Cheating The Deck [boyxboy]

Cheating The Deck {24}

                "Get off your ass. Lunch is ready. Quit being a fucking self-centered diva," he said, turning to leave the room. He paused in the doorway and glanced back at me. "Even if he found you, he can't do anything. Congratulations Ace, you're a fucking adult."

                He left my room, leaving the door open as he went. I got up, eyeing my laptop before leaving the room as well.

                Jer was right; it was over. He could find me, but I was too old to drag back. I'd worked hard to keep myself untraceable so that he couldn't find me, but it didn't even matter anymore. I'd stayed hidden until I was 18, and now I was safe from the prison he disguised as a home.

                I went downstairs, where Jer and Christian were sitting at the table. They'd made pasta, dropping us back into our monotonous eating routine.

                "Ike's at work," Christian said, sliding a plate to me as I sat down.

                "What a hardworking hero," I said, picking up my fork and digging in.

                "Don't you have work tonight?" Jer asked.

                I shrugged, because I had a feeling I wouldn't show up. I knew I needed the money, but I had something more important to do and I didn't know how long it would take me.

                I glanced at my friends, feeling stupid for not realizing it before. Jer hadn't been surprised by the information of me that I'd been looking at.

                They must have seen it before. They must have all seen it. Maybe they'd been keeping an eye on it to make sure no one was close to finding me.

                I looked out of the window, wondering why it had taken me so long to piece it together. I reached up and rubbed the scar near my ear, bursts of my Aunt's anger and my father's threats exploding in my mind. Things I'd always associated with love as a child, because surely they were just trying to mold me into a good man.

                "Hey, Ace, quit zoning out. You're dropping your food," Christian said.

                I looked down and realized that pasta had slipped off of my fork onto the ground. I bent down and picked it up, effortlessly tossing it into the garbage can across the room. I set my fork down and stood up, my appetite gone. I had to silence my thoughts and do what I had to do.

                "Don't waste your food," Jer said in annoyance, grabbing my arm and yanking me back into the chair.

                I looked at him, reading between the lines. Eat something. Don't wreck your health anymore.

                But my stomach was twisting itself into tight knots and I knew I wouldn't be able to force my food down. So I stood up again and forced a smirk.

                "I'll feed you, fatass. I've got work to get to," I said, sliding him my plate and stepping away before he could grab my arm again.

                I left the kitchen and went upstairs, shutting my bedroom door. I pulled out my cellphone, dialing Ryan's number.     

      

                "Hey Ace," he answered after a few rings.

                "So, remember that time at the restaurant that it was really busy and I helped you out and said you owed me?"