
Well, I didn't blame him. I really wanted him, but just for the pleasure of it. Even if I ended what we had now, I needed one last taste of him.
I kissed him again and soon enough we were screaming each other's names at the top of our lungs, driving each other to the edge.