"I know you're dead inside, but you make me feel alive!"

I cracked my eyes open as music drifted into my ears. My hand reached out, slapping out around my dresser.

My hand hit my phone, but instead of the music turning off, the song changed. I groaned and dropped my head back onto my pillow. So it was going to be one of those days.

"Hey, a casual affair that could go anywhere, and only for tonight."

I picked my head back up, grabbing my phone and turning the music up. Well, I guess I'd just take this as a sign from some higher being and go out tonight.

Letting out a tired sigh, I pushed myself out of bed, stretching. I pocketed my phone, the music still playing out, and headed downstairs to get some breakfast.

"Turn that shit off," Jer growled. "It's too early."

"It's never too early to annoy you," I said, smirking.

"Ace," he said, narrowing his eyes at me. "Don't piss me off."

I sat down, kicking my feet up on the kitchen table, setting my phone next to them, and turning my music up even louder. Hey, I had to do something to keep myself entertained. Living in a house with three moody guys got boring after a while.

Jer was the moodiest of them. He had developed a new form of hatred for me recently, after...

No, no. Don't think about Alexis. He was gone. He had abandoned us. That wasn't my fault. I'd done what I had to in order to keep us together. I wasn't the reason he was gone.

"Hey!" I glared up as my phone was snatched off the table. Christian turned off my music and tossed my phone back to me.

"Jer was about to kill you," he informed me, moving to make himself breakfast.

I twisted in my chair to face Jer. "You know, you always say I'm the mentally fucked up one, but you're the one who wins 'most likely to be a murderer' in this house."

Jer threw a box of cereal at my head. "I wish you would shut up. If I do decide to become a murderer, you'll be my first victim."

I smacked the box to the floor. "I'm offended."

"Cut it out," Ike said, coming into the kitchen.

"Alright, party in the kitchen," I said, all of my housemates now assembled for a parade of morning bitching.

"Some of us actually have to get ready for work," Christian said, putting down a slice of bread in the toaster.

"Hey, I work. Sorry we don't all work morning shifts," I said, folding my hands behind my head.

"And now you've got no one to keep you company all day. If only you weren't such a child," Jer said, grabbing the cereal box off the floor and pouring himself a bowl.

"It's probably best. No one should leave children with Ace," Christian said.

"I'm right here, you know," I reminded.

"I'm aware. No one should leave children with you. You're manipulative," Christian said, grabbing his toast as it popped.

"Is this attack Ace day? I must have missed the memo," I said.

"Hurry up, Christian. I need to get to work," Jer said impatiently as he finished his cereal, ignoring me.

"I'll eat in the car," Christian said.

"Ike, are you riding with us?" Jer asked.

"I guess so," Ike said.

"Leaving me here alone," I said with a sigh.

"You wouldn't be alone if you hadn't chased Alexis and Micah out of the house," Jer said, leaving the room. Christian and Ike followed him, neither of them bothering a glance at me.

I glared after them, standing up and kicking the chair back. I moved after them, but the front door shut by the time I reached the living room. I clenched my fists, feeling furious.

I hadn't chased Alexis out of the house. That stupid rich boy he'd hooked up with took him from us. He broke the family we'd built for ourselves. He took Alexis and Micah.

I went upstairs, throwing open Alexis's bedroom door and going inside. His room was empty, no trace of him or the scared little boy who'd always been following after him.

"Bastard," I snarled, punching the wall of the room as hard as I could. I winced at the pain in my fist.

Letting my fist drop to my side, I left the room, slamming the door. I went into my own bedroom, kicking the door shut and going over to my messy bed.

I had been out of my house for five years, but I still couldn't shake the habit of keeping my room clean. My mother would go crazy when I was child if I didn't keep everything clean, but even after she was out of the picture, my dad stayed strict on it.

So I reluctantly made my bed, a slight satisfaction trickling in at the sight of the untucked corners and the wrinkles in the blanket. I stripped and pulled on clean clothes, heading back downstairs.

Boredom snapped to my attention almost instantly. When Alexis had lived at the house, I would babysit Micah for him while he worked. But Alexis had brought Micah with him when he left, so now I had nothing to do until it was time for me to work.

It was a new feeling for me. I'd been babysitting Micah almost every day since Alexis had discovered the five year old abandoned to the cold streets and brought him in.

Now what was I supposed to do? I didn't have the kid to keep me company anymore.

I sat down at the kitchen table, hating the silence as my thoughts crept in. I couldn't stop thinking about that damn bastard Alexis Beirne. That stupid, exhausted teenager who had offered me his food when I was alone on the streets, desperate and running out of money. The way he'd sit with me when he got out of work and offer me the little food that he had. The smile on his face when we all agreed to move in to this house together.

But now he was gone, all because he thought he was in love with some damn rich bitch who didn't understand Alexis the way we did. Jonas Holden. Alexis had worked with him at a grocery store, they'd started to get closer, I'd tried to stop it, and now Alexis and Micah had both moved out.

Jer, Ike, and Christian all blamed me for Alexis leaving. But so what if I had manipulated Micah a little? I'd only done it so Alexis would stay.

Slamming my hands on the table, I stood up. All this silence was going to be the damn death of me. I hated having time to think like this.

With nothing else to do and partially out of old habit, I found myself blasting my music and cleaning the entire house. The only rooms I didn't touch were the guys' rooms, since they tended to be pissbabies about anyone entering their rooms.

The house was almost never clean since four extremely overworked men lived in it, but after a few hours of me hiding from my own thoughts, the place was spotless. Dishes were cleaned and put away, the floors were all vacuumed, even the bathrooms were cleaned.

"Thank god," I said in relief, checking the time. I'd be a little early to work, but at least it'd give me something to do for the rest of the day. And when I got out of work, I could go out for some drinks and a fun time.

I ran upstairs and changed into my work clothes before leaving the house. I jumped on my bike and peddled my way towards work.

We could only afford one car and Jer got the privilege of driving it since he worked the farthest away. Without Alexis's salary to add into ours, we were poorer than ever.

I couldn't complain, though. At least I wasn't out on the streets digging through the trash for food anymore.

I reached work and chained my bike up before heading inside. I clocked in and moved to the front of the restaurant.

"Ace," one of my coworkers, Ryan, said in relief. "Oh thank god you're here. We're pretty busy. Mind seating a few people? You have your usual section."

"I'll seat a few. Then I'll do my actual job," I said.

"Don't be mean to me. Amanda called out sick so I'm on my own for seating. Do you see the crowd right now? There's one of me and billions of them," Ryan said hopelessly.

I smirked at him. "You're going to owe me."

"Shit," he said. "Owing you is never good."

My smirk grew and I pushed past him, checking the seating chart before leading several groups to free tables. I went back to my usual area and over to a family looking at their menus.

"Hi, I'm Ace and I'll be your waiter! Can I get you drinks to start with?" I asked with a charming smile. I had to be as charming as possible to make sure I got a good tip off these people. People were so cheap when it came to tipping. Those tips made up most of my money for this job and with Alexis gone at home, we couldn't afford to have me lose out on even a few extra dollars a table.

And so my shift went on. I kept the smile on my face, cracked out a few jokes, worked fast to get food out to people, checked on them at good intervals, charmed the hell out of them, and kept myself going with the thought of escaping to a bar or a club tonight.

My shift went by quickly, as it always seemed to. I left work, hopping on my bike and making my way home.

"Someone better be making dinner," I said as I came into the house.

"You should try doing it sometime," Ike called back, but I assumed he was cooking since his voice was coming from the kitchen.

I ran upstairs and stripped, getting into the shower and quickly washing off the smell of food. I got out and dressed, towel drying my hair and heading downstairs.

"You're seriously going out? Ace, we're broke. We don't have the money to be fucking around like damn teenagers," Jer snapped, noticing me.

"Calm down. I won't need to pay for my own drinks," I said, smirking and dropping into a chair.

"When are you going to grow up?" Jer glared at me.

"Growing up is lame," I said. Ike slid us all pasta, which is all we ever seemed to eat in this house.

"You're going to be hungover and you have work tomorrow," Ike said, sitting down. "Jer is right. It's time for you to grow up."

"It'd be great if Alexis was here since he was the only one who could ever talk some sense into your thick skull, but sadly, you emotionally abused the kid and chased Alexis out," Jer said, smacking my food to the floor. "Eat like the fucking dog you are."

My smirk was dangerous now. I was so sick of them treating me like this. Like it was my fault Alexis had abandoned all of us.

Ike scraped half of his food onto a new plate, sliding it to me. "Cut it out, Jericho."

"Maybe Alexis abandoned us because he was sick of living with assholes like you," I said to Jer.

"Jesus fucking Christ, Ace! He didn't abandon us! The only person who abandoned you was your fucking mom," Jer said in annoyance.

"Good riddance to her," I said, shrugging and eating my food.

I stood up when I was done, tossing my plate into the sink and going upstairs. I grabbed my wallet, pulling a beanie on over my hair. After checking my appearance in the mirror, I grabbed my phone and went downstairs, leaving the house without a word to the others.

My favorite bar wasn't too far from the house, so I started the familiar walk down there. There was always an abundance of hot girls and gay guys down there, so maybe I could seduce a few drinks out of them. Besides, I wasn't exactly looking to go home tonight.

Reaching the bar after a few minutes, I flashed my I.D. to the security guard before slipping inside. The room was pulsating with music and fresh with the smell of perfume and alcohol.

There were three levels to the bar. The basement was for dancing, the main level was for drinks and light dancing, and the top level was for games.

I went down to the basement, throwing myself into the crowd of dancers. The music was loudest here, the room vibrating with the beat of the music.

I moved my body with the music, eyes scanning for anyone I could convince to buy me a few drinks. I spotted a girl who looked buzzed and alone, sliding up to her.

I grinned at her as I danced even closer. She returned the grin, pressing her body to mine lightly and dancing with me.

After dancing for a little, I guided her out of the crowd and up to the main level. She was only swaying lightly, which was a good sign.

"Let me buy you a drink," I said, leading her towards the bar, turning up my charm. "What's your name?"

"Carmen," she said. "What's your name?"

"Ace," I said, stopping at the bar. I slapped my hands against my pocket. "Oh, shit," I said in despair. "Someone must have taken my wallet while we were dancing."

"That's horrible," Carmen said, frowning. "I'll get us drinks!"

"No need."

We both looked over. A boy about my age was standing there, looking completely sober.

"Two rum and cokes, double shot," he said to the bartender, tossing down cash. The bartender got the drinks and the boy grabbed them, handing them to me and Carmen. He offered Carmen a smile. "Why don't you go and dance? My friend and I need to have a chat." He nodded at me, though I had no idea who he was.

Carmen took off to the basement to go dance again. The kid's smile dropped and he faced me as I sipped on the drink.

"So you play drunk girls for drinks?" he asked.

"You're sober and I still got a drink out of you," I said, raising it.

"Lay off the smugness, I only did it to get her away from you," he said. "By the way, your wallet is sticking out of your back pocket."

I tucked it back down. "Thanks for the tip." I winked at him before moving back towards the basement.

I downed the drunk and rejoined the dancing crowd, searching around for anyone else in a state like Carmen's. I spotted a boy who looked pretty wasted dancing up against another boy. The more sober looking one danced with him for a minute before moving on to another man.

I replaced him, going up to the drunk boy, letting him dance on me, grinning at him and getting my face teasingly close to his. He moved even closer to me, his hands sliding up to my shoulders, our bodies moving together messily to the pounding music.

I slowly urged him out of the crowd and up to the main level. "What's your name?" I asked him.

"Dex," he said, words slurred.

"Why don't we have a few drinks and then maybe have some fun?" I said, grinning seductively, letting my hand trail lightly down his arm.

He returned the grin. "Hell yea."

I checked my pockets and let out a string of curse words. "I can't find my wallet."

"I've got it," he said, eyeing my body appreciatively. He moved up to the bar, ordering us drinks and setting money down. He passed me a drink. I took it and sipped on it, loving the way it burned down my throat.

"Thanks," I said.

He stepped closer to me, running his hand down my chest. "Let's go have some fun now."

"Dex!"

I turned as the boy from earlier hurried over. He let out a sigh and tugged Dex off of me.

"No, no, no," he said. "You are completely wasted and I'm not letting you go home with some sleazy fuckboy." He glanced at me. "No offense."

"Offense taken," I said, tipping my drink back into my mouth.

"Damn, got a drink off of both of us," the boy said, shaking his head. "You're one smooth talking piece of shit."

"It's a talent," I said, grinning. "Why not let your friend there have some fun?"

"What, so you can hit it and quit it just for some drinks? Go find some other drunk, desperate moron. This one made the mistake of coming with a sober friend," the boy said.

Alexis flashed through my mind. He didn't like drinking. He'd always been the one to take care of me when I stumbled home too drunk to even get up the stairs.

"Maybe another time then," I said, winking at Dex.

"You, come with me," the boy said, dragging Dex along.

Dex broke free of him, coming back over to me. "Come back tomorrow and meet me here. I'll get us some drinks and we can really have some fun. I won't bring the cockblock with me."

"Sounds like a plan," I said, holding my drink up.

His friend grabbed him, shooting me a glare before dragging Dex away. I downed the rest of the drink and went back down to the basement, hoping I could get drunk enough to forget about Alexis and the second broken family I'd have to return to. If it meant I got more free alcohol, I'd come back to the bar after work tomorrow and meet up with Dex.

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IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ:

So, Radish launches this month, and I'll be posting Cheating The Deck there (CTD is the spin-off of Alone Together, but can be read as a separate story, so if you didn't read Alone Together, you don't have to). Some of you have already read this chapter if you signed up for the Radish mailing list. I'm going to wait until the second chapter of CTD goes up on Radish before I post it here (same thing will go for chapter 3).

For those of you who don't know, Radish is a website where writers can post their stories (as of right now, writers are exclusively chosen). The first 3 chapters of all stories are free, and after that, readers pay a very, very small amount to read the rest of the story. I'm going with a pricing model that will make each of my chapters free after they've been up for a week, so people who want to support me can pay and get early access, and people who can't afford to support me can read them after a week.

Please, please, please, if you haven't already, sign up for the Radish mailing list here: radishfiction.com/?a=skenekidz (you can also message me for the link). Who knows, maybe we can get some free coins out of this (coins are how you purchase the chapters)!

So please, let me know what you think of Cheating The Deck so far, and sign up for the Radish mailing list!

I pushed open the front door of the house, creeping in and nearly stumbling against the wall. I hadn't managed to get drunk, just buzzed enough to not notice that my idiot friends had left their shoes thrown about the hallway.

I closed the door and walked towards the kitchen, almost expecting Alexis to be there. But of course he wasn't there. He was off in some shitty ass apartment with a five year old kid that wasn't even related to him, fucking his boyfriend and forgetting about the guys he'd called his family for years.

Grabbing myself a glass, I poured water and chugged it. I went upstairs, glaring at Alexis's old bedroom as I passed by it.

I went into my bedroom and stripped down to my boxers, dropping onto my bed. I slung an arm over my eyes, lying in the darkness.

It wouldn't have mattered whether or not I'd come home. The guys here wouldn't notice if I was gone. Hell, I could be dead and they wouldn't even know it.

I wonder if my father knows I'm gone.

I rolled over, pulling a pillow over my head. How stupid. Of course my father would notice that his only child had been missing for five years. After all, he'd noticed when his wife pulled a vanishing act.

There had always been a desire in me, a need to go online and search my own name, to see if anyone had ever tried to find me. But I would never give into that urge. I didn't care about my deadbeat family.

Closing my eyes, I focused on the light buzz from the alcohol, that little pounding in my head that I wished would erupt into a roar. I didn't want to think anymore.

***

"How much money did you waste last night?" Ike asked as I came into the kitchen.

"Can you wait until I've been awake for more than five minutes before you start bitching?" I said, sitting down and rubbing my eyes.

"No. How much?" Ike repeated.

"None. Do you see how good I look? I don't need to buy my own drinks," I said, smirking.

"You're also sleazy as hell," Jer said, entering the kitchen and leaning against the counter. "I bet you're that asshole that tricks drunks into buying you drinks." He snickered. "I'm not surprised though; there's no low you wouldn't drop to just for a few drinks."

"Oh, harsh," I said, propping my elbow up on the table and resting my cheek against the palm of my hand. "It's not my fault you look like a horse stomped on your face when you hit puberty."

"Are they already starting? Didn't they just wake up?" Christian asked as he entered the kitchen.

"Just reminding my friend Jericho here that he looks like roadkill," I said cheerfully. "This is why they warn women not to do all those drugs while pregnant."

"Get your facts straight, kid. My mom wasn't a junkie until I was six," Jer said, sitting on the counter. "Unlike your mother, mine didn't want to fuck me up in the womb."

"Will you both shut up?" Ike said. He poured himself a glass of water and leaned against the counter. "Jer, give me a ride to work. I don't feel like biking."

"Don't tell me what to do," Jer said in annoyance.

I got up and poured myself a bowl of cereal, sitting back down with it. The others moved around the kitchen in search of food.

"Why the fuck do we never have food?" Jer said, looking frustrated as he slammed a cupboard shut.

"Partially because we're embarrassingly broke and partially because Alexis always did the shopping," Ike said. "We need to stop at the store either today or tomorrow. We're too low on food."

"I vote the guy with the car goes," Christian said.

"Fuck you. Fine, give me money and I'll go after work," Jer said.

Ike knelt down, opening one of our cupboards and pushing aside various pots and pans. He pulled out a small baggie and stood up, opening it and handing Jer money from it. He grabbed a pen and scribbled the new amount of money on a piece of paper, tucking it into the baggie and replacing it.

"We'll fill it up with more when we get paid," Ike said, kicking the cupboard shut.

"So don't go wasting money," Christian said, glancing at me.

"I have not wasted any money," I said, folding my hands behind my head and tilting back in my chair. "Unlike you three dead-inside adults, I know how to have some fun without throwing all my money away."

"Us dead-inside adults don't keep pretending that we're carefree teenagers," Ike said. "Grow up, Ace."

"I've got plenty of time to be a boring adult," I said, letting my chair fall back to its normal position. I picked up my spoon and began to eat my cereal.

"Let's go. We're not his fucking babysitters," Jer said, leaving the room. Christian followed after him quickly.

"Don't get too reckless just because Alexis isn't here to get a handle on you," Ike said to me before following them.

I finished my cereal, setting the bowl in the sink. Alexis wasn't my master. I didn't answer to anyone.

I went upstairs and dropped down on my bed, picking up a book and flipping it open. I hated having nothing to do. I never thought I'd actually miss babysitting Micah.

The day passed slowly, with me switching between reading and cleaning the house again. If I didn't find a new way to pass the time, I was going to find myself getting into trouble.

Getting dressed for work, I biked my way down there, chaining up my bike before heading inside. I went back to my usual section and went about taking orders and turning on my charm.

It wasn't as busy as yesterday, so I found myself drifting towards the front. Ryan glanced at me as he arranged a stack of menus.

"You're restless," he said.

"I've got plans after work," I said.

"Get through your shift first," he said, shooing me away.

I sighed and went back to my section, checking on tables and ringing up bills. I almost wished that we were insanely busy so that this shift would pass faster.

I was insanely relieved when my shift finally did end. I left work, biking home and ignoring the voices I could hear in the living room as I ran up the stairs.

I hopped in the shower, washing myself quick before getting out and getting dressed. I fixed my hair and grabbed my wallet, heading downstairs.

"Don't tell me you're going out again," Ike said, noticing me as I entered the kitchen.

"Then I won't tell you," I said, smirking and grabbing some bread. I made myself a sandwich, sitting down and beginning to eat.

"Jer and Christian are going to be pissed," Ike said.

"You say that like I'm supposed to care," I said.

"Don't be stupid and reckless," he said.

The smirk came back to my face. "Now, would I do that?"

"You never do anything else." He left the room, leaving me alone to finish eating.

I stood up when I was done, making sure my wallet was hidden in my pocket this time before slipping out of the house. I started walking down the steps of the porch.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going?"

"Out, mom," I said, glancing over my shoulder at Jer. "Unless you're grounding me."

"When are you going to grow up and quit partying and wasting money? If you get an STD, we're kicking you out. That shit is expensive," he said.

"Good thing I'm safe," I said, winking and heading down the rest of the steps.

"One of these days you're going to go home with the wrong person and they'll find you strangled under a bed a week later!" Jer called after me. "Good fucking riddance to you, moron!"

I pleasantly raised my middle finger as I walked away. It was Jer's own way of saying "be safe", but I wasn't in the mood to hear it right now.

I walked back to the bar I'd been to last night, flashing my I.D. before heading inside. I looked around, wondering if Dex would even show up. If not, that was fine. I'd just find someone else to buy me drinks.

After looking around a little, I leaned against the wall, pulling out my phone. Damn, I should've gotten the guy's number.

Maybe he'd been so drunk that he didn't remember saying he'd meet me tonight. Or maybe his cockblock friend had kept him home.

Regardless, I wouldn't let it bother my night. There were plenty of other people down on the dancefloor, drunk and looking for some drinks and a good time. I stuffed my phone in my pocket and pushed myself off of the wall.

"Hey!"

The voice was less slurred than yesterday, but still recognizable. I smirked as I turned to face Dex.

His face was flushed with intoxication, but he looked a little less drunk than last night. He came over to me, eyeing me carefully.

"You're that guy from yesterday," he said.

"Yea, I am. You wanted me to meet you," I said.

"Right, right!" He clumsily pulled out his wallet. "Let's go get drinks, c'mon!"

"Is your friend here?" I asked, letting Dex lead me to the bar.

He shook his head. "No, I ditched that fun killer."

"Good," I said as we sat at the bar. Dex ordered us drinks and I got to work burying my sober self in the bottom of a shot glass.

"You never told me your name," Dex said. He was drinking much slower than me, already a few drinks deep judging by the way he had trouble focusing on me.

"Ace," I said.

"Have a few more drinks and then come back to my place," he said, the look in his eyes eager and hungry.

I grinned. "Sounds like a plan."

I took several more shots. Dex had a few more drinks as well, paying for us. I found myself getting dangerously tipsy after a while, forcing myself to stop drinking. I wasn't looking to get blackout drunk if I was going home with a guy I barely knew.

"Come on," Dex said, getting up and swaying a little. "I don't live far from here."

We left the bar together, Dex leaning on me for support. He led me a few blocks over and up to a house.

He pushed the door open, revealing that it was an apartment. He led me up the stairs and into a small hallway.

"My room is through the kitchen," he said, pulling me along.

"Anyone home?" I asked.

"Don't know. Don't care," he said as we passed through the kitchen. I heard the door we had just come through downstairs creak open, so I guess we weren't alone. Not that it mattered. As long as his door locked, we were fine.

He led me into a slightly messy bedroom, shutting the door and locking it. He pushed me and we both stumbled onto his bed.

He reached under his bed and pulled out a bottle of liquor, taking the cap off and taking a swig from the bottle. He offered it to me and I copied him.

The alcohol burned as it made its way down my throat, a pleasant sting. I passed the bottle back to Dex after having another swallow of it.

He nearly dropped the bottle but managed to keep his grip on it. Man, I hoped he didn't pass out before things got fun.

After bringing the bottle back to his lips and chugging a little more, he set it down next to his bed. He shifted and accidentally kicked the bottle out, some of it spilling to the floor.

"Ah, damn," he mumbled, picking the bottle up and capping it.

I laughed. "Smooth." I was pleased to hear the slur of my speech. This was where I wanted to be right now. Drunk and it an attractive guy's bedroom.

As if reading my mind, Dex turned to me and made his move. Our lips came together, skipping the gentle stage and quickly easing into something much more intense than that.

This was my life. I wasn't anyone's little bitch. I didn't answer to Alexis or Ike or Jer or Christian or anyone. I did what I wanted to with anyone I wanted to.

I bowed to no rules and no people. My strict father hadn't been able to keep his hold over me. I had my freedom and this was what I chose to do with it.

So I pushed away thoughts of the disapproving look Alexis had always given me when I'd stumble into the house in the early hours of the morning. Instead, I focused on Dex as we sank back against his bed together.

-----------------------------------------

A.N.- Hey everyone, good news! Radish launched in the app store and is now available for iOS! Just search "Radish fiction" in the app store to find it. I know some reviews said it was crashing, but I personally haven't had a problem with it yet and the Radish team seems to be aware of the problem and working on it (if that haven't solved it already).

On Radish right now, you can find the first 4 chapters of Cheating The Deck. So head over there to read early because I won't be posting the next chapter on Wattpad until next week or so.

Also, please be patient with the app. Radish is a small team and they're working so hard to bring more features to it. I know a lot of writers are hoping for a comment section. Right now, it's basic, but it'll grow as it gains more popularity and as the team works on it more. So please, support me and the other writers on there and be patient with this app as it grows! Feel free to message my Wattpad account to let me know what you think of the CTD chapters posted on Radish, or if you have any questions!

I cracked my eyes open, feeling exhausted. I looked over, seeing Dex fast asleep next to me.

I sat up, rubbing my eyes and running my hands through my hair. I needed some coffee and a shower.

Crawling out of his bed, I pulled my clothes on and made sure I had my wallet and phone. I crept out of his room, closing the door quietly as I went.

I checked my phone, but had no texts or missed calls. Not even surprised, I stuffed the phone back in my pocket and walked through the kitchen.

"Leaving so soon?"

I jumped and spun to face the boy who'd pulled Dex away from me at the bar the other night. He was sitting at the kitchen table on a laptop.

"I knew you were a hit it and quit it guy," he said with a sigh.

"What, do you want me to go back in there and cuddle him?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. I yawned and rubbed at my eyes again. "I don't cuddle. I don't wait around for them to wake up so we can have a tearful parting of ways."

He stood up, moving over and grabbing a mug. He poured some coffee into it and held it up towards me. "Want a cup?"

"You're offering me coffee after judging me?" I said.

"I never said I was judging you. I was just pointing out that I was right about you," he said, pouring coffee into another mug and pressing it into my hands. "Dex is a big boy, he can make his own decisions. Poor decisions, might I add. But that's his own problem."

I sipped on the coffee, glad I could check that off my list. I checked the time and realized how early it was. Damn, I was going to be tired at work today.

"Were you waiting for me to wake up?" I asked.

The boy shook his head. "Nah, don't flatter yourself. I was getting some stuff done."

He was dressed in sweatpants and a T-shirt, looking like he had only been awake a little longer than I had. He had a hat on with a little red hair spilling out of it, and while he looked cute, he also looked like he wouldn't care what I thought of him.

He sat back down at his laptop, typing on it a little. "Finish up your coffee and get out. I'm not making you breakfast. Your Dex's problem, not mine," he said.

"Damn, and here I was hoping to get the full deal," I said, taking another swallow of coffee.

"Nope. I have more important things to do than take care of my roommate's one night stands," he said, eyes focused on his laptop screen. "Damn, if I can finish this today, I'm taking myself out as a reward."

I leaned against their counter, looking around the apartment. The kitchen branched off into a small living room. There was a set of stairs outside of Dex's room, so I was assuming they had another level with more rooms.

A door opened and then Dex stumbled out, half dressed and looking like he was hardly awake at all. The boy at his laptop glanced up.

"Oh, Jesus," he said, shaking his head.

"Jack," Dex said, gripping the table for support. "Jack, my floor smells like alcohol."

"You probably got alcohol on it. Go back to bed," the boy, Jack apparently, said.

"Jack, I don't know where my shirt is. I'm really fucking thirsty, man," Dex insisted.

Jack sighed and got up, grabbing a water bottle and guiding Dex out of the room. He shut the door a minute later, coming back into the kitchen and sitting down.

"He passed right back out. Idiot," Jack said, shaking his head.

"This has already been a weird ass morning," I said. I chugged the rest of my coffee and set the mug down. "Thanks for the coffee. I'm out."

"I'm sure you'll be dearly missed," Jack said without looking up from his laptop.

I left the apartment, looking around and realizing that I had no clue where I was. I pulled out my phone and felt like an idiot as I had to map myself back to a familiar part of town before I could find my way back to my own house.

I walked up the driveway, hoping no one would be annoying today. I was tired. Walking up the steps of the porch, I raised an eyebrow.

Jer was asleep on his favorite chair. He had some papers spread out in front of him, but he wasn't in the same spot as he had been when I left the house yesterday.

I reached out and shook him. "Jericho!"

His eyes snapped open and he nearly fell out of the chair. "What the fuck?"

"You're going to get kidnapped if you sleep outside. I mean, who wouldn't see that charming potato shaped face and want to steal it?" I said.

"Fuck off, Ace," he said, rubbing his eyes and standing up. He gathered his papers and shoved past me, heading into the house.

I followed after him, both of us going upstairs. I thought about showering, but pushed the thought out of my mind in favor of sleeping.

I collapsed on my bed, curling up under the warm blankets and squeezing my eyes shut. I felt disgusting from the slight hang over and the lack of a shower, but sleep was more important.

"Ace!"

There was a pounding on my door. I groaned and pulled a pillow over my head, hoping that Jer would go away.

Instead, he threw open my bedroom door and barged in. He yanked the pillow off of my head, throwing it across my room.

"Rude," I groaned.

"How much did you spend last night?" he demanded.

"None," I said. "All my drinks were bought for me. And no one strangled me and left my dead body under a bed to be discovered days later."

"Don't skip work just because you were dumb enough to go out and get drink," he said, leaving my room and slamming the door as he went.

I sighed and got up. So much for sleeping.

I got out of bed and went to the bathroom, stripping and stepping under the warm water. I closed my eyes as the water washed over my body.

Last night had been fun, sure. But maybe I should take a break for a week or two. If I hung around at the bar too much, I'd become a familiar face there. I didn't like the thought of that.

Some part of me was still paranoid that my family would find me. That they would finally find me and drag me back into their clutches.

The rational part of my brain assured me that they had never bothered to look for me, that they didn't miss me. And even if they did want me back, I was too old to force me back.

Still, the only place I'd allowed myself to become familiar was the restaurant where I worked, and that was because I had no choice. Other than that, I'd rather just show up occasionally and then be forgotten about.

After a few more minutes in the shower, I stepped out and wrapped a towel around my waist. I went into my room, getting dressed. I reached for my beanie and stopped, groaning.

"No," I said miserably. I had left my beanie in Dex's room. Shit.

Letting out a sigh, I left my bedroom, heading downstairs. The guys were just starting to wake up to get ready for work and I could hear them moving around upstairs.

I made myself a bagel and sat down with it. Ike appeared in the kitchen a minute later, pouring himself a bowl of cereal.

"I'm surprised you're back," he said.

"I knew you'd all miss me," I said, blowing him a kiss.

"You looked exhausted. You better suck it up and go to work," he said.

"You're all so kind to me," I said, taking a bite of my bagel.

Jer and Christian came into the kitchen, grabbing breakfast for themselves. The three of them worked similar hours, while I tended to work a night shift. Sometimes Ike's schedule could be a little all over the place, but for the most part, he worked early enough to catch a ride with Jer.

"Go to work," Ike reminded me as they filed out of the kitchen to go to their own jobs.

"I know, mom," I said.

He ignored that as he disappeared out of the kitchen. I listened to the front door shut and leaned back in my chair, my food all gone.

Now what was I supposed to do? I was running out of ways to keep myself occupied until my shift started. I could only clean this house so many times.

With nothing else to do, I went to the living room and turned the TV on. I channel flipped until I found a movie to watch and curled up on the couch, balancing between trying to pay attention to the move and trying to take a nap.

Unfortunately, my body was awake even though my mind wasn't. I couldn't fall asleep, even when I muted the TV and buried my face in the couch.

Time ticked by slowly until it was time for me to get ready for work. I got dressed and went down, hating how empty the house was.

I looked down the hallway, almost able to imagine Micah running down, pulling me behind him so we could get more paper for him to draw with. I could picture Alexis walking into the house looking eternally exhausted yet coming alive the moment his eyes landed on the little boy.

But they were both gone now. They didn't live here anymore. They'd left our family all because Alexis had found someone he cared for more.

Whatever. That was just the way life went. People always found someone better than you and moved on to them.

I shrugged it off and left the house, getting on my bike and making my way to work. I went inside, greeting the other employees as I clocked in and moved to my section.

I shook my head a little, trying to clear it. I didn't usually need to write down orders, but I figured I better do it tonight. My mind was muddled with exhaustion and if I screwed up orders, I'd lose out on tip money.

I began to move around the restaurant, taking orders and doing what I usually did. Despite how tired I was, I slapped a smile on my face and made sure I was on top of my orders.

"Hey, Ace, just seated another one for you," Ryan said, walking by me. "Get to it."

"You still owe me," I reminded him.

"Don't remind me," he said with a sigh. "I'll pay you back for that eventually. Don't keep me in suspense forever."

"When I need something, you'll be the first to know," I said, smirking.

I moved past him and over to the new table, glancing around me to see if there were any other tables I needed to stop by. I was working a little slower than usual tonight, but still fast enough to keep people happy.

"Hi, I'm Ace and I'll be your server tonight! Can I start you with some drinks?" I asked, swinging my head to face the people at the table.

"Well, look at fate," Jack said.

Dex blushed. "Oh, uh, hi."

"Fate indeed," I said, lips curling into a grin. "Hey there, Dex. Does your floor still smell like alcohol?"

Dex blushed even harder. "Oh, man, how bombed was I? I don't usually tell people to call me Dex."

"Well, I'm glad we got on a personal basis right off the bat," I said. "I take it you're not ordering any alcoholic beverages?"

"Hell no," Dex said miserably. "Just a water, please."

"Water," Jack said, eyes scanning over his menu. "Told you I was going to reward myself if I got my work done. I brought Dex along for a celebratory dinner so that I didn't look like a total loser."

"Congratulations. I'll go get you your drinks," I said, walking away. I stopped at the table behind them. "Are you all set? I can clear some of the plates out of your way," I said.

"Yes, please," a woman at the table said with a smile.

I began to gather plates and silverware from their table. I wasn't even surprised that Jack and Dex had turned up here. This was one of the most popular restaurants in town. I saw a lot of people here while I was working.

"Man, even drunk, I'm a good judge of a hot guy," I heard Dex saying. I smirked to myself. Yes, yes you are.

"Not a very good judge of character, though," Jack said. His eyes were still on his menu.

"Screw character, I just wanted to get drunk and get laid. I regret nothing," Dex said.

I walked away with the dirty dishes, setting them down to be cleaned. I grabbed two cups and filled them with ice and water before going back over to Dex and Jack.

"Here you are," I said, setting the water down. "Are you ready to order?"

"I think Dex already knows what he wants to eat," Jack said. He winced and glared over the table. "Hey, don't kick me. I had to baby your hangover all day."

"Ignore him. I'll just have, uh...Fuck, Jack, you made me forget what I wanted," Dex said, opening his menu again.

"I'll just have a cheeseburger," Jack said, sliding his menu to me. He snatched Dex's away from him. "Dex will just have tonight's pasta special."

"Oh, yea, I want that," Dex said.

"That's why I ordered it for you." Jack set Dex's menu down on top of his own.

I took the menus. "I'll go put your orders in," I said, flashing Dex a smile. Hey, it was fun to see the guy blush.

I walked away from the table, putting in their orders. I moved around, collecting dirty dishes, carrying out meals, and handling bills. When Dex's and Jack's food was ready, I arranged it on a tray and carried it over to them.

"Here you are. Anything else I can get you?" I asked.

"I'm sure Dex would love your phone number," Jack said, wincing as he was apparently kicked again. "Jesus, learn to take a joke, Dex."

"I'd be happy to give my number in exchange for the beanie I left," I said, smirking.

"Beanie?" Dex asked in confusion. "There wasn't one in my room when I woke up."

"That's because I took it," Jack said, raising his hand a little. "I figured this guy would come looking for it. What was your name?"

"Ace," I said, gesturing at the name pinned onto my shirt. "So, care to give it back?"

"Sure. Once you pay Dex back for the drinks he bought you," Jack said. "You used a hopelessly drunk idiot as your wallet."

"Ignore him," Dex said hastily. "I'll get the beanie back to you. Honestly Jack, I offered to buy him drinks."

"True," I said, laughing.

Jack shrugged. "Hey, I don't mind having a new beanie."

"Feisty," I said, grinning at him. "I'll be back to check on you two in a little. I have other tables to tend to."

I walked away from them, swallowing down the anger that had been rising up. No one played me like that.

Besides, I needed to get my beanie back. It wasn't just some hat I'd bought for kicks. It had been a gift from...

Not now, not at work. I wasn't going to lose my composure in a place where I desperately needed it to make money.

I pushed thoughts of Jack and my beanie out of my mind. I'd slip my number to Dex and have him get my beanie back for me.

I took care of a few tables before heading back to Dex and Jack. They had just about finished their meals and were talking casually.

"Anything you're done with that I can clear away?" I asked cheerfully.

Jack slid me his nearly empty water. "I'll have more water. I'm still picking at my food."

"Is 'please' even in your vocabulary?" Dex asked.

"Is 'dignity' in yours?" Jack said.

"Ass." Dex glanced at me. "Sorry about him. Here, you can take these plates."

I took the plates and grabbed Jack's cup. I got him more water, setting it down for him. I went back to caring for other tables for a few little before going back to them.

"Are you done with that?" I asked.

"Yea, we're done," Jack said, chewing on his straw and pushing the plate towards me without looking at me.

I gathered some of their dirty dishes and carried them away. I got their bill for them, setting it down on the table.

"No rush," I told them before walking away.

I had to slip Dex my number before they left. I was going to need him to get my beanie back without actually paying any money.

So I tore off a piece of paper, quickly writing my first name and cell number under it. I folded it up and nodded to myself. I was getting that damn beanie back. This Jack guy wasn't going to play me.

I went back to their table when I saw the bill pushed to the edge of the table. I picked it up, looking at them.

"Do you need any change?" I asked.

"Nope, it's all set," Jack said.

"Have a good evening," I said. I glanced at Dex, offering him a grin. I made sure Jack wasn't looking before I tossed my number onto Dex's lap. He picked it up and gave me a slight nod.

I carried the money away from their table and over to the cash register. I watched as they set down a tip and left the restaurant together, Dex slipping my number into his pocket as they went.

I got back to doing my work. Hopefully he could get my beanie back to me soon. And who knew, maybe I'd get a few more drinks and another fun night out of it. With that thought in mind, I smirked and went over to wait on a new table.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

A.N.- THIS IS IMPORTANT SO PLEASE READ!

So, I agreed to make Cheating The Deck exclusive to Radish, which means I can only post the first 3 chapters on any other site. However, Radish was nice enough to ease up that rule to let us publish other chapters 2 weeks after they're free on Radish until their android version is released. Would you guys want me to keep posting chapters here until the android version of Radish is out? I'd have to delete anything after chapter 3 once the android version releases, but they'll be here in the meantime.

With that being said, I also just uploaded chapters 5 and 6 to Radish. If you have an iOS device and download Radish in the app store (just search "radish fiction"), you can now read chapters 1-4 for free. I'll be uploading new chapters on there every Tuesday.

So please let me know if you'd like me to keep posting here until the android version releases (updates will be slow, but they'll still happen. Radish readers will be about 3 or 4 chapters ahead of Wattpad readers).

I leaned my bike against the wall in the garage before leaving it. I went up the front porch and into the house, feeling starving. Being around food made me so damn hungry.

"I smell dinner," I said, entering the kitchen.

"Don't get excited about it. Jer is the one cooking tonight," Ike said.

"Fuck you; you cook!" Jer said, throwing a spoon at his head.

Ike ducked, letting the spoon fall to the floor. "I cooked the last few nights. It's someone else's turn for once."

I checked my phone as they argued, but had no new messages. I tossed my phone onto the table and moved to get myself some water.

"I still think Ace should cook. He works at a fucking restaurant," Jer grumbled.

"I'm a waiter, Jericho," I reminded. "I don't do the whole cooking thing."

"Got a new friend, Ace?" Ike asked.

I looked over and realized that my phone was in his hand. I raised an eyebrow at him. "It's not nice to snoop, Ike."

"I was wondering why you weren't wearing your beanie. You rarely take that thing off." Ike tossed me my phone.

"It was lost in a tragic one night stand," I said, checking my phone. Sure enough, there was a message from a number I didn't recognize.

Hey it's Dex. Sorry that Jack took your beanie.

"Ace lost his beanie?" Jer asked, glancing at my hair. "Better than your wallet. Moron."

"Have you ever considered anger management?" I asked him.

"We can go together," he said, turning back to the food.

"Touché," I said, texting Dex back.

I sat down with my water, feeling bored. The house had been horribly boring ever since Alexis and Micah had moved out. Having the kid around had livened things up a little bit. And Alexis was a sappy family-loving bastard, so he'd always been around to at least chat with.

My phone buzzed again. I sipped on my water as I opened the new text message.

Jack should be gone most of tomorrow. If you want to come over, we can search his room for it. I told him to give it to me but he won't.

I texted him back to let him know that I was down for that. I nearly smirked. Something told me we'd end up doing more than just searching for my beanie. Good. I hoped we fucked right on Jack's bed as revenge.

"HEY! INTROVERTED ASSHOLE!" Jer yelled.

Christian appeared in the kitchen a moment later. Jer slid all of us plates of pasta, sitting down at the table with us.

"I'm going out tonight. Maybe I can snatch some wallets or purses," Ike said. There was a neighborhood nearby that he tended to lurk around and steal from people in. He had all the escape routes and hiding places memorized, and it was his go to spot to earn us a little extra cash.

"Good. Shit, who knew Alexis's shitty paycheck actually helped us so much," Jer said.

"He has a better paycheck now. He works with me," Christian reminded.

"Well aren't you a special fuckin' snowflake, Christian," Jer said.

"Shut up, both of you," Ike said.

I looked at the empty chairs at the table. I used to come home and eat alone, since everyone else got out of work much earlier than I did. But we had started just eating when I got home, all of us gathered around the table as if we could pretend we were still a family without Alexis.

"Hey!"

A piece of overcooked pasta hit me in the head. "What?" I asked, glancing over at Jer.

"Quit going out at night. You're going to screw up at work and lose money," he said.

"Oh, calm down. I was planning on taking a break for a little anyways," I said, waving my hand dismissively.

"And your new friend?" Ike nodded towards my phone.

"Not a friend. Just a good night who ended up with my beanie," I said. "I don't do relationships and I'm not interested in friends."

"Well, you're the one who kept telling Alexis that none of us have time for relationships," Christian said.

"We don't," I said, a dangerous grin coming to my face. "You think Alexis really has time for his boy toy? We don't get the luxury of relationships. Even if we did, I'm not interested in that shit. It's all a waste of time."

"Not like anyone would want to date your psycho ass anyways," Jer grumbled.

"I'm sure they'd much rather go for you and your charming personality," I said.

Jer grumbled out a string of curse words at me and I ignored him. Jer tended to struggle getting through an entire sentence without slipping in at least one swear word. You got used to it pretty quickly.

We all finished eating and set our dishes in the sink, heading upstairs and into our rooms. I laid on my bed, hands folded behind my head.

I sighed and pulled out my phone, texting Dex until we had agreed to meet tomorrow morning while Jack would be gone. Dex gave me his address and I locked my phone, tossing it to the side, losing interest quickly. I just wanted my beanie back and then I'd be done with this guy.

I rolled over, the exhaustion finally creeping back into my bones. I turned my lights off and closed my eyes, burying my face against my pillow, glad as sleep draped itself over me.

***

I showered and got dressed, staring in my mirror longingly as my hair sat messily on my head. I didn't have any other hats to cover it with.

I grabbed my comb and fixed my hair quickly. I checked my phone for the time and left the house, deciding to just walk to Dex's apartment since it wasn't too far.

After texting Dex to let him know I was on my way, I stuffed my phone back in my pocket. I wasn't as stupid as Alexis. I wouldn't let myself get trapped in some relationship that was doomed to fail.

A few minutes later, I stood outside of Dex's apartment. He opened the front door and led me inside and up the stairs.

"Sorry that Jack took your beanie. He must've come into my room while I was asleep and taken it," he said, shaking his head. "Is it important to you?"

"You could say that," I said as we passed through the kitchen.

"We'll find it. Come on." He led me up the stairs that were next to his room, into an upper landing of the apartment.

We walked through it to a door on the opposite side of the room. Dex pushed the door open, revealing a lightly messy room.

"This works, I guess. Usually Jack keeps his room pretty clean. Now we don't have to worry about messing it up too much," Dex said, kneeling down next to Jack's bed and peeking under it. "Feel free to search around."

"On it," I said, kicking clothes out of my way, searching for my beanie.

"Sorry I was a total drunk mess. I don't usually do that," he said, then paused. "Okay, well, yes I do actually. But with less embarrassment."

I smirked. "It was a good time. Can't say I minded too much. Thanks for the drinks, Dex."

Dex laughed. "Oh, yea, that. My name is actually Delaney. Jack is usually the one who calls me Dex. I don't mind if other people do, though. Jeez, I must have been pretty bombed to forget my own name."

"I like Delaney better," I said, my mind easily shifting to calling him by that name. "Dex makes me think too much of Dexter's Laboratory."

"Ace, right?" he said to me.

"Ace," I confirmed.

Delaney stood up and pulled open some of Jack's drawers. "Shit, I don't know where Jack put your beanie. He's such an ass sometimes."

"I know asshole roommates," I said, my smirk growing.

We began to search around his room, looking through drawers and moving around the clothes on the floor. Delaney checked Jack's closet and behind his drawers.

"I wonder if he-" Delaney stopped as a door shut downstairs. He motioned at me to be quiet. "Jack?" he called.

But there was no answer, just another door shutting. Delaney sighed, shaking his head.

"Alright, we're probably in the clear. It might be our other roommate," he said, pulling open another drawer and pushing things around. "Jack said he'd be gone until dinner, anyways."

"Jack might have lied a little."

Delaney jumped and spun to face Jack, who was leaning in the doorway of his room. I crossed my arms, grinning and looking between the two.

"Looking for something, Dex?" Jack asked.

"If I said no, would you believe me?" Delaney said.

"Damn, there go my plans of fucking on your bed for revenge," I said to Jack. I narrowed my eyes a little. I could see my beanie poking out of the bag he had slung over his shoulder. "I believe that's mine."

Jack reached up, pulling off the hat he was wearing and tossing it onto his bed. I had expected his hair to be all red, but I realized that he had the sides shaved, a light brown color that must be his natural hair color. The top was a mane of red hair that toppled lightly towards his eyes. He pushed it away from his eyes.

"My hat is getting a little worn out. Maybe now I won't have to buy a new one," he said.

"Jack, just give it back," Delaney said with a sigh. "This is stupid. I offered to buy the guy some drinks."

"No, you were drunk and he was preying on drunks that night," Jack said. "Pretty pathetic, if you ask me."

"Yea, almost as pathetic as stealing a guy's beanie just for some money," I said thoughtfully.

"If it didn't mean something to you, you wouldn't be here," Jack said.

I snickered. "Alright, detective. It was a special little gift and I'd rather not lose it. Sappy backstory enough for you?"

"Ace, right?" he said.

"Is my name that forgettable?" I said.

Jack leaned back against the doorway again. "You want it back, cough up the cash you owe."

"Jack," Delaney groaned. "Cut it out. This isn't a drug deal."

"What? Ace owes some money and he's going to pay it," Jack said. "I don't take well to assholes who manipulate drunk people."

"And yet you offered me coffee after I fucked said drunk person," I said.

"I should've poisoned it," Jack said with a sigh.

"But then you wouldn't get the pleasure of holding my inanimate objects hostage," I said, smirking. "Keep it. I'm not wagging my tail for you."

Jack came into the room, tossing his bag on his bed. "Shame, then. But I guess some mutts just can't be trained."

My smirk turned dangerous. "Who are you calling a mutt?"

"Take a wild guess," Jack said.

"Jack," Delaney said nervously. "Stop it. Just give it back to Ace, already. Who cares about the money?"

"He wants it, he knows how to get it," Jack said, meeting my eyes steadily. "Better start wagging that tail of yours, mutt."

"I am no one's dog," I said. "I'm also not someone you want to piss off."

"What a coincidence," Jack said. "Neither am I."

Delaney stepped between us. "Both of you stop it! God, Jack, you're making such a big deal out of this. Talk about overreacting. So what if I bought a guy a few drinks? It's not a big deal."

Jack sat down on his bed, leaning his body against the wall casually. "Dex, I think this guy could use a little lesson."

Delaney narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Wait a minute, how did you even know I bought him drinks the other night? You weren't at the bar."

"Sure I was," Jack said. "I heard you telling Ace you'd meet him back the next night. So, I followed you there."

"Jack!" Delaney was blushing, glaring at Jack. "Stop doing that!"

"What? I didn't want you going home with him," Jack said. "I don't trust him."

I thought back and remembered how the door to their apartment had opened only a minute or so after Delaney and I had come through it. So Jack really had been following us that night.

"Creepy," I said.

"Just making sure this moron didn't go home with a serial killer," Jack said. "I figured since you came back to our apartment, I'd let it go. If he had tried to go home with you, I would've stopped him."

"Well, I'm going to head back home now," I said, mind reeling. How could I get the beanie back from him? Maybe Delaney could steal it for me once Jack stopped paying attention to it. It might take a few days, but the guys would murder me if they found out I'd had to pay even a penny to this asshole. Plus, I wasn't about to let him tell me what to do.

"Just so you know, if you don't pay Dex by tomorrow, I toss this thing in the trash," Jack said, pulling my beanie out of his bag. "It's pretty worn out, anyways."

A solution so simple I wasn't surprised I hadn't thought of it earlier came to me. I pulled out my wallet, tossing the money to Delaney.

"There. Beanie?" I said. I wasn't going to let him throw out my beanie.

"What, do you think I'm stupid? You're just going to have Dex give you the money back the second I'm not around," Jack said. "Dex, hand me the money."

Delaney let out a groan. "Jack, you're going too far just for some cash. Seriously, man, cut this shit out and give him back his beanie."

"Give me the money," Jack said.

Delaney reluctantly passed the money into Jack's hand. Jack got up, shoving me out of his room and shutting the door, leaving Delaney in there.

"Don't push me," I said, eyes flashing dangerously.

"Unstable and sneaky," Jack said. "Nice."

I reached for the beanie, but he hid it behind his back. He shook his head at me, holding up a finger.

"Not yet. I'll walk you out and then you can have it," he said.

I gave him a dirty look as we walked to the front door of the apartment. He opened the door, gesturing for me to leave.

"You're not keeping my money," I warned him.

"On the contrary," he said, throwing my beanie to me. "I'm keeping the money and that little shred of dignity you were trying to cling to."

With that, he slammed the door in my face.

Rage roared over me and it took everything I had not to kick their damn door down and strangle Jack. Instead, I turned away and stormed my way back home.

I threw open the door to the house, going towards the kitchen. Jer came out, nearly running into me.

"Watch where you're going!" he snapped.

I slammed him against the wall as hard as I could, making him wince. "Don't piss me off," I warned, stepping away from him and going into the kitchen.

Jer rubbed his shoulder, wincing again. "What the fuck has you in a mood?"

I poured myself some water and shot him a glare. "Leave me alone."

"You have your beanie again," Ike said, nodding at it. "So why are you so pissed off?"

If I told them that Jack took my money, they'd kill me. "Piss of."

I left the kitchen and went upstairs, going into my room and locking the door. I pulled out my phone, but had no new text messages from Delaney.

What the hell was I supposed to do? It wasn't even about the money anymore. This asshole thought he had outsmarted me. No one outsmarted me.

My door handle rattled and I glanced at it. Letting out a long sigh, I got up and unlocked it, yanking the door open.

"What?" I asked.

Ike pushed me into my room and stepped in. He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms and eyeing me.

"You've gotten a lot more reckless since Alexis left," Ike said.

"I'm not reckless. Just looking for a good time," I said.

"You have a lot of free time without Micah around. It's dangerous for you," Ike said. "You better not be getting yourself caught up in anything, Ace. We're not going to cover for you."

I barked a laugh. "You think I need you to cover for me? I watch out for myself."

"You do a poor job of it," he said. "Don't get into trouble. You're on thin ice with all of us. You make too many mistakes and you could be the next one out of this house."

He shut my door as he left my room. I clenched my fists tightly. I wasn't going to let myself be chased out of my own home ever again.

Delaney.

All I had to do was use Delaney to get my money back. Then I could flaunt it in Jack's smug face and be done with the two. Delaney might be a good time, but it wasn't worth it to be around someone like Jack, who thought he was so much better than me.

Fine, he thought he was so clever? I'd get my money back and I'd get more out of Delaney. Jack thought I was some obedient puppy who wagged his tail when he was told to, but I'd just have to remind him that dogs had sharp bites.

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A.N.- Okay so you guys seemed to want me to keep posting, and Radish has been nice enough to allow us to post exclusive chapters to Wattpad 2 weeks after they've unlocked on Radish!

If you have an iOS device and want to download Radish, you can read the first 6 chapters of Cheating The Deck for free (chapter 7 will be free this Tuesday!). I post 2 chapters every Tuesday and so far the first 10 are on the site :)

But please give me your feedback on Cheating The Deck! I've been working really hard on this story and I really enjoy writing Ace and Jack, and the way that they interact. Let me know what you think of Jack now that you've seen more of him!

I walked into the house, loosening the tie I was wearing. I'd had a catering job today and was currently dressed in my nicest clothes.

I went into the kitchen, dropping into a chair, kicking my feet up on the table, exhausted after having been on my feet all day. Jer was making dinner, but Christian and Ike weren't in sight.

I had texted Delaney yesterday, convincing him to sneak away from Jack to meet me at the bar tonight. I was going to make Jack regret screwing with me.

"Get your feet off the table, scumbag," Jer said.

"I think my feet are a wonderful addition to the table," I said, not bothering to move them.

"You haven't even been home for two minutes and I already want to punch you," Jer growled.

"You always want to punch everyone," I reminded.

"But especially you." He turned back to the food, stirring it in the pan.

"I'll take it as an honor." I stretched, my bones cracking as I did so. I'd have to eat and shower before I met up with Delaney.

The back door opened and shut. Ike appeared in the kitchen, pushing back the hood of his dark hoodie. He tossed a wallet onto the table and shoved my feet off.

I grabbed the wallet, opening it and leafing through the money. "Not bad, not bad."

Ike snatched the wallet back from me. "It should help us buy a little food. We're screwed when winter comes around, though. Heating is expensive. Better stock up on blankets."

"CHRIS!" Jer yelled, apparently meaning dinner was ready.

Christian appeared in the doorway a few moments later. "Don't call me Chris, Jericho."

"It gets you down here faster." Jer slid us all plates of pasta and dropped into a chair.

"Another wallet?" Christian said, noticing it. "You should stop before you get caught."

"I never get caught," Ike said. "Don't worry about it. I'll shred their credit cards and ditch the wallet."

We never used the credit cards from wallets or purses that Ike stole. Too easy to trace. Instead, Ike would shred them and then ditch the wallets somewhere, keeping only the cash.

But his stealing was the reason Alexis was gone now. If only Ike had never stolen Jonas Holden's wallet. Alexis never would've had to return it and Jonas wouldn't have started pulling him away from us.

I could remember that day. The way Ike had come in with the newest wallet he'd stolen, stuffed with an abundance of cash. But Alexis, always too much of a good guy, had noticed that the wallet belonged to his coworker, Jonas. He'd decided to give the wallet back and, by doing so, instilled this need in Jonas to thank him for it. That's how they'd started out. Then they'd grown closer and closer and now...

"Ace!"

I blinked and looked up at Ike. "You're scraping the fork against the plate. Cut it out," he said.

I dropped the fork, my appetite gone. "I'm going to shower."

Jer grabbed my arm as I stood up. He yanked me back down into my chair and threw my fork at me.

"I made food. Fucking eat it!" he snapped.

"You are so grumpy," I said with a sigh, picking my fork back up.

"Don't waste your food. Eat it," Christian said.

"It's like I live with three obnoxiously strict mothers with varying degrees of anger issues," I said.

"How would you know what living with a mother is like?" Jer said.

"Oh, low blow," I said, smirking at him. "Coming from a guy whose mother almost gave him ecstasy instead of vitamin pills."

"At least she was attempting to care for her kid," Jer said. "My mom may be so shot up with drugs that she can't function, but at least she never bailed out on me."

"Must suck not to know love from your own mom. It's probably why you're so mentally fucked up," Ike said.

"At least my mom didn't pull a Mary Winchester," I said, leaning back. "Hey Ike, when you hear Burning Up by Marianas Trench, do you think of your mom?"

"You're hilarious," Ike said with little interest.

None of us had exactly come from amazing backgrounds. Ike's mom had burned to death in a fire and his dad took up drinking to cope, Christian's parents had died in a car accident when he was a kid, and Jer's parents were drug addicts. Alexis's parents had thrown him out of his house when he was 15 for being gay.

But all of those things were in our pasts. Besides, who needed family? You were born into some mess you called your family, and when you wised up, you left and made a real family for yourself.

I finished eating my dinner and stood up, heading upstairs and showering. I dried off and got dressed, pulling my beanie on securely, my hair tumbling out from under it.

I texted Delaney, telling him to meet me at the bar in a few minutes. Time to piss off Jack and get my money back.

I went downstairs, pulling my shoes on. I would get my money back and then rub it in Jack's face that he hadn't beaten me.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Out, mom," I said, glancing at Ike. "Do I have a curfew? Are you going to ground me if I'm not home on time?"

"I can tell you're getting yourself into trouble. Grow up already, Ace," he said.

"I'm not getting into trouble. Just living it up a little and having some fun," I said.

"Your idea of fun usually involves pissing someone off who you really shouldn't," Ike said. "Whatever. Do what you want. Just remember that we can't afford to support your stupidity."

"Well, good thing I'm not stupid," I said, waving to him. "Bye, mom!"

I left the house and walked my way back to the bar. Once I was inside, I leaned against the wall, eyes scanning for any sign of Delaney. I tapped my finger against my pocket in case my phone vibrated.

"Ace!"

I looked over as Delaney called my name. He jogged over to me and gave me an apologetic smile.

"Sorry. Bouncer was questioning me on my I.D.," he said.

"Fake?" I guessed.

"Convincingly so," he said, flashing it to me. "Jack and I memorized the details for our I.D.s. Sorry about Jack, by the way. I don't know why he's overreacting so much."

"I'm not worried about it," I said, shrugging. "I got my beanie back, after all."

"And your money," Delaney said, pulling out his wallet and handing me money. "I had to sneak out of the house while Jack was busy. He was so determined not to let you have your money back. I have no idea what's up with him. It was only a little money."

I put the money into my own wallet. "Well, thanks. I'm super tight on money, so I can't really waste any. But I appreciate you giving this back. Let me buy you a drink," I said, giving him a charming smile.

"No way! Dude, if you're tight on money, don't worry about it. Let me buy you a drink. Jack was being a total asshole to you," Delaney said.

"You don't have to," I said, shaking my head.

"Come on; I'm buying you a drink," he said, leading me over to the bar.

He ordered us each a drink, sliding mine to me. I took a swallow of it, knowing that I couldn't get drunk again tonight. I planned on going home and the guys would murder me if I came in drunk off my ass. They'd probably let me drown in my own puke if I got drunk enough.

"Thanks, Delaney," I said, grinning. He was a nice guy, and nice guys were gullible.

"Do you live around here?" he asked. Good, conversation meant we'd sit at the bar longer.

"Yea, not too far. Opposite direction of your place, though," I said.

"Do you go to college?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Nah, you're looking at a classic dropout. Couldn't afford it. You go?"

"Sucks you couldn't afford it," he said. "Jack and I go to the same school. The college just outside of town. It's an easy commute."

"So if you have a fake, how old are you?" I asked, finishing my drink.

"Two more drinks," Delaney said as the bartender passed by us. Once we had our drinks, he turned back to me. "20 years old. Looks about your age."

"21," I said, my grin growing. "Look at you, breaking the law for some drinks."

"Everyone does it," he said, shrugging.

"It's alright. I like a bad boy." He blushed a little, hastily taking another swallow of his drink. I leaned towards him a little. "What do you say we go back to your place when we're done here?" I made sure the meaning was clear in my words.

Delaney blushed more, but returned my grin. "Sure. Two more drinks."

We finished our drinks as we talked casually. Delaney paid and we left the bar together, walking towards his apartment.

"Shit. Jack," he said, stopping in his tracks. "Jack will be pissed off."

"So?" I reached out, trailing a finger down his chest a little. "I'm not scared of him."

Delaney grabbed my hand, pulling me towards his apartment. When we reached the door, he opened it and led me inside and up the stairs.

We reached the top of the stairs and he pressed me against the wall, body lightly touching mine. He bent his head forward, kissing at my neck.

"Jack can piss off," he mumbled, moving up and kissing my lips. "Ignore that moody bastard."

I put my arms around him, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss. His hands began to roam my body, eager. I could lightly taste the alcohol on his lips.

"If you had to bring that mutt back, you could've at least done this in your room."

We broke away and Delaney looked over his shoulder at Jack. Delaney stepped away from me, grabbing my hand and attempting to pull me past Jack.

But Jack shoved me back. "Look, I hope you know I'm not stupid. I know Dex paid you back and probably bought you more drinks. I know why you're here right now." He glanced over at Delaney, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Dex, this guy is just trying to hook up with you to piss me off."

"Not everything is about you, Jack," Delaney said impatiently, reaching towards me again.

Jack pushed his hand away. "Will you stop being horny for just one minute? Ace is using you. If you get some pleasure out of that, good for you. But I'd appreciate it if you could at least consider your dignity."

"I wouldn't go to so much trouble just to piss you off," I said, smirking at him. "You're not worth it."

He glanced at me. "You're an insecure, manipulative asshole who always has to win at his own sick games. Dex is a moron, but he's not your game to play."

"Jack!" Delaney said in annoyance. "Honestly, I'm a big boy. I can handle myself."

Jack pulled off the hat he was wearing, running a hand through the red mane he called hair. He set his hat on the floor and ignored Delaney, keeping his gaze on me.

"You're too easy to figure out. Just another pathetic guy lurking at bars because he's too cheap to buy his own drinks," Jack said.

"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow, taking in his appearance. "And you? Wait, let me guess. You spend most of your time on Tumblr, you're full of raging angst towards the world, and you listen to a lot of Brand New."

"Well," he said. "You got the Tumblr part right."

"Jack, seriously, go away. Honestly, what crawled up your ass and died?" Delaney demanded.

"Your dignity," Jack said.

"Harsh," I said, laughing. "Now, we were a little busy."

"I think you were just about to leave, right?" Jack said.

"I think not," I said, ducking past him and over to Delaney. I pulled Delaney close and kissed him hard. "Let's go before your mommy here gets any angrier."

Jack let out a long sigh. "Reduced to the mom friend. Dex, just remember that I'm rarely wrong."

Delaney grabbed my hand and we started walking away. I jumped a little as Jack's hand brushed against my jeans.

"Easy, killer," I said, spinning around. "One at a time."

"You had a bug on you. I doubt you want Dex screaming in terror while you're trying to get it on," Jack said, stepping away and grabbing his hat.

"Go back to Tumblr and Brand New," I said, shooing him away.

"And you feel free to have another drink and drive yourself home," he said, his lips curling a little in what I think was supposed to be a grin. He left the kitchen and I could hear him going upstairs.

"I swear he's not always like this," Delaney grumbled, leading me into his room and locking the door.

I pushed him onto his bed, crawling on top of him and kissing him. "You act like it bothers me. Don't let it kill your mood," I said, kissing down his jaw.

He reached up, pulling my beanie off and tangling his hand in my hair. "Oh don't worry; I won't."

***

Delaney was passed out next to me. I had been lying here for a little, making sure he was really asleep.

I got up and pulled my clothes back on. I made sure I had my beanie this time, pulling it over my hair before slipping out of Delaney's room, shutting the door quietly as I went.

I walked out to the kitchen and wasn't even surprised to find Jack sitting out there. He was at the kitchen table, feet kicked up on the table, chewing on a straw and texting on his phone.

"Waiting for me?" I said. "How touching. But I don't need an escort. Your best friend is a good waste of time, by the way." I winked at him and moved to leave the room.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" he asked without looking up from his phone.

I looked over at him. "What?"

But then I narrowed my eyes, realizing that it wasn't his phone he was on. "Your buddy Ike keeps texting you."

"That was locked," I said.

"Actually, I got lucky. It wasn't locked," he said, scrolling through it.

"So that's why you were grabbing at my ass," I said, going over and reaching for my phone.

He held it away from me. "Man, you really pissed this Ike guy off. He keeps asking you where you are. Looks like he knows you pretty well, since he's telling you not to get into trouble." He looked up at me finally. "Why are you on thin ice?"

"I'm not," I said, forcing myself not to sound as annoyed as I was. I wasn't going to let him win here.

"'Ace, you better get your ass back here. You're on thin ice and the other two are pissed'," Jack read, looking back down at my text messages.

"Well I'd love to get my ass back there if someone would stop rudely going through my phone," I said.

"Just checking your messages to Dex. I knew you were going to convince him to meet up with you again," he said.

"This is a bit of a privacy invasion," I pointed out.

"Because I don't respect you," he said. "Otherwise I might actually feel a little guilty."

"It's almost like you want me to stay," I said, smirking at him.

"Nope." He tossed the phone to me and I caught it. "Let yourself out. I'd prefer it if you stayed gone this time."

"I'm sure I'll see you again," I said with a wink.

"If you do, I can guarantee you won't be so cheery," he said, that little grin coming to his face again. He pulled out his own phone, turning his attention to that. "Now, I have angsty things to reblog and Brand New to listen to. Goodbye."

I left the apartment and stuffed my phone into my pocket. I must've forgotten to lock it when I got to the bar. Shit.

Still, he hadn't outsmarted me. I didn't care if he went through my messages. I had nothing to hide on my phone.

And I'd managed to piss him off as well as get my money back, get some drinks, and have some pretty good sex. I'd say it was a successful night.

I reached my house and went up the driveway, letting myself into the house. I kicked my shoes off and moved towards the kitchen to get a drink.

Unfortunately, I didn't reach the kitchen. Instead, Jer grabbed me and threw me up against the wall roughly.

"I thought we weren't going to kill him," Ike said, lazily slouched in a chair.

"The fuck we aren't," Jer snarled, holding me against the wall.

I winced and raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to turn me on?"

Ike held up his phone. "Your new friend texted us."

That bitch. "And what did my new friend say?"

"That you owe him money and if you keep making a plaything out of his friend, he'll be sure to get you fired," Ike said.

"Like he could get me fired," I said, barking a laugh.

"Actually, he could. You work at one of the most popular restaurants in town. If they get enough complaints about you, they'll get rid of you. All this guy has to do is rally some friends to complain about you," Ike said.

"So Ace, what exactly were you doing while this guy had your phone?" Jer asked, voice viciously sarcastic.

"Getting laid," I said, trying to slip out of his grasp.

Jer tightened his hold, throwing me up against the wall again. "Man, you are really pissing me off. First you chase Alexis and the kid out of the house and now you've gotten yourself into trouble with some guy who clearly won't take your shit."

"I didn't chase anyone out of the house," I said, flashing him a dangerous smile. "And I can handle Jack. He won't get me fired."

"If you get fired, you're out," Jer said, finally releasing me and stepping back. "I'm so sick of cleaning up your damn messes. You'll be back on the streets and you won't have Alexis to look after you this time, Ace." He took another step back. "Maybe you can go back to living with daddy. Clearly, he didn't hit you enough."

I straightened my shirt. "It was my aunt who hit me," I said. "If you're going to insult me, at least have your facts straight, Jericho." I turned to Ike and crossed my arms. "If you want to rob anyone, go for that kid who's cute enough to think he can get me fired."

"I'm not going to fix your problems for you. Solve them yourself," Ike said.

"Why do you owe him money?"

I jumped, having not noticed Christian lounging in the corner of the room. I turned to him and shook my head.

"I don't owe him money. His friend bought me some drinks and he got pissed about it," I said.

"Excuse me if I don't buy your bullshit version of things," Jer said, throwing himself into a chair.

"I'm not lying," I said angrily. "I went to the bar, he bought me some drinks, and his friend is pissed about it."

"If this escalates too much, we'll throw you back to the streets," Jer said.

I gave him a dark grin. "Try it, Jericho. I'm not someone you mess with."

I turned and left the room, heading upstairs. I went into the bathroom, stripping and showering. I let the warm water wash over my body, calming me.

They wouldn't throw me out. They could threaten me all they wanted to, but they would never throw me back to the streets.

Unless they all started to abandon me like Alexis had.

I clenched my fists. Alexis had brought us all together. Now that he was gone, what was left to stop us from unraveling?

I shut the water off, wrapping a towel around my waist and leaving the bathroom. I pushed open the door to my bedroom and noticed money and a note on my desk.

Shutting my door, I went over and stared down at the cash on my desk. I picked up the note, my eyes scanning over the words.

Pay him back and stay out of trouble.

I crumpled up the note and whipped it into the corner of my room, smacking the money off of my desk. This wasn't about paying anyone back. This was about Jack thinking he could outsmart me and bend me to his will.

This was only the beginning. I was going to make Jack regret ever screwing with someone like me.