Of Kings and Aces

57| On the Bright Side

I stared out the office window, observing the thinning Makati traffic as the lights changed green to red and back again. Morning rush hour was winding up, but my day was just about to start. I tilted my head to a part where the traffic was building up. 

Ah, of course. The traffic light was a blinking yellow.

"Ace!" The door flew open and produced an enthusiastic Bart. I clenched my fists inside my pockets and shut my eyes. I've somehow become better at controlling my nerves and jumpiness. I don't jump out of my skin most of the time though Bart makes it a point to try and make me. Just like this morning.

"Yes, Bart, what is it?" I smirked at his failed attempt.

"Damn, you're really getting pretty good at this. It's no fun to play anymore," he made his way to my sofa with a pout.

"And you're here because?"

"Just nothing. How's Jaxx's hand?"

"I dunno. He hasn't gotten the scan results. Or if he has, he refuses to tell me," I replied, looking out the window again.

"If he hasn't told you, then it's probably not good."

He had a point. "In that case, you'd better buckle up because he'll be taking shit out on you. And I'm gonna tell him to take the hospital fees out of your payslip."

"You wouldn't dare!" he yelled, and something hit me on the back. When I looked at the floor, it was Jacob's white and gold fountain pen, or at least a pen that looked exactly like it.

"Where did you get this?" I asked as I picked it up.

"It's Joe's. I begged for him to give it to me, but he wouldn't. So I stole it from him," he walked towards the window and stood beside me. I slipped the pen into his shirt pocket, remembering the first time I saw Jacob playing with it.

"IT is really different without him. He was so easy to get along and work with. It isn't just the output since we're still holding up to your demands. It's the energy, the atmosphere. Even when he was brandishing different shades of blues, purples, and greens in body, he still humored me and let me be a prick to him," he chuckled sadly.

"I miss that crazy Briton," he sighed.

My eyebrows rose, but I kept my mouth shut. It was uncharacteristic of Bart to be emotional. His short emotional range covered from laughing to smiling and occasional pouting. He was hardly serious unless he was in front of the computer or talking to clients.

"Don't you?" he turned to me, catching my surprise. He chuckled. "C'mon, Ace. I'm not blind. No one had to tell me what was going on between the two of you."

I shifted uncomfortably, unsure of what and how much he knew.

"He really was a great guy, you know. And so are you. It was just shocking that you guys were MFEO. And even more so when suddenly, you guys were not, just when we've all come to terms with it."

"We're not MFEO," I scoffed, concealing the stab in my chest. "And who's 'we all'?"

"We all, as in we all! Jaxx, Noelle, Adelle, your friends, me, Felicity, and the rest of the crew. We," he enumerated. I groaned and hit my head against the glass window.

So I guess that included everyone in the office and beyond because Bart knew. It shouldn't be a big deal, but it is. For me, it is. I wasn't ready for it. Hurricane Jacob caught me by surprise, disoriented, and devastated me. And just when I thought I got my bearings back on track, he evaporated into thin air, leaving me just... lost.