He must have needed to come home for something.
His eyes scan over Jacob, and I could swear his lip curls a little. God. He is such a dick when he wants to be. He doesn't even know the man and he's giving him a look like he wants to flick him away like some sort of annoying bug. I exhale and walk towards him, stopping in front of him and tipping my head back just slightly to look up at him. "Ace, it's nice to see you again. This is my friend, Jacob."
Ace studies me, eyes dropping to my lips, and then flicking over to Jacob. "What are the locks for?"
I cringe.
No Hello.
No Pleased to meet you.
Just demands. Always with the demands.
"I wanted to change Hart's locks," Jacob says, his voice gruff, too. "Her old ones aren't very good."
Ace keeps staring at him, narrowing his eyes. "Yes, I'm aware."
Sheesh.
This man really has no tact, at all.
"So I'm changing them," Jacob retorts. "She doesn't feel safe."
Ace looks back to me. "You never told me you weren't feeling safe."
He's acting like we're friends, and I should have told him this information.
This man confuses the hell out of me.
"No offense," I say, my voice a little snippy. "But I think I've had one decent conversation with you. I don't know why you think I'd tell you that."
He scowls at me.
I scowl right back.
Then he nods, and starts walking. Like we didn't just have that conversation. He just dismisses Jacob and me, without even a good bye. Gosh. The insults I want to hurl at him right now are bubbling in my chest, just waiting to explode out, but I keep them in.
"God, he's a dick," I mutter, turning to Jacob. "Sorry about that."
Jacob is watching him go, and only when Ace is out the front doors, does he turn to me. "That jerk is your neighbor?"
"Sadly, yes."
He exhales. "I feel sorry for you. He's an ass. Come on, let's get these locks changed up for you. I'm starting to see it'll make me feel better, too."
I nod and follow him to my apartment, unlocking the front door. Jacob gets to work pulling the old locks off, and replacing them with the new ones. When he's done, he hands me a set of keys. "New keys. If you have any problems with them, give me a call. Hopefully you'll feel safer now."
I smile at him. "Thank you, I really appreciate it."
He winks, and then extends a hand and takes mine, pulling me closer. I let him bring me in for a hug, and he leans down, sweeping his lips across mine.
"I have to get back to work," he murmurs. "I really don't want to, but I have to. I'll call you later."
"Okay," I say softly, staring up at him through my lashes.
"Bye, Hartley."
"Later, Jacob."
I watch him go, smiling.
Yeah, he's a good one.
TEN
"That douche your boyfriend?"
I turn at the sound of a voice coming from behind me just as I'm opening my apartment door after doing a shift at the hospital for my training. I haven't seen Ace in the few days since Jacob and I ran into him. I didn't even see him there, honestly, I wasn't paying any attention at all. I usually hear him, but I've been off in my own little world the last few days. I can't really explain why, but my mind is just so distracted.
"Jacob?"
He shrugs. "Yeah. Is he your boyfriend or not?"
"Why?"
He looks to the ceiling.
Impatient, isn't he?
"Can you just answer a question without being sarcastic?"
Oh. Snappy.
///
"Not that it's any of your business, but I am dating him, yes."
Ace snorts.
"What's the damned problem?" I snap at him, putting my hands on my hips.
He curls his lip. Obviously, he doesn't like Jacob. "He's a weasel."
God.
"And you say that after only meeting him once? Where you didn't even acknowledge his presence?"
Ace just stares at me, unapologetically.
"He's a nice man," I go on. "Unlike you."
He keeps staring.
"He does things for me … like fixes my locks … and takes me out … "
Now I sound pathetic.
"Who are you trying to convince? Me or yourself?"
Grrrr.
"I swear, Ace, I'm seriously considering coming over there and fly kicking you in the damned face."
He crosses his arms. "I'd like to see that."
"What is your problem?" I cry, throwing my hands up. "Seriously, can't you just be nice?"
"I am being nice."
"Oh my god!" I say, my eyes rolling to the ceiling. "Screw it."