Damn Good Reasons **DISCONTINUED - SEE NEW VER!**

Chapter 24 - Interference

I lightly traced the tattoo on Ace's arm with my finger as I lay next to him. "Cobras" was printed in uppercase lettering underneath a snake entwined around a switchblade. It had been done professionally, unlike the other guys who got DIY jobs with a razor blade. Ace told me that Eyeball had designed it. I hadn't seen any of his other work, but from what I'd heard, Eyeball's drawing skills were direly undervalued. They said his crafty hand had developed with all the time he spent doodling in class and detention.

I thought about Natalie - also an artist.

I cooked Ace a pancake breakfast. I was generous with the maple syrup and added strawberries to sweeten him up as I tried for my best chance of getting what I wanted without him putting up a fuss.

"I'm going to see Eyeball," I told him as he finished the first serving.

He looked at me as he took another stack of hotcakes and smeared them with butter. "What for?"

"Because I don't like the animosity between us. I don't want him to hate me."

"He probably hates me more than he hates you, but I don't give a fuck."

"Well, I do. Eyeball's been nothing but good to me lately, and I feel bad for him that he lost Natalie."

"It's not about losing the girl. He don't like losing to Vince. There's always a competition between those two."

"I guess."

Ace sat back in his chair and just stared at me. It was one of those scrutinizing stares of his that I hate because it means he's onto me about something. "Whatever's going on between you and Vince, I'm gonna find out about it one way or another – you know that right?"

I looked down at my plate as I worked on getting a forkful of pancake – an excuse to avoid those eyes.

"If he's taking advantage of you in any way whatsoever, I'll fucking floor him."

"It's nothing... serious. It's nothing worth getting offside with him. You need him."

"And he needs to be kept in line."

"Like I said, it's nothing serious. I'm going to find Eyeball." I rose from my chair, and Ace did the same, blocking my way as I went to leave. He placed a warm hand on my cheek and then leaned in to give me a kiss that reminded me he was on my side.

"I'll be at the garage all day," he said after a bit. "Got a couple of cars to ship out tonight and some still need work."

"Is that because you've been... distracted lately?" I grinned coyly. "You've been slacking on your job?"

"Stop giving me that look or neither of us are going anywhere."

"Well... I'm not in an rush. Are you?"

He smirked before hedging me in and urging me through the house to our room.

-2-

It was late in the afternoon by the time I arrived at the Chambers residence. Eyeball hadn't been at Irby's and, quite frankly, I didn't know many other places to look for him. I stood at the bottom of his steep gravel driveway, feeling a little hesitant to go up there. Not because of the family's reputation, but because I might see Chris. Isn't that Ironic?

Rumors seem to be carried by the breeze in Castle Rock, and there was no doubt he would have heard about Ace and I. If I saw him I wouldn't know what to say. Chris usually scarpered as soon as the sun came up, but if his folks had told him to watch the kids, he could have been home. I decided to take my chances.