Chapter Ten

Nash opened the letter Ace reluctantly gave him. The crumbled edge of Ace's attempt at laying his feelings bare showed his desire for them to remain hidden. Never in his life did Nash think he would receive a handwritten letter, much like all his other fantasies. The thought of having him mail it to him crossed his mind, but he decided against it. Nash thought he would be doing too much, and receiving mail would stir a series of questions from his family, something Nash wanted to avoid. Putting his need for anything in his life to remain a secret, Nash opened the envelope. Admittedly, he was nervous and didn't know what to expect.

The letters Nash referenced were sweet and poetic, but he couldn't see Ace doing that. While he was somewhat good at expressing his feelings, Nash doubted Ace's poetic nature, if he had any. There were a lot of grounds they needed to cover with each other. For now, they'll start with this letter.

Hi. Hello. How are you? How doth thy day fare? Honestly, I've never written a letter before. I thought this would be like texting, but too bad I can't write it in my notes before I send it. Let's see how many papers I crumble before I get it right. Should I start with something sweet? The moment I saw you in Do'Nuts buying a box of chocolate frosted donuts and scowling when the cashier asked if you wanted to add any jelly-filled ones, I didn't know I would fall head over heels in love with you, but I knew I couldn't forget you since. I want to apologize again for when we first had a real encounter. I'd be sad if you didn't accept my feelings, but I would understand because I gave you a hard time when you wanted to buy your favorite book. While our opinions may differ on the rating of the book, I'll leave that in the past. If you do accept my feelings, how overjoyed I would be, and as such, I apologize in advance for ruining your "The CEO's unexpected soulmate." storyline. But fair not, all hope is not lost.

The Book Nook, owned by my grandfather, I reopened it since it was sitting there gathering dust, and the old coot refused to do anything to it. With that said, CEOs come in all shapes and forms. I've realized you're a man who dreams a lot, living in the expectations and fantasies of your world, and I like that about you. That means I have to compete with the men of romance who have Nashed your heart. But I'm not too worried because, in the end, I'm the one who would get every fiber of your being. Being around you has brought so much laughter and new experiences into my life, and I can't ignore the growing feeling inside me. I find myself drawn to your outspoken nature and your ability to be you comfortably.

Our first real encounter wasn't ideal, but I hope to put that behind us. If you're willing to give it a shot, not as friends but as boyfriends, I'd be the happiest man alive. I want to know you more. I want to show you how much I like you. I want my firsts to belong to you. I love you so much, Nash.

In this world that could end at any moment, I can't let my feelings end here. Your quirks and charms make my heart sing. I hope you feel the same and set my heart on fire!

With lots of love, Ace.

P.S. I wrote this ten times.

Nash couldn't help but chuckle ever so often while reading the letter. It was a mess. A far cry from what he expected; Still, it made his heart race and creeping smile that wouldn't leave his lips. It made Nash wonder if he always had such a taste when it came to romance. He applauded Ace's effort in courting him. As such, he couldn't let the moment end like this.

"Hello," Ace greeted.

"How doth thy night fare?" Nash teased.

"It's embarrassing knowing I wrote that. What was I thinking?" Ace replied. "So, how was it? The letter?"

"Not what I expected from my first handwritten letter," Nash replied. "It was fun and gave me second-hand embarrassment." They both laughed. "But I like it. You're stuck with this book, chocolate frosted donuts obsessed guy for God knows how long."

"Are you planning on breaking up with me? I thought we were going to get old together."

"Ok. Mr. Jumping the gun. That's something for the future."

"Thank you, Nash," Ace said. "For dating me."

"It's nothing to thank me for," Nash told him.

~~

A few months have passed since Nash and Ace started dating. As expected of Nash's first romantic experience, he had many firsts. Were they great? Maybe because he was doing it with Ace, everything felt fantastic. Practice makes perfect, Nash remembered. He was writing his own story, a drastic change from his fantasies because that's all they were: fantasies formed from his desire to experience the perfect romance in novels. The type that made him go: "Damn. Where can I find a man like that?" His relationship with Ace didn't stop him from having his head deep in a book. The BookNerd website remained the same: a bunch of self-proclaimed critics reading smut with a straight face arguing with fellow users daily. Nash thought Ace would fit right into the scene based on his strong opinion of one of Nash's favorite books, but Ace wasn't an avid reader.

The Book Nook was going better than before. People suddenly made a grand discovery, boosting sales and keeping Ace busy. Thank you, Amy, for promoting and improving the store decor. While Nash helped out at the bookstore due to Ace's wrist, which had healed, he would still stop by and help after work. Yes, Nash was now an official member of the working society. He was an elite employee of the cafe they often visited. Hopefully, someday, Nash will put that piece of paper he spent four years to get to work. For now, he didn't have any ideas of quitting. At least his dad was super happy about it. The man grinned ear to ear when he found out.

As he approached The Book Nook after a long day at work, Nash didn't think he would find love in the small confines of a bookstore. His story wasn't about the rich CEO falling in love with him as he hoped. Looking back, it was silly how Nash thought a billionaire would pop up out of thin air and profess his love. His story may not be the same. It was closer to enemies to lovers and he accepted how it led to his first love. Nash thought about how a small snippet of his life would be a feast for readers or maybe not. It was a tough crowd to please. The BookNerd Forum was proof of constant comparison and essays about why a book was or wasn't good. But whatever the future held. How the rest of his life played out. Nash welcomed it with open arms.

"You're here," Ace greeted him with the biggest smile. "Come here, you look exhausted."

"Try dealing with customers that complain about everything." Nash buried himself into Ace's arms, getting that well-needed recharge. "I missed you."

"I missed you too."