Chapter 154
Bella
The entire day passed in a blur, and I kept glancing at my phone, half-expecting Ace to reach out. Each time I checked and saw nothing, it only made the distance between us feel more concrete. A day without contact—normally, that would feel impossible for us. But here we were. Some might say it was a petty argument, a case of pride getting in the way. But it didn’t feel that simple. I wanted to talk to him, but every time I considered dialing his number, my mind filled with all the things he might say, the expectations he’d have.
After all, what would I even be apologizing for? For making my career a priority? For committing to something I’d worked so hard for? And if I did call, what if he only asked me not to go as Marcus’s partner? That would bring us right back to
