Ameliorate (Adopted By Alex Gaskarth Fanfic)✅

Chapter 43

"You know you don't have to stay here, right?" I asked Jack. "I'd be fine on my own. If you have stuff to do, you can go do it."

"That's okay, I wanna make sure you're okay because of what happened with the whole 'nervous system jump-start' thing yesterday. Plus, I like hanging out with you," Jack replied as he called a raise.

I smiled to myself. "Okay," I whispered. I noticed Jack smile up at me as we continued.

"Hey, sorry I'm late," Alex said as he walked through the door. "Traffic is terrible today."

"You're not late, I din't know you had to be here at a specific time."

"Yeah, but I feel bad for leaving you here pretty much all day."

"I was asleep until, like, two hours ago," I said, pressing three cards on the table.

Alex grinned and hopped over the back of the couch to watch Jack and I as we sat on the floor at opposite ends of the coffee table. "How do you know how to play poker?"

"My uncle taught me," I told him boredly. "How'd you think I actually got enough money to survive all those years?"

"Oh," he breathed out, sounding slightly surprised.

"Full house, mo'fo." I slapped my cards on the table in victory.

Jack groaned and laughed. "You're mean!"

"Hey, a bet is a bet." I picked up the bet money.

"So, you realize that you're gambling with a fourteen year old, right?" Alex asked Jack.

"So?"

"Okay," Alex stated simply. As he stood up and began to walk away, I could hear him call out, "And you're losing to a fourteen year old, too!"

Jack pouted. "Not for long," he mumbled playfully as he delt the cards.

As Jack and I began another round of poker, Alex sauntered back into the room. He placed one of the beer bottles in his hands near Jack, and placed a water bottle next to me. I thanked him as I focused on the game, taking in all of Jack's little movements and silent bluffs.

"Wow, you're pretty good at that," Alex commented as several minutes passed.

"Thanks, I guess I've had enough practice to be decent," I replied. I looked up slightly to see Alex straddling the other end of the coffee table. "Y'know, there's a couch for a reason, right?"

"Yup," he stated with a mouthful of beer, some of the liquid falling down his chin, and he quickly brought his sleeve up to dry up the liquid.

"It's the only thing he's really able to get any dick-friction from," Jack joked.

"Says the single guy to someone who's actually dating a living human!"

"Not for long," I breathed out quietly.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Alex asked, surprised and nervous.

"Well, are you gonna propose soon or not?"

Alex choked on his beer, the light liquid falling from his mouth. "How the hell did you know about that?"

"Do you really think I can't see the way you look at Lisa?" I asked without looking up. "Also, you left the ring box on the table last week."

"Dammit," he mumbled.

"Seriously, dude, you aren't getting any younger. Fucking do it," I told him in a somewhat encouraging manner.

"Yeah, wait any longer, and you'll be too old to marry, Grandpa," Jack added jokingly.

"Shut up, I'm not that much older than you."