Chapter 4 [Ace]

After finishing his work, Ace hesitated for a moment before dialing Annie's number. As soon as she picked up, her voice came rushing through, frantic and apologetic. "I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean it! I—"

Ace quickly interrupted her, his voice calm but firm.

"Shhh..."

Silence filled the line. Ace could hear her breath catch in her throat, waiting for him to say something.

"Now, calm down," he continued, his tone gentle yet reassuring. "Let me be sorry too."

Annie blinked in confusion, her thoughts racing. Wait, I’m the one who messed up! Why is he apologizing? She felt a strange mix of relief and confusion flood over her.

"I’m sorry for playing along with your pranks," Ace said with a hint of amusement in his voice. "Even though I knew it was a prank right from the start."

Annie’s eyes widened. "Huh? You’re kidding, right?"

Ace chuckled, his usual indifferent demeanor slipping into something more playful. "Hey, I don’t think I’m too dumb to understand what’s going on. I might be indifferent, but I’m certainly not dumb! So, next time, try not to underestimate me, maybe?"

Annie let out a surprised laugh, the tension in her chest starting to loosen. "You’re weird!" she said, her voice light and amused.

"Well, more or less, I am aware of that!" Ace chuckled in return, a playful grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Annie felt a weight lift from her shoulders as she listened to his laughter. She wasn’t expecting him to be this easygoing about it, but it felt good. He wasn’t angry, he wasn’t upset. In fact, he was kind of... understanding.

"So," Ace continued after a brief pause, "you don’t need to be sorry. That’s all I’ve got to say."

Annie let out a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Ace. But... can I ask? How did you figure out it was a prank? I thought I had it all planned out smoothly."

Ace smiled slightly, settling into a more serious tone. He paused for a moment before speaking. "Well, I guess it wasn’t that hard to tell. You called me after school when I knew you were probably busy with something else, and your tone was... different, you know? It just didn’t add up. Besides, I could tell you were trying too hard to act normal. I’ve seen enough pranks to recognize one when it’s happening."

Annie blinked in surprise, impressed by how observant he was. "I didn’t think you’d catch on that quickly," she admitted.

Ace shrugged lightly, as if it were no big deal. "I’m not that clueless."

There was a brief silence between them, a moment of calm. Then, Ace remembered something. His voice became quieter, more serious as he spoke.

"Actually, there’s something else that’s been bothering me. Why did you call me that day? You said it was to return a book, but I’m still a little confused. And also... about how you responded to Shawn? Why did you reply to him so harshly that day?"

Annie felt a tightness in her chest. She could tell that Ace was genuinely hurt by her words to Shawn, and it stung. I didn’t mean to hurt anyone, she thought.

"I called you because you left your book in the lab," Annie explained, her voice a little softer now. "The teacher asked me to grab it and return it to you. And about Shawn... I was just angry. He wouldn’t stop talking about you and me, and I just snapped."

Ace remained quiet for a moment, his gaze distant as if he were processing her words. Then, in a voice that was almost tender, he spoke.

"Okay," he said slowly, his tone softer than before. "Then I forgive you. But just... don’t be too harsh on Shawn next time, okay?"

Annie’s heart swelled with gratitude. "I promise. Thank you, Ace. I really am sorry for everything."

Ace’s voice lightened. "It’s alright. We’re good now."

Annie felt a sense of peace settle over her, knowing that the awkwardness between them had been cleared up. For the first time in what felt like forever, she could breathe easily again.