𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐋𝐋

C H A P T E R N I N E

Now someone finally offered me help and my first instinct was to destroy that chance. Alex was right again when he said she doesn't know, not like we do. She wasn't there when everything happened so how could she have known? Alex only knows because there was a time period he lived with us and Jace stook around enough to find out. It's why they were all I had back then. They weren't blood related but they sure as hell was still my family.

I can't help but think about how I might even have ruined my bond with Valerie. A bond I wanted so badly.

"You're always right." I sigh as I admit the truth.

Alex was always considered the smartest. He always knows what to say. It's also why I go to him for advice, even Jace sometimes goes to him. He won't admit it though.

"Not always. There's a few things I was wrong about." I see him try to hide a smile. When he realizes I caught him he coughs to try to play it off. "Got something you want to talk about?" I ask suspiciously.

"This moment isn't about me. You have to think about what you're going to do to get Valerie back." He pauses for a minute to think about his next words. "I like her with you. You seem more..." He trails off.

"More what?" I ask.

"Happy." There's a moment of silence between us that makes my mind linger back to her. I am happier around her.

I need to get her back. I need a plan or some type of an idea. I can't just apologize to her and expect her to forget about what I did. I owe her more than an apology.

"Got any suggestions on how to win her back?" I ask the mastermind himself.

"Uh uh man. You have to do this on your own."

"And here I thought we were brothers." I joked.

Alex shook his head. "We are but if you really like her the way you say you do then whatever you do has to come from you. You have to mean it too." His smartass was right again.

"Yoohoo what I miss?" Jace comes running towards us. Alex and I look at him in disbelief when he gets closer. He has kiss marks all over him, all the same color too. The lipstick even looks familiar but for some reason I can't remember who.

"Who's lipstick is that?" Alex asks.

"Don't get jealous Alexboo, there's enough Jace for everyone." I can't help but laugh at Alex's facial expression and how now he's the victim of Jace's teasing. "What can I say though, the ladies love me." Jace licks his lips and I roll my eyes.

"Real funny deutschbag. This time the joke may be on you." Alex says, making Jace gasp as a result.

"Fuck that. The joke is never on me, it's always on you." That saying gave me flashbacks for whenever Jace used to say that whenever we were kids. We all had our little catchphrase we thought was cool back then. It was idiotic but it was our thing.

Thinking of it now no one really understood us but we all understood each other. That's all that mattered.

"Anyways, I was just asking about ideas on how to get Valerie to forgive me for lashing out on her." Jace's eyes widened.

"You lashed out on her?! Bad Knoxypoo!" He slaps my shoulder making me grunt.

"Don't start man. This is serious." I haven't been more serious about anything before.

"Fine, fine. Describe her."

"What?"

"I said describe her. Say what you like about her the most."