Chapter Four

Emily Collins.

As soon as I opened my apartment door, I heard the, usual commotion of my son and bestfriend arguing over something, again.

“That is not how it works, little guy.”

“It is! You do not know anything so— so— so—!”

Archer is pointing an accusing finger at Alex and his face is all scrunched up into a cute but angry scowl when I enter the living room and I quietly laugh to myself at his loss of words. “A duck, you are a duck so you don't know anything uncle Alex!”

“Heeeeey! What did I say, uh, what did I say about calling me uncle out in the open like that? What would the girls think?”

“That you're old and annoying and cranky—”

“Ugh, I can never win with you, god!” 

Jasmine laughs loud and squeezes my son soon more closer to her, laughing into his dark hair. “Oh dear, baby, let me tell you something.” He nods and turns to face her. “The only girls that Mr Ducky over there sees are the one's passing by in the hallway and at work. His actually g—”

“Hey guys!” I yell, much too loudly, interrupting my best friend and for good reason too. “I brought home a visitor.” I gesture behind me when three pairs of eyes look towards me.

“Connor?” Jasmine immediately stands, confusion laces her features as she stares from him to me and from me to him. I can tell she's trying to figure it out in her pretty little head but fails. “What are you doing here?” She questions, coming to stand in front of us and gives me a pointed look.

I know what that look means.

It means, you better start explaining before I beat you.

Connor chuckles and scratches the back of his head uncomfortably. “Uh, I. . . actually, I needed to talk to Emily so, uh, I waited till she was done with work?”

“And here he is.”

“Yeah, and here you are. . .”

Her hazel eyes snap to mine and she gestures with it, silently and I nod my head in understanding, ready to make an excuse when Archer comes rushing in.

Archer runs to the blonde man beside me and stares up at him in wonder before running off and I find that so weird until seconds later his running back into the room with a magazine in his hand, waving it around.

“You're from the magazines!” He beams tugging at the man's pants before flipping pages and showing it to him.

Connor's blue eyes twinkle in amusement and he crouches to the little boys height, immediately drowning in conversation with the little guy and I know something is off when Alex is there at the corner of the room, pouting at everyone.

“Emily! Can I talk to you for a minute?!” Jasmine hisses and doesn't let me answer before yanking my arm into the kitchen's direction.

“Ow! That kinda hurts.” I mutter.

In the kitchen, she let's me go, thankfully, and places her hands on her hips, looking at me expectingly and I pout at her, shrugging my shoulders.

“His an old friend, Jaz. I just. . . his presence shocked me before and I just, I never told you guys why I moved her and you guys never ask either and for that I'm grateful but. . . all that anger from my past just resurfaced suddenly and I lashed out on him but, he used to be my best friend when we were younger. Just, let it go, please?” I quietly mumble but I know she hears me when she softly sighs.

“Okay but I never ask because you never ask me either.” She mumbles as well and I nod my head in understanding, again.

Jasmine smiles at me and takes the few steps before wrapping her arms around me, tightly, engulfing me into her warmth and familiar scent.

Is it weird that she smells like Jasmine? 

Jasmine smells like Jasmine. 

“I know your brain is probably wanting to question me, too, so I'll spare you the torture.” She chuckles and removes herself from her hug. “When I dated this rich guy from my own home town, Connor was his supposed cousin and we kicked it off since the get go so, yeah, that's how I'm friends with the goof ball. I guess.” She informs, laughing.

Alex comes into view behind the honey haired girl, standing far off in the shadows, thinking that I don't see him. But I do, so damn clear.

His gray eyes focus on the woman in front of me and he smiles to himself, sneakily and silently watching her talk about what they made for dinner and that they aren't even sorry for eating without me this time because I was late on purpose and now I missed the greatness of her cooking, that causes her to laugh and him to beam more.

“We should get going though. It's been a long Saturday.”

My eyes snap back to hers and I frown. “You guys aren't staying for our saturday movie night? Archer isn't going to like that, at all.” I question.

“Actually no,” Alex steps into the kitchen. “I took him to the water park today and I'm pretty sure his about to knock off any minute now so. . . that's okay. I have to leave though, long day and all that.” He shrugs, apologetically smiling.

Jasmine's eyes flicker to him and she bites her lip before looking back at me. “Yeah, uh. I have a date anyway.” She states.

My eyes widen at her and I almost wait for her to tell me that she's just pulling our leg but I know it's true when her eyes flicker back to the dark haired man and she sighs softly, shaking her head.

“That's. . . uh, nice?”

Unsure on what to say so I stand there, awkwardly.

Alex's jaw is clenched and I know he wants to say something but chooses to be silent because last time that she told us she had a date and he questioned it, people. . . everything turned loud and messy and she left his apartment crying. I know that must have fucked him up, seeing his bestfriend cry and knowing that he did that, made her cry.

“I have a date tonight as well.” He decides to say instead and I gape at him, not knowing if it's a prank or not because this is Alex after all, you could never really know with him.

Jasmine's head snaps to his direction.

“You d— do?”

“Yeah, I do.”

I stay silent, leaning against the counter.

Both of their attention is focused on each other now and I watch back, not knowing how this is about to turn out but praying they don't fight.

“I, we, didn't know that.”

“Now y'all know though, right?”

“Uhmm, yeah, thanks for that, I guess?”

I gulp, thinking I might need to step in because Jasmine's eyes shine and I know that look all too familiar, she's about to burst. I can't tell if it's going to be from anger or sadness or both and one thing about this one, is that she hardly ever cries. She's thick and strong headed but when she does, you can't help but run after her and hold her.

“Is she pretty?” She asks, innocently gazing up and him and I internally curse, you never ask a guy that shit, never ever!

Especially Alex when his angry.

He nods his head and chuckles, “Oh yeah, got a fine piece of ass too! Might as well hit it tonight since I have no other plans.” He mocks.

Two gasps,

One from me,

And the other from Jasmine.

“I—” She whispers, shaking her head at him, disappointment lacing her features and I know that he feels bad when she just leaves, without saying anything else to either of us.

His shoulders sag and his expression turns sad again as he watches her disappear from his eye line. “I'm an idiot.” He mutters, cursing at himself and I hug him, trying to comfort him.

“Just tell her already.”