Cheating The Deck [boyxboy]

Cheating The Deck {21}

                Ike rang up my order. "What did Ace do now?"

                "What I should've expected all along," I said, holding my money out to him.

                Ike handed me back my change and pulled his phone out of his pocket, carelessly tossing it to me. "Help yourself. He's out of control. Maybe Alexis can do something before he winds up dead somewhere. I can't afford a funeral."

                "You really think he'll die young, don't you?" I said, scrolling through his contacts. There was only one Alexis in his phone, and I typed the number into my own phone.

                "Realistically? Yes." Ike grabbed a cup to make my drink. "He's been digging his own grave for years. It's just a matter of when he'll finally fall into it."

                "So pull him away from the edge," I said. "You're content to let him fall in?"

                "Ace doesn't listen to anyone. Alexis is the only person who ever had any luck with him." Ike capped my drink and slid it across the counter to me. "You think we haven't tried? Jer camps out on the porch until Ace comes home. Christian slips money into his wallet while he's not around. I buy him books every holiday to keep him busy with something that won't kill him. We've been trying for years to keep him out of trouble. He likes the rush of it. Sometimes I think he wants it to all be over."

                I picked up my drink. "Yea, well, I guess you should know. We were at the store today and he...I don't know, he went a little catatonic. He just stood there with this terrified face. I don't know what happened, but I had to slap him to snap him out of it."

                "He's coming apart," Ike said.

                He turned away from me, ending our conversation. I took my drink and left, going back outside and getting in my car.

                I set the drink down and dialed Alexis's number. I held the phone to my ear as it rang, hoping he wouldn't ignore me too. Shit, what if he was at work?

                "Hello?" answered a faintly familiar voice.

                "Alexis, right?" I said, wondering if there was a less creepy way to do this. Eh, whatever.

                "Yes. I'm sorry, who is this?" His voice was polite, probably his façade.

                "I'm Jack. Ace's, uh...Well, when I met you I guess I was sort of his friend but not really?" I tried.

                "Oh, I remember you. I'm sorry, I didn't recognize your voice. Is Ace okay?" There was a slight fracture in the polite tone when he asked about Ace. So he thought Ace would be a goner sooner rather than later, too.

                "He's...I don't know. Look, is there any way we can meet up? This would be easier face-to-face," I said.

                "Sure. If it's not too much trouble, you could come to my apartment." He gave me his address and we hung up the phone.

                I drove myself down to the apartment and got out of the car. I knocked on the door and Alexis pulled it open.

                "Sorry. Micah is sick, so I can't leave today," he said, letting me into the apartment. "That's the only reason I'm even home right now."

                He led me to a living room area and we both sat in chairs there. Alexis looked tired, heavy bags seemingly permanent under his eyes.