~Jace POV~
I was waiting patiently for Chase to come over. I had to admit, it felt great having someone to keep me company. I felt so alone in this old and broken home. I knew I shouldn’t have let them go.
I shook my head as I tried to read one of my favorite books, it wasn’t working. I kept getting off track with my thoughts. I ended up throwing the book across the room. At that moment someone knocked on my door. I opened it up finding Chase. He looked pissed.
“What happened today?” I asked. “Well…me and Josh are friends…sort of. We have issues with each other. He knows about you…he doesn’t like you.” He said. Of course he would know…Matthew would tell him of course. I nodded. “And I don’t like him.” I said before I realized I was saying it. I walked away then and went to pick up my book. Chase shut the door. “Jace I don’t want to talk about him right now. I’ve had enough of him to last me a good four months. I want to talk about you.” He said.
Why would this child want to talk about me? I thought that he was in love with his little friend. I nodded hesitantly. “Ok.” I saw as his whole face twisted into pure pain. I didn’t like that. And then I took a good look at what he was wearing.
It really surprised me, considering he was dressed completely different yesterday. I looked from his shoes to his face. Still not happy. But less pain. His eyes were in a medium between liquid and solid. There was no light in them what so ever. I didn’t like it at all. But why?
I shook my head and invited him to the kitchen. He followed quietly. I poured myself some water and offered him a drink. He shook his head, we both sat at the island. “Ask away.” I said.
“Are you nineteen?” He asked. I nodded. “What’s going on between you and Matthew?” He asked harshly. I looked him dead in his eye and saw just how much pain he was in. I sighed. “We were the best of friends, like you and Josh. But instead of doing what you did to drive yourselves apart, we got together. And then one day I woke up and my bed was empty, his clothes were gone, all that was left was a note that said he didn’t mean to get me mixed up in a mess. I don’t know what he meant…and I was in love…” I said. I felt the tears brim, but bit my lip to keep from crying. I wouldn’t cry.
“ How long were you two together?” He asked cautiously. “Nine months.” I answered truthfully. He nodded his head. He seemed distant today. “What’s wrong?” I asked. He shook his head. “Just something’s my friends said today. I thought I could push it to the back of my mind and act like it never happened but I was wrong.” He said. Things were beginning to feel awkward. And then I got an idea. One that I hope wasn’t about to fuck everything up.
“You wanna go somewhere?” I asked. He looked up at me, curiosity in his eyes. “Like?” He prompted. I chuckled at him. “Well, I have a cousin who lives in the next town over and he happens to own a club there…I could get us in.” I said. His face lit up but then it paled also. “What?” I asked. “Um…is your cousin a twenty-three year old…that goes by the name of Tristan?” He asked. I nodded. “How do you know?” I asked. He reached behind him into his back pocket and pulled out a key. “What about it?” I asked.
“There’s only five other keys to match it. He owns the house it goes to.” Chase said. I finally caught on. “You know him.” I said. He nodded. “Well how’d you meet him?” I asked curious as to how he came across my cousin in the next town over. He seemed to flinch visibly and I watched as the happiness recoiled inside again. He shook his head and looked down. “Ask him yourself if you want to know. Or more like ask Damien.” He whispered.
I reached out to him and lifted his face up. His eyes were avoiding mine. I just stared, waiting for him to crack.
Five minutes passed ad he didn’t crack.
I sat for an hour in the same position about to finally give up but he broke.
“When I had shoved Josh…I ran from home that day. I was in the next town over and had taken my dads old RK-59, along with the box cutter from moms dresser.” He paused. I wanted to the rest but was too afraid to hear it, already knowing what was going to happen. “I was walking the streets…it was a weekend. I had somehow ended up behind the club that night. I tried to kill myself in the ally. I had cuts on both arms that were deep, and I was becoming unconscious and wanted to just end it so I took the loaded gun and accidentally shot it at the ground, the bullet ricocheted of the ground and the wall and caught my shoulder that had it re-aimed at my head and I pulled the trigger as I moved my arm from the hit, I missed.
Damien came out to see what was happening. He found me and dragged me inside. I met everyone including Tristan. He’s a pain in the ass but I love him to death. He took care of me and got me fixed up. Then we went and bought new clothes. Tristan bought me the Mustang GT and sent me home.” He said.
I stood from my place and then pulled him up. I wanted to bitch slap him for trying to kill himself over a boy, but instead…I surprised him and myself by kissing him. I pulled him to me and wrapped my arms around him. I didn’t care if there was emotion, I wanted him to know that I was here.
His stiff body relaxed after a few seconds and I felt him kissing me back. I couldn’t hold grin as I kissed him more. I licked his bottom lip and he let me in. Our tongues danced against one another and then I nibbled lightly on his bottom lip. I felt his body shake and could guess he was laughing. His arms wound round my neck and his fingers were playing with my hair. This boy was such a girl at times. But I liked it. My body seemed to dissolve at his touch. It was hard to resist him. I wanted him.
My eyes opened at that and I could see his face. It was…peaceful. I squeezed him to me harder and then slowly pulled away. His eyes fluttered open. They seemed to instantly harden and I could only think of how I wanted to get inside his head at this particular moment.
“Wow.” He whispered. I looked away. “You want to watch a few movies before we go? I mean we only have to leave in an hour.” I said. “Sure. Hey I’m going to go tell my mother I’m staying here for the night. You want to come over? I want her to meet you.” He said nervously. I chuckled and looked at him. “Why not.” I said. In the corner of my eye I noticed his features lighten up and then he smiled but thought I wasn’t looking and decided to hide it. I grabbed his hand and pulled him behind me after tossing my plastic cup into the sink. We walked out the door and I smiled looking to the sky. I let him lead me through the woods. It was quiet and I looked to find him thinking as he walked. I let go of his hand and wrapped my arm around his waist to pull him closer. He was shocked at first then just went with it. It felt nice to have someone to hold. I missed this feeling.
“I’m inviting someone…” He trailed off. His look was worried. I stopped walking and turned him to face me. “Why do you act skittish?” I asked him. He shrugged. “You have nothing to worry about with me.” I assured. He shrugged again. “So who is it?” I asked. He stiffened. “You’ll see. It’s a surprise.” He answered after a few minutes. I could tell it was going to be hell, by the way he was acting. We began walking. He didn’t want to be close to me again so I linked our pinky fingers together.
It took about three minutes to get to his front door. He opened it up and walked in with me behind him. “Ma.” He called out. He took a few steps forward and shut the door behind me. “Ma!” He said louder. “Sorry dear, I was in my room with the door shu-Hi.” She said when she spotted me. She looked at Chase. “Is this him?” She asked. He nodded and blushed. “Hi. I’m Stacy, Chase’s mother.” She said while extending her arm, I shook it and then kissed her knuckles in a chivalrous way. She blushed and then cleared her throat. “Chase you never told me his name.” She said.
I chuckled at him. He shot me a glare. “His name is Jace.” He muttered. Smiled a warm smile at me. “So Jace, you’re the one that has gotten him all happy like his normal self.” She said as she figured something out that I didn’t know. I looked at him and he looked away. “I make you happy?” I asked. “Hey ma, I was wondering if I could stay the night at Jace’s house. He lives directly behind us through the woods.” He said to Stacy, he was avoiding my question. “Don’t come home with a hickey and we will be ok.” She said sternly. He took off up the stairs to his room.
“Come.” His mother said and walked off. I followed her to the kitchen. She sat at a bar and I sat beside her. “How old are you? You look older than sixteen or seventeen so I assume eighteen or nineteen.” She said. “I’m nineteen.” I answered honestly. She laughed and shook her head. “I always knew he was into to older people. I always told him no one your age. But I will make an exception. The first time you hurt my little boy I will forbid him for spending as much time over there.” She said looking me dead in the eye. I looked around. A particular picture caught my attention. I got up and went to look at it.
It was of Chase, and some other people. There were two older men, two older women, a set of twins, and then Chase. Chase and the twins looked the same age. I saw how happy Chase was in the picture compared to how he looks now. I want to see him that happy. I could only guess the other boy his age was Josh and the twin to Josh was his sister since they were identical aside from gender.
“I haven’t seen him very happy since ninth grade.” I heard a whisper. I turned around to find his mother watching me. “I’m sure you’ve figured out half the people in that picture. That was the last picture that Jessica and I took with our husbands and children. My husband was sick and died three months later. Her husband died from a car accident. And then that’s when our families fell apart. Our sons stopped talking to each other. And now I don’t know what’s happening. I could feel the tension last night while they talked. But they seemed to get along before they left. This morning Jessica and I watched our sons nearly fight each other over clothing.” Stacy said. I nodded quietly. What the hell has happened between the two they seem so happy together. Maybe what I’m doing is wrong.
I look up too see Chase emerge from the stairs with a purple bag. He was ready. “Well Mrs. Stacy it was nice to meet you.” I said and went back to the door. “it was nice meeting you to.” She said with a nod. Chase hugged his mother and then kissed her cheek. “Take care of yourself.” He said in her ear. She squeezed him tight and then let him go. “Go grow up baby.” She said warmly to him. He smiled then turned to me. I opened the door and we walked out. “I’m driving.” He said. I followed him to his Mustang. It was sexy.
He unlocked and I got in. He got in after me and he drove around to my street and parked at my house. Tonight was going to be fun.