The Quarterback, Outcast and Me ✔

Chapter Three - Ice Cream Bribes Are the Worst

"Fine."

"Fine."

We stood there looking at each other, none of us knew where to go from there.

"Kids, what's taking so long?" Patrick Jones's voice floated in from the hallway and with quick strides, Jace went over to the freezer and pulled out a tub of ice cream. Patrick appeared in the doorway, his eyes moving from me standing awkwardly to the side, to Jace by the freezer. 

"Just getting dessert dad," Jace said and he turned to look at me. I wondered if he was going to say anything to his father, but I didn't think he would. 

"Chloe, could you get the bowls? They're right behind you in the cupboard above you." His voice was calm and almost, if you'd care to believe it, caring, though I knew better. I nodded, keeping my eyes away from his and turned to fetch the bowls. 

Entering the dining room once again, Jace with the ice cream - mint chocolate chip I noticed, my fave - me with the bowls and Patrick carrying the spoons, my mother looked up from her seat at the table, her face easier to read than a children book; she already saw us like a perfect family, helping each other out in the kitchen. If I didn't know any better I'd be sure she would burst into tears, but she contained herself, though the pride in her eyes didn't go away. 

"I heard mint choc was your favourite Chloe," Patrick said as we all found our seats. I sent him a genuine smile, happy to transfer my attention from that spawn of his sitting opposite me.

"It sure is," I grinned, noticing smugly how my portion was just a little bigger than Jace's. 

"Even though she spewed green after eating a whole tub herself, it still didn't put her off." I felt my ears burn and cheeks flare as I turned my head and stared at my mother in utter disbelief. Her smile faded gradually as no one cared to comment on her little side remark. She finally saw me glaring at her.

"What honey? It's true? You were what, nine at the time?" Shaking my head I turned my focus to the bowl of delicious ice cream sitting right in front of me. Could she be anymore embarrassing? I dug into my dessert and felt all the tension melt away as the minty chocolate chip goodness engulfed all senses. 

I felt Jace's eyes on me before he even spoke. 

"Just warn us in case you need a bucket? Or the toilet." He choked down a laugh and I choked down a spiteful remark to throw in his face. I felt my ears heat up once more and busied myself with solely thinking about going home in a little bit, not having to see his face again until tomorrow at school. 

"Behave, Jace," Patrick said sternly and I was relieved, when I finally looked up, to see that time had somehow managed to move quicker than I had anticipated. 

"Mom, we should get home soon, I want to give Zeus a walk before it gets too dark." It was only eight and the sun was nowhere near ready to make its descend beyond the horizon. Still, I wanted to get away from that smug-faced dirtball across from me. If I hadn't already eaten all my ice cream, I'd consider throwing it in his face to wipe that grin away.
But no need to make myself a target at school. So far so good, and a small part of me had even hoped, with this whole family uniting thing, that we'd have somewhat a decent relationship, Jace and I. Friendship! I meant friendship! Oh jeez, even my own inner monologue was betraying me. Jace was a cocky jock, no matter his looks and seemingly flirtatious charm. 

It took us another good twenty-minutes before I finally managed to drag my mother out of the front door. She had insisted that her and Patrick needed to review some more wedding stuff so they had disappeared into his office, leaving me with Jace.