Adler | The Aces of St.Sinclair BOOK 1.

Exposed | A FOURTEEN

Our food arrived and fortunately, I ended up really enjoying my order even if I hadn't picked it. I could tell Garren noticed this too when he was passing me a smug look like he expected me to bow down in gratitude. I feigned unawareness to it.
When we were set to depart, Will appeared to be in better spirits since the encounter with his ex and as we made a start for the car, Garren suddenly pulled my arm back to halt me.

"There's one last thing you'll be required to have as an Ace.” He slid his hand into his coat pocket and in the next moment, a turquoise phone was in front of me.

I blinked. "... Wait, for me?"

"No, it's for the waiter. I thought the cheque wasn't generous enough for getting my order just right,” Garren said dryly. I might've believed him if he hadn't pushed the device into my hands.

I narrowed my eyes. "Is this some kind of incentive to guilt trip me with something overly ostentatious so I'll be morally obligated to try and return the favour?"

Garren blinked. "You've never gotten anything from a guy, have you?"

At that, I was ready to throw the hunk of metal onto his face but as if reading right through me yet again, he raised his hands in defense. "There's no subliminal meaning. I told you, there are requirements to being an Ace. One of which being that I expect you to use the same means of contact."

On that mention, I took a closer look at the device. True to his word, it was the same model of phone as the three all owned but other than the different colour shade, it carried my initials SP in thick cursive letters on the back underlined in gold. I didn't even want to know how much that additional custom cost but my brain was automatically cracking the numbers based on the manufacturing and how it was currently still advertised on TV three times yesterday.

"God, I can hear you literally trying to calculate the price." Garren sighed.

"Okay, okay I'll stop." I took a deep breath. "... Thanks, I guess." Never did I expect to be saying that I would be say such words sincerely to Adler of all people.

"What did we just go over? It's not a gift, Stevie. So there's no need to feel like owing me. Technically, I should be the one..." He seemed to stop himself, choosing to dismiss it as unneeded. "Look, it's yours. You're keeping it and not paying me back. That's all."

Except that was easier said than done. After all, he'd gone to bother making it my favourite colour. Which I knew he did intentionally, even if he denied it because Will and Ben's were black. That attentive touch was undeniably gift-like attributes to me but I didn't want to argue so I kept it to myself.

In return, Garren nodded and just for a moment I saw a smile grace his lips that wasn't his mocking or prideful one. It was gone before I could even soak it in. "Let's get you to that school you're so attached to."

I nodded and followed him to the car where Will and Ben are waiting. When I reached for the handle, Garren's hand unhinged it before I could and I caught a puzzled expression on Will's face at the other boy's action. He wasn't alone on the feeling as I slipped in then their leader climbed up front and we were off to the academy.

Will ever so slightly leaned towards me when he'd verified Garren wasn't watching. "Okay, what did you do? I haven't seen Garren open a door for anyone but himself."

That didn't surprise me. Chivalrous was not a word I'd use to relate with him.

My mind flickered back to the party night, standing at the balcony with Garren. My lips parted to mention it, but I stopped myself at the last second. Did it really have any relevance to Garren's supposed odd behaviour when I was clueless as to what even happened?