Winner Takes All

Chapter Thirteen ✘ Jacey

"All misinformation open to interpretation,
Just keep searching me."
Kissing Strangers — DNCE & Nicki Minaj

How does this guy manage to get on my nerves, every damn time?

Annoyance surges through me, but I thwart it, a sleazy thought dripping into my head. Gritting back a rude response, I simply smile sweetly at him.

"Hey, Jacey!" I purr in the sweetest voice I can muster, pure satisfaction blossoming when I see the confused, annoyed look on his face at my sudden sweetness and the hideous nickname. 

"Er—" Jace stammers, blinking, looking so extremely disgruntled that I have to cough down a laugh. I walk to the ridiculously big island situated smack in the middle of the kitchen, plopping my bag on the cool marble top and sitting down on the high stools.

Jace narrows his eyes at me, and turns away with a huff, walking out of the kitchen. Kai chuckles under his breath, and nods in the direction that Jace just walked off to.

"You really know how to tick him off huh?"

I smile innocently. "I don't even try."

Kai rolls his eyes. "Sure. Get comfy, grab whatever you want from the fridge, I'll grab my stuff and come back. You cool with here or the couch?"

"Uh," I pause, glancing at the backless high stools surrounding the kitchen island. "Couch will be comfier."

"Cool." Kai agrees, and disappears, leaving me by myself. Propping my bag onto my shoulder again, I walk to their ridiculously huge fridge, pulling it open.

To my surprise, it's full of groceries. Meat, vegetables, fruits, yogurt. And then I remember that they're college athletes and they're also definitely on a strict diet like we are. I grab two cans of Coke for me and Kai, before making my way back to the living room.

I settle down on the comfortable couch, pulling out my laptop. Kai joins me a few seconds later, his sleek grey MacBook in his hands along with a few notebooks.

Kai reaches over and switches on the TV, flipping to a music channel and letting it play out. Over the span for the next few hours, I catch him up with notes and homework assignments. Kai's an easy guy to hang out with, he's laid back and funny. It's refreshing to have a conversation with someone who's not trying to get into your pants.

We're bickering over which Post Malone song is the best, when the buzzer goes off. Before Kai can get up to check who it is, Jace comes bounding down the stairs, now completely shirtless with only a pair of sweats hanging low on his hips.

He doesn't spare me a glance, but my eyes betray me as I watch him walk towards the intercom fixed by the door. His tattooed, muscly back flexes as he walks, and I'd be a fucking liar if I said he didn't have a nice butt.

A body that looks like it belongs on magazines gone to waste because the shitty inside. Whoever said that beauty is on the inside clearly has never met Jace Parker. Because with him, it's just on the outside.

Kai notices me looking and nudges me with his elbow, and I tear my eyes away from Jace to throw an icy glare at Kai before returning my attention to my laptop.