A Son for A Billionaire

We are friends

EPISODE EIGHTEEN

Theme: We are friends

(FLASHBACK TO TEN YEARS AGO)

WINSLOW, ARIZONA.

(NIGHT TIME: BY BEACH )

Ace decided not to pester her about it. “If you don't want to share your problems then why don’t we play

for sometime before you leave? Don’t worry I will take you back home if it is too late.”

“No! You can’t take me home!” She objected in a raised tone until she realized that she just over

reacted.

Even Ace Clark was taken aback by her sudden outburst.

“Oh sorry..I didn’t mean to say it that way. I just..don’t like the idea of you taking me home.” She

apologized.

“I understand.” He answered.

She turned away and looked back at the sea. She hasn’t been doing anything with a boy but her mom

thinks she has been sleeping around. Her mom would definitely nag her if she sees her talking to a boy

not to talk of letting a guy walk her home.

They both lapsed into silence lost in their respective thoughts.

One look at Bethany, Ace Clark could tell that all she wanted was affection, someone who would listen

to her whenever she was sad, someone to lean on, someone that would appreciate her for who she is,

someone who would put a smile on her face and make her happy. Someone who would give her what

neither of her parents could give her.

On an impulse Ace held Bethany’s hand while she looked at him with a surprise look on her face. “I am

your sea for tonight.” He raised their locked hands up.

She flashed him a small smile as they both walked down to where the water met the sand. Ace thought

of what to say to her just to beat the awkward silence between them.

“So you work at Golden hotels?” She was the first to speak up.

“Yes, I work there as a hotel boy. What about you?” Ace asked.

“Me?”

“Yes, are you working too?” Ace asked again.

She shook her head slowly. “No, I am not working. Are you in college?” She questioned.

“Yes..I am trying to get through with business school.” Ace answered.

“Woah! That’s nice. So you want to own your own business?” She asked.

“Well..I am not sure about that yet.” Ace responded not wanting to tell her about his identity of being a

rich man’s kid.

“So what about you? Tell me about your major in college.” Ace urged her.

“I quit college.” She mumbled without any hint of regrets in her tone.

Ace looked at her. “Why did you quit college?” He asked.

“It sounds weird right?” Her eyes bored into Ace’s eyes.

Ace Clark raised his eyebrows. “Weird? I don’t think it’s weird because you must have a reason for

quitting college. What is it? Money?” Ace asked.

She looked away from Ace. “I just don’t feel -“ She paused her lips to think of the right words to say to

him.

“It is alright if you don’t want to talk about it.” Ace mumbled.

She looked up at him. “You really want to know?” She asked.

It kind of felt strange to her that someone was paying so much attention to her.

Ace nodded his head. “Yes if you want to share it with me.” He replied.

“Well..you might just end up leaving,” she said, looking away from him again.

“I am not going to leave.” Ace responded with a smile on his face.

“Really? But why are you so interested in knowing so many things about me?” She asked.

“I am just curious to know more about you because we might become friends.” Ace Clark replied with a

shrug.

She scrunched you her face and let go of Ace’s hand immediately. “Friends?”

That word sounded new and strange in her ears. It was surprising that someone wants to be friends

with her.

“Yeah, so just tell everything that I need to know about you.” Ace Clark pestered her this time to open

up to him.

Bethany sighed, deciding to tell Ace Clark just little about her life. “Well there is nothing much..I am the

first child of my parents and you met my younger sister earlier. I am eighteen..and everyone around

here avoids me like a plague.” She just briefed him about herself.

She left out the incident surrounding her birth, and why she was given the derogatory label “the girl

from the wrong side of the river.”

After listening to Bethany, Ace just simply laugh. “Is that all?” He asked.

“The last words should be enough to warn you off.” She said.

“Does it matter? Bethany, I know there is more to what I witnessed earlier with your family. And I see no

reason why people around here should avoid you. You are a human like them.” He tried to encourage

her.

A small smile crept up on her face at his words. “I think I am a ghost.” She joked and they both

laughed.

Ace liked the way she smiled heartily at him and he wanted to see it that way - Forever. But he

snapped out of the thought.

Ace held her hand again and moved her closer to the water.

“Woah! It is so cold!” She let go of Ace’s hand and moved a bit for the water to draw a line on the sand

with her toes.

She drifted off to thinking about her parents and her time with the man she barely knew.

Ace walked closer to the water and splashed water on her just to stop her from thinking or she might

end up crying.

“Hey! I am going to get wet!” She screamed at him.

“Well you are wet already..so just have fun!” Ace splashed more water on her using his right foot.

“Oh my God!” She tried to run away but Ace caught her and carried her up in a bridal style which

caught her by surprise.

Their gaze met for some seconds. “Ace?” She lisped.

Ace Clark smirked. “Get ready for it!” He rushed deeper into the waters.

She screamed out. “The water is cold!”

Ace dropped her in it. “Come on Bethany! Just have fun tonight!” He splashed more water on her body.

She screamed out as she tried to free herself. “Ace!”

“You have to play with me, that's the remedy I have to stop you from thinking about your troubles!” Ace

laughed.

“Are you serious about that?” She asked.

Ace nodded his head.

“Alright. Let’s do it.” She rushed to the water, splashing enough on Ace using both hands and legs.

---------------------------------------

(FEW MINUTES LATER)

Bethany squeezed her top to drain water out of it, her Jeans was soaked too but there was nothing she

could do about it. Ace Clark soaked in her beauty as she squeeze her clothing even without pulling the

top off.

“You got soaked..” Ace teased her.

Bethany looked up at Ace. “You caused it. I never wanted to get my clothes wet.”

“I am sorry about that but it was fun right?” Ace asked.

Bethany nodded her head in agreement. “Yes..and thanks for spending time with me.” She thanked

him.

“You don’t need to thank me, Bethany. I just want us to be friends.” Ace replied.

“Friends? I don’t think that’s-“ Bethany was interrupted by a grumbling sound from her stomach.

“Are you hungry?” Ace asked.

“No..no..I am not hungry.” She answered but her stomach made a rumbling sound again.

“You are hungry. Why don't you dry yourself out and also eat something before you leave?” Ace

suggested.

“Oh no..no..no..I am fine.” She objected.

“My house is over there so you can dry yourself out and have something to eat too,” Ace said, pointing

to the beach house.

“It’s yours? I have always been here for a while now but I have never seen the owner of the beach

house.” She replied.

“My family owns this place.” Ace said until he realized that he shouldn’t have said those words when he

didn’t want Bethany to find out about his identity of being a rich kid.

“It must be really nice to own a beach house. I have always admired it.” She replied.

“So why don’t you just accept my offer?” Ace requested .

“There is no need...I really have to go now. It’s really late.” But her stomach failed her again.

She hasn’t eaten anything good all day long. Well she was hoping to have a good meal at the wedding

party but everything didn’t work out as planned.

Ace covered the gap left between them and held her hand in his large ones. “I insist you come with

me.” He pulled her behind him towards the beach house.