The Trap Of Ace

Read The Trap Of Ace [by Eva Zahan] Chapter 1 – I glanced at my wrist.

Nine-thirty. 

“Ma’am, please turn off your cell phone. The plane is about to take off,” said the flight attendant in her angelic voice.

“Yeah, just a minute.” I threw her an apologetic look. 

Nodding her head, she walked away.

“Mom, I need to hang up now. The crews have already warned me for the second time.” 

“Alright, alright! I will let you go now. You’re coming to me in some hours anyway. We will be waiting outside the airport when you’ll land!” Excitement dripped from her voice. A sudden homesickness filled my mind. It’s been two years since I met them.

“And keep that boy at an arm’s length,” Dad called out in the background.

Shaking my head, I let out a chuckle. “Alright guys! I will see you at the airport.”

“Love you, honey!” They intuned together.

“Love you too!”

Sighing, I looked out of the window. Another plane took off the runway, flying high in the sky. It’d always fascinated me. Though I always struggled with myself not to flip during the taking offs.

A figure slumped beside me, making me turn my head. Letting out a huff, he settled against the seat. 

“How’s your stomach now?” I asked, seeing the perspiration on his forehead and flushed cheeks.

“Not good. I shouldn’t have eaten the leftover macaroni last night. G*d! I swear! I won’t ever touch leftovers again.” He groaned.

Poor guy! Even in this crisis, he had agreed to come with me to my home.

“I’m so sorry, Warner. You have to travel with me in this state. You should’ve stayed back, you know?” 

He flashed me a boyish smile. “Don’t be. It was my decision to tag along even after knowing my condition this morning.”

“But it was me who asked you to come with me,” I said, guilt crashed on me. 

“Don’t be silly. I can do anything for you. And this is just a slightly uncomfortable journey. And it will go away just in a day. I’ve already taken medicines.” He grasped my hand, entwining our fingers.

I smiled, a grateful one.

“I love you,” he said, looking at my eyes.

The smile threatened to fall, but I managed to keep it on and squeezed his hand in return. The announcement of the flight attendant for every passenger to fasten their seat belts, saved me from another awkward situation.

We’ve been dating for six months now. And known each other since I joined college. We were good friends from the beginning. After my several failures at keeping up on dating a guy for more than a week, I gave up on kindling any kind of relationship with anyone. And when Warner one day asked me out at a friend’s get-together, I couldn’t put him down.

He was everything a girl would want in an ideal boyfriend. Handsome, intelligent, humble, honest. And most importantly, he knew me so well. After all, we’ve been friends for three years now. So when he’d asked me to be his girlfriend, I had said yes.

But even if he’d confessed his feelings for thousands of times before me, I couldn’t just bring myself to reciprocate. It’s not that I didn’t like him, I did. He was a great guy. Maybe it’d take some more time for me to feel that deep for him. And I was waiting for that day.

“Ma’am, would you like some coffee?” The air hostess’ voice broke my trance.

“Do you have tea?” 

*** 

After a long four and a half hours later when we finally landed in California, I found my parents right where they told me they would be. Holding a placard that said ‘welcome home’, Mom met me with her more than usual enthusiastic hug, where Dad had a satisfacted look in his eyes now that I finally came home. Though it was just for two weeks until I would go back. 

he took the world of worry for me on his shoulders. They both did. It wasn’t easy for me to stay that far from them, but it’d have been more difficult for me to stay here

to heal myself. So the distance was necessary. As soon as the memories of that night started to flood in, I shut off my mind, burying them at the pit of my brain. Just

I’ve moved on.

little mouse!” The moment I stepped into the threshold, I was tackled into a bone-crushing hug. “Look at

eyes at my brother. “You just met

feels like ages since I irritated you,” he said, eyes warm with

though he visited me often in NY whenever he was on

better keep your stupid a*s away from me, I’m warning you!” I

to washrooms in every ten minutes. He seemed at the verge of fainting at any moment. He was extremely embarrassed when he had to run for the washroom before he could even

impress my

first meeting to be good. And Dad couldn’t dislike him anymore

to be true’, Dad had said once on the phone. I didn’t know why, but he didn’t approve of him the moment he heard

man!” Tobias gave him a side

to see you too.” Suddenly his expression twisted like someone had punched him in the gut. “Uh, if you don’t

then straight up, the first door. You will find the guest room,” said Dad with

you’, he ran inside.

I sighed. 

have to talk to Dad about this. Though Warner didn’t notice his tone now, he’d

look of reprimand which he proudly ignored and padded inside. Shaking her head, she looked at me. “Honey,

Dad. Definitely

my shoulder as we climbed up the stairs. “So? You’re determined to keep this

But when Dad was blatant about it, he

good guy, Tobias. And the

is a

“Isn’t it enough?”

about feelings? I don’t see you look at him the way you used to look at

hand before him, not letting him finish the sentence. “I like him. And I think it’s enough for me to stay in a relationship with

decipher. Then he smiled.

curled up. “Thanks for

to Casie and Beth of my arrival and prepared for a long warm bath. It’s been so long I haven’t met them, though face-timing was regular between us. They’d wanted to join me there for college, but Beth couldn’t because her boyfriend was here.

was right. She was a successful model

our family dinner, so delicious dishes made by Mom were the speciality. If I missed all these years anything beside my family, it was her

plate of apple-pies before me, I gaped at her, my face splitting into a greedy grin. “My

her chair

tried to pick one, I slapped his hand away. “Don’t you

“But that’s not fair! I also

whatever she wants. You had them these years all by yourself, now it’s her turn,”

us all laugh. Mom’s eyes twinkled watching us banter like old times. Then her gaze fell on my left

a beautiful bracelet! When did you get

was a thin golden

on my graduation day,” I replied. I still remember that day. Mom and Dad couldn’t join because their flight got cancelled due to bad weather. No one from my family could attend. With a sunken mood when I returned to my flat that night after a wild party with my friends, I

anonymous. No note or name. Though I didn’t want to keep it, I just couldn’t resist it. I fell in love with it at

“Who?” 

“Don’t know. There wasn’t any name

anonymous gifts. It can be risky. And who would give you such an expensive bracelet and don’t reveal their name?” Dad’s forehead

And I’m sure he is the one who

Tom?” Mom

A guy from

until something happened and he disappeared in the air. He must’ve

Mom and Dad shrieked

happened, and you didn’t even consider informing us?” Dad gave

uncomfortably on his chair at my glare. He had to open his