Dinner was slow, I was just teasing Jace the whole time about not being able to measure out properly because there was still a ton of food leftover and way too much sauce and chicken compared to the amount of rice he told me to put in.

It was funny to wind him up, he goes all red and starts glaring but Jace could never hold such a serious face because he wasn't the kind of person that would glare and be in a strop everyday and act like there's something shoved up his arse.

Cammie was still sleeping, Jace had told me that even though she fell asleep early, she would still struggle to wake up in the morning and will eventually be late, like nearly everyday. When I fall asleep early, I always wake up super early or I keep waking up multiple times during be night.

I helped Jace tidy the kitchen and during Jace's story about something that happened during his day while he washed the dishes, I crept up behind him and leaned my hands against the counter, locking him inside the small gap, and peppered kisses up his neck. I loved feeling him shiver under my touch and flinch when I tickle him. He continued to talk and talk but I wasn't really focused on what he was saying, because I wanted to kiss him on the lips and I was intending to do exactly that by the end of the night.

My arms wrapped themselves around his waist and as if it was possible, I came closer to him. His back felt warm against my chest and I'm pretty sure he could feel my heart thumping violating against my chest. My head nuzzled against his shoulder and his arms eventually stopped moving which meant that he had stopped washing up, he didn't move at all, it's not like he could anyway.

The front door started rattling just as I ducked my face in to his shoulder to pepper more kisses. We shot each other a confused look and I moved away from him to grab the hand towel so that he could dry his hands.

Vince came walking into the house looking sober and smartly dressed, I could've sworn that Jace's mother won't be here for a few more days, why is his dad sober?

"Hi, Dad." Jace said quietly and motioned for him to come inside the kitchen.

"Dinner ready?" he asked and plopped down at the breakfast bar. He took off his long black and very smart trench coat, only to reveal a suit and tie.

"Wow, well you're smartly dressed." I spluttered out and mentally facepalemd myself.

"Indeed I am, Zach." He loosened his red tie and flashed me a million watt smile.

Vince is weird. Very weird indeed.

Jace placed a plateful of food in front of his father as well as some cutlary and leaned against the counter with his elbows propped up on it.

"So why are you smartly dressed exactly?" Jace asked, eyeing his father skeptically.

"No reason." He struggled. His phone started ringing, shattering the awkward silence.

Vince looked in his suit jacket for his phone and stared at the screen once he successfully found it. I studied his facial expressions right then, I was getting good at it now. First, Vince looked puzzled, his brows were knitted together and then it changed to questioning, as if he was debating whether he should or should not take the phone call; I noticed this because he had his finger hovering over the green button and then it moved over to the red button and then it went back to the green.

He pressed the green button in the end and when he brought his phone to his ear, I tried to peek at the caller ID, it was difficult but all I saw was an 'E' before the screen went black so Vince's face doesn't press any buttons.

I remembered just a few days ago when I kept seeing this Eli person calling his mobile and it didn't take a genius to figure out it was the same person Vince was on the phone to.

"I told you to get lost." Vince seethed, "no, find somebody else to do it!" Jace's eyes widened and he brought his hand down to mine, reassuringly I squeezed his hand.

"He's not going to get angry at you." I assured him, "I won't let him."

"He'll start blaming me for something I didn't do." Jace murmured and I sighed and caressed his cheek.

"I won't let him." I gave a reassuring smile before giving him a small peck on the cheek.

Vince came back into the kitchen, looking all moody and exhausted. He slicked back his hair with his fingers but then he messed it up again and buried his face in his hands.

"Uh, dad?" Jace pressed, "who was that?"

"Someone."

"Helpful." I muttered, "I think I should probably go home now."

"I think that's a good idea," Vince said and cautiously, tip toed towards the coat rack, thinking that whatever sound I made would set Vince on a rampage.

"No, Zach, stay." Jace pleaded, and that was it. Hearing how much he really wanted me to stay caused my heart to drop to my stomach.

I went back into the kitchen and intwined my fingers with Jace's. Vince eyed us skeptically but didn't press on his son's newfound romance.

"Who was that?"

"I told you, it's just someone." Vince sighed.

"Why are you angry with him?" He tried again.

Vince snapped his head to us, "Jace, just shut up, please. It's none of your concern."

I felt Jace take a sharp intake of breath and I squeezed his hand as if my life depended on it and rubbed my thumb in circles on his hand.

"If he's your son, I think it is his concern." I pointed out, feeling confident.

"He's just... Never mind." Vince stood up from his place at the breakfast table and put his plate near the sink before groggily walking out of the kitchen and into the living room. "That girl can sleep for eternity and still be tired."

Cammie was sound asleep on the sofa, her blonde curls were thrown over the arm rest and her head was rested on a sofa cushion, if you looked further, you could see a line of drool from her mouth and on the cushion.

Vince diligently lifted her head up and let it rest on his lap, I've noticed that Cam had always been daddy's little girl, Vince was always so loving towards her, not as if he isn't with Jace but Vince did always spoil her. I never actually found out why.

"Dad, please." Jace pleaded, "who is Eli?"

Jace's father rubbed his eyes and started untangling Cammie's hair with his fingers. "He's a social worker."

"So why is it a big deal? Why are you so angry with him?" I asked, getting more intrigued by the second.

"well, you know experimenting is normal right?" He started and I dove my head into Jace's shoulder, cringing from the picture that formed in my head.

"Right..." Jace trailed off.

"He and I had a fling but it was nothing, and one day he took me to his workplace and that's when I saw you, Jace. You were like a year old then."

"Your point is..." Jace cocked a brow.

"I adopted you and raised you as a single parent. This was a few years after Eli, you were four. I met your mother a few months after and we dated, got engaged eventually and we moved into one house together."

"I'm sorry but where does Eli come into this?" I butted in.

"Like I said, he was a social worker and he was assigned to Jace a year ago after the other social worker passed away. He's coming over the day after tomorrow to check up on things but I told him to find somebody else to do it given our bumpy past."

"Oh my god, is everybody in this family gay? Why am I only just finding out about this?" Camellia suddenly perked up, lifting her head from the cushion on her fathers lap and flicking her blonde curls behind her.

"You got a bit.." I said and pointed to my chin, "of drool."

Her pale cheeks flushed red and she frantically wiped at her chin and cringed.

"Cam, go upstairs please." Vince said and patted her shoulder.

"But why? I'm in this family too!" She cried and pulled her lips onto a frown.

"Just go." Jace rolled his eyes and moved out of the doorway so that she could get past him. She shot us all death glares and I was beginning to wonder how women and girls were able to make you fear for your life just by their eyes.

She walked up the mahogany staircase as slow as a snail does and we all waited until we heard a door slam shut before Jace and I glanced to Vince and expected answers.

"Dad, because Eli is coming, is that why you're not on a binge?" Jace asked, his voice cracking just a bit.

"Jace, it's not like that!" He argues.

"It's exactly like that! For once, I actually thought you were making progress!"

I've never heard Jace shout so loudly and seem so upset. The only times he's shouted was from the car when I was walking up to my front porch or from across the corridor or car park but that's just to get my attention, he wasn't upset them. The tense exchange from Jace to Vince was intense and a little scary. Who knows what Vince or Jace is capable of?

"I actually thought there was hope," Jace cried, "why don't you show the social worker who you really fucking are?"

"Don't be like that, Jace just calm down." Vince tried but it only made more angrier, angry enough to pick up the a photo frame and hold it high up in the air, ready to smash. His eyes were glazed over with a darker shade of the usually happy, light blue eyes I see.

"NO." I suddenly jumped in and snatched the frame from him. To be honest, I was terrified about jumping in, that frame could've been smashed on top of my head if I wasn't careful enough.

"I have had it with you and your ruthless binges, I stay at home and cook and clean and look after Camellia and then you have the guts to complain afterwards that I'm not picking up any slack!" He grit his teeth and clenched his fist, my heart raced and skipped at the mess.

Is this really what's it's built up to? Is this the side of Jace that he really didn't want anybody to know about? Jace was like a string, one that's been nibbled on by rats for so long that it's finally snapped.

Vince opened his mouth but Jace wasn't at all having it because he cut him off, "and don't you fucking tell me to calm down, this is all your fault."

"I don't care about this Eli person, alright? To be honest, showing him your real side would probably benefit everyone. At least I'll be taken away from you." He growled. Vince and I were both speechless.

A few moments of silence passed and Vince cleared his throat, speaking up, "do you really mean that?"

Jace's eyes glazed over again with a dark shade and his face contorted into a scowl. He opened his mouth, answer at the tip of his tongue but I clamped my hand over his mouth because the question is probably best unanswered because he was going to say 'yes' and I know that he doesn't mean that. I've been where he is, I know that I thought I absolutely hated Liam during my tantrum but deep down, I really didn't.

"Let's go to my place." I sighed, tugging Jace's sleeve. "Probably for the best."

Vince didn't say anything and Jace only nodded; he walked out of the kitchen flopping his fringe out of his eyes. I glanced to Vince who looked kind of lost, almost in a daze. I shrugged and walked to Jace who was clambering up the stairs in his coat and shoes that weren't on properly.

He came back down a few moments later and Cammie popped her head out of her bedroom door, her long curls wildly bouncing around as she ran down the stairs and tugged on Jace's coat.

"I'll be back tomorrow, ok?" He choked on his words and patted her head as if she was a puppy.

She rolled her eyes and sighed, it was kind of funny how even in dramatic situation like this, she still carried that hormonal teenager vibe and reacted unexpectedly.

I grabbed Jace's rucksack off him and we both looked a little lost how we'd get to my house. Jace had a car, the one his grandparents handed down to him and he had his provisional license but he didn't feel good about driving in the dark, especially on these roads.

"We can walk." I shrugged, "thirty minutes down the road."

"N-no, it's fine, I'll drive...." wearily, he walked towards the drivers door and slid in the car. I joined him and hopped in the passengers side and let his rucksack sit on my lap.

Jace had the steering wheel in an iron grip, his knuckles were literally turning white his hand shook as he pushed the key into the ignition and twisted it clockwise.

"Maybe you shouldn't be driving with a lot on your mind. Come on, we'll walk." I breathed out and opened the car door. I walked over to his side and opened the door for him because I knew he wouldn't want to hassle me by walking in the cold.

He wasn't getting out, he was just sat in the seat, now comfortably resting back on the backrest. An idea popped in my head and I smirked as I grabbed his glasses in my hands and put them over my eyes, causing everything to turn blurry and causing a slight headache.

"If you want your glasses, you'll have to get them off me!" I grinned and hauled the rucksack over my shoulders before bolting it off his property and down the road.

"Zach, I'm literally blind without them, give my glasses back!" He screeched and chased after me. I couldn't stop grinning as a familiar warmth filled my chest and gorillas pounced around in my stomach.

"Make me!" I yelled out, not caring about the neighbours trying to sleep.

"I'm a guitar player, not a basketball player!" Well, at least he got it right for once.

I slowed down a little, allowing him to catch up with me, my chest filled with a familiar warmth one more, it was all cosy and fuzzy. The cold biting at my fingertips was almost forgotten when Jace pulled me by the hem of my jacket and wrapped me up in his arms. I felt like a sushi roll, as weird as it is. Jace took the glasses off my face and put them over his eyes. I pouted and continued on pouting even when Jace kept his arms around me, pecked my nose and dragged me forward a few steps because I wouldn't do it myself. "We're not going to get anywhere if you're not going to move that sexy little ass of yours." He smirked.

My eyes widened. Did he just- he really went there didn't he?

"My ass is fabulous, It's not little." was my terrible comeback.

"Whatever you say," he snickered and slapped my butt as he pushed me forwards. I grabbed his hand before he could do it again though, and intwined our fingers together but I still didn't move.

"Come on, I'm cold." He whined. I grinned and pecked his nose like he did to me and ran off into the distance.

"You missed dinner." Mum muttered as she opened the door for us. She eyed me over and then Jace who walked up on the front porch behind me, "Jace!"

She was all grins and cheers and it bothered me to think she loved him more than she loved me.

"Evening." Jace said politely, "how are you?"

I rolled my eyes and bolted up the stairs to my bedroom, I dumped Jace's rucksack by the foot of my bed and finally saw the state of my room. Honestly, there was probably mould growing somewhere judging by all the mess. I quickly shoved everything to one corner and kicked some things here and there inside the closet before settling down on my bed.

Jace came in moments later and shrugged his coat off, dumping it over my desk chair. Then dad came in, crossed his arms over his chest and stood idly in the doorway.

"Yes, father?" I asked.

"Jace can't sleep in the same bed as you."

"Naomi sleeps in the same bed as Liam and they had sex like freakin bunnies! Me and Jace aren't even having sex." I told him, I was so looking forward to cuddling up with Jace.

Said person cleared their throat awkwardly and picked up their rucksack, taking out his pyjamas and rushing off inside the bathroom. Damn, now I can't even look at him while he changes his clothes.

"Dad, stop being so mean!" I whined quietly so that Jace doesn't hear, "it's not like it's the first time I've slept in the same bed as him."

He gave me a pointed look and closed the door behind him as he walked out, I fist pumped the air and stripped my clothes off, Jace came in moments later in his boxers and t-shirt while I struggled to take off my skinny jeans, I just kind of awkwardly froze in my spot and stared at his half naked figure while his cheeks flushed red as he crawled into bed.

My own cheeks flushed red when I realised that I was only in my boxers in front of him, we've been this naked in front of each other before, why am I suddenly feeling all hot and coy?

I flicked off the light switch and padded round to the side of the bed closest to the window. Jace grinned at me as he lifted my end of the duvet up as if to welcome me, I felt my face get hot again and I couldn't get over his sweetness and sudden bursts of confidence. I slid into the bed and turned sideways, towards him, and he let go of the duvet and tucked me in.

I pulled his glasses off his face diligently and hovered over him slightly so that I could reach the bedside table and put it down, then I lay back down on the pillow with one arm tucked underneath my head. The moon shone in through the light coloured curtains and casted a glow on his face, I could make out the shapes of the furniture in the room because it wasn't even pitch black like I preferred.

It stayed like that for a while, Jace and I just laying there, looking at each other, scrutinising. I smiled as I lifted a hand up and twirled his long hair around my fingers, "you need a haircut."

Jace grinned sheepishly and brought an arm around my waist, the heat burned through me as his hand rubbed up and down my arm soothingly, I brought my hands to his cheeks and made circular motions with my thumb. Jace didn't give away many emotions, he always had this blank look and you can't tell what he's feeling inside. His family always seemed so kind, so untroubled, so calm, but in reality, it's like a volcano about to erupt or a lion about to pounce on its prey. Jace was troubled, his dad was a right dick and his mother and father don't give him and Cammie the right amount of attention desirable.

I pecked Jace on the lips, but that was it. Just a small peck but I was okay with that because we were making progress but my breathing caught in my throat with he smashed his lips against mine hungrily. My lips moulded together with his and I darted my tongue out and fought for dominance, he turned us over so that he was leaning half on top of me without even breaking the kiss.

My heart rate picked up even more than it was already and the fuzzy feeling was back but this time it felt a bit tingly too. Weird. Is this what it feels like to actually have deep feelings for someone? It feels like my heart is just going to explode out of my chest, not only that, any slightly pessimistic thoughts make me feel the need to vomit.

Is this what it feels like to love?