Better Than The Movies

Chapter Twenty- Two

"Want to get ice cream?" Jace asked, snapping me out of my thoughts. He stopped outside of an overly lit ice cream shop that was giving me a headache. There was no reason that you need that many damn lights.

"Only if I get to pay."

"You already paid for the books!" I opened the door for him this time. His face turned sour and he tried to push me out the way. We spent at least three minutes pushing each other and amusing the teenage boy behind the counter.

"Just let it go!" I exclaimed, finally getting him out the way of the door and shoving him inside. He grunted, annoyed that I won.

I decided to be a decent human being for half a second and hold the door for the same older white couple. They were surprised to see me but tried to hide it. I gave them a sickeningly sweet smile and followed behind them, trying to ignore that the lady was clutching her purse to her chest. Wow, what a cliche.

Jace was already at the counter when I arrived next to him and bumped his hip with mine. I did it a few more times before he lightly shoved me to the side so I would stop annoying him. I laughed and caught eyes with the boy behind the counter who looked at me amused at the scene.

The couple was standing a few feet behind us as I waited for Jace to order so I could do the same thing. He surprised me by ordering for me and actually... getting it right. Cookies and Cream every time. I didn't even know he knew it.

He glanced over to me after reciting our orders and I raised an eyebrow in confusion. Jace shook his head and handed the boy some cash.

"What's a name for the order?" The boy asked, not looking up from the tablet.

"Jace," he said at the same time I said

"Scarlett." We locked eyes in a stare down trying to break each other. Of course, Jace had
to cheat and blow air in my eyes causing me to blink. I slapped him on the arm and he didn't even flinch. Such a fucking bitch.

"Name's for the order is Jace." He said with a smile.

"You're such a fucking cheater Kingston!" The couple had moved ahead of us now as we took the seats next to the window. He sat across from me, long legs nudged against mine as I tried to beat him in a violent game of footsies.

"How come you never talk about your family?" He asked after I had won the game with a swift stomping of the foot. It's not my fault he tried to be gentle, I've been known to play dirty.

He sets his phone on the table and I look down at it when it pings with an Instagram notification. I didn't think much of it until out of pure curiosity I looked at his lock screen.

It's a picture of me... well of us. It's the one that he asked a woman with her family to take of us in front of the waterfall. He was still shirtless and instead of holding me bridal style I was on his shoulders, my hands embedded in his hair. I remember telling him if I fall then I'm taking his hair down with me. I completely forgot about that picture until now.

I gaped up at him only to realize he wasn't there. I swung around and searched the shop before spotting a mop of curly brown hair back at the register. I couldn't see his face but his shoulders were shaking... he's laughing. There was an Indian girl behind the counter now, her hair was pinned up in a bun and a faint smile playing at her lips.

Interesting...

There was a feeling in the pit of my stomach that I had pushed away when he returned with the ice cream. He was busy eating his disgusting mint chocolate chip as I tried to think of why he was laughing with that girl.