Of Kings and Aces

15| Becoming Confused

"Justin, baby, cut that out. That shouldn't be in your mouth!" I gently pried the fruity-smelling eraser from his mouth, to which he pouted. We struggled against each other until I finally pulled it out of his hand. This time, he began to cry and wailed louder when I tried explaining why I had to take it from him.

Babies are a lot of work. This time, I was glad I didn't own one. I don't know how I'd manage a child twenty-four, seven. I picked him up and repeatedly apologized, rubbing his little back as he sniffled. We had thirty minutes to spare before Justin's dinner time, so I decided to take him to the playground to take his mind off his writing supplies.

"Elena, we'll be at the roof deck if you need anything. We'll be back by dinner," I called before rushing out. However, I crashed into someone right outside my door, sending me tripping back inside. My balance wasn't good with Justin in one of my arms, and I almost fell.

"Shit!" I cursed as I hugged Justin tighter, protecting his back and his head for any possible impact. But before I completely fell over, strong hands gripped my arms and pulled me up, keeping me from tumbling.

"Are you all right?" he asked guiltily. I didn't have to wonder. I knew who it was. His eyes, though cold, showed a hint of concern.

"Yeah," I shrugged him off. I was still pissed, and him showing up uninvited did not do anything to improve the situation.

"You alright there, little guy?" I pulled Justin away enough to see his teary eyes now smiling.

"Again!" he squealed. My anxiety was for naught. When Jacob chuckled, he quickly spun his head and frowned. He's starting to have stranger anxiety at this point.

"Yeah, that's right. Frown at the bad guy," I snickered as I adjusted my hold on him.

"How did you know where I lived? And how did you get up here?" I asked derisively but immediately regretted my tone.

Calm down, Ace. Breathe. I mentally conditioned myself.

"Jaxx spoke to the receptionist. He had to attend to his mum."

"What do you want?" I asked Jacob offhandedly, trying not to care. He slid my bag off his shoulder and handed it to me, not saying anything. I took it and placed it on the nearby table.

"Thanks."

An awkward air hung between us before he stepped aside to let me out of my unit. He followed me silently to the lift. I pressed the buttons for us. The two arrived simultaneously, one going up and the other down. When I stepped inside our lift, he followed.

"This one's going up," I pointed out and pressed the hold button that kept the door open so he could step right out.

"I know," he said flatly and pulled my hand off the control. I sighed and saw his jaw tense up, but I was not in the mood to deal with his shit. The ride was silent except for Justin's occasional sniffling. He snuggled under my neck and held on to the collar of my shirt, occasionally glancing at the man beside us.

He still didn't say a word when we alighted, and I was beginning to wonder what in the world he wanted from me.

"Ace, I'm sorry. I apologize," he sighed. He stood beside me, looking ahead the same way I was.

"For what exactly?" I folded my arms as I continued to watch Justin run around the playground, squealing with two other kids.

"For this morning. I didn't mean to be cross. I'm not making excuses for that ill behavior. I'm sincerely sorry."

"Yeah, whatever. You're sorry. I accept your apology." I knew the moment that came out of my mouth it was insincere, and it sounded just that, forced and fake.