I cracked my eyes open, feeling exhausted. I looked over, seeing Dex fast asleep next to me.

I sat up, rubbing my eyes and running my hands through my hair. I needed some coffee and a shower.

Crawling out of his bed, I pulled my clothes on and made sure I had my wallet and phone. I crept out of his room, closing the door quietly as I went.

I checked my phone, but had no texts or missed calls. Not even surprised, I stuffed the phone back in my pocket and walked through the kitchen.

"Leaving so soon?"

I jumped and spun to face the boy who'd pulled Dex away from me at the bar the other night. He was sitting at the kitchen table on a laptop.

"I knew you were a hit it and quit it guy," he said with a sigh.

"What, do you want me to go back in there and cuddle him?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. I yawned and rubbed at my eyes again. "I don't cuddle. I don't wait around for them to wake up so we can have a tearful parting of ways."

He stood up, moving over and grabbing a mug. He poured some coffee into it and held it up towards me. "Want a cup?"

"You're offering me coffee after judging me?" I said.

"I never said I was judging you. I was just pointing out that I was right about you," he said, pouring coffee into another mug and pressing it into my hands. "Dex is a big boy, he can make his own decisions. Poor decisions, might I add. But that's his own problem."

I sipped on the coffee, glad I could check that off my list. I checked the time and realized how early it was. Damn, I was going to be tired at work today.

"Were you waiting for me to wake up?" I asked.

The boy shook his head. "Nah, don't flatter yourself. I was getting some stuff done."

He was dressed in sweatpants and a T-shirt, looking like he had only been awake a little longer than I had. He had a hat on with a little red hair spilling out of it, and while he looked cute, he also looked like he wouldn't care what I thought of him.

He sat back down at his laptop, typing on it a little. "Finish up your coffee and get out. I'm not making you breakfast. Your Dex's problem, not mine," he said.

"Damn, and here I was hoping to get the full deal," I said, taking another swallow of coffee.

"Nope. I have more important things to do than take care of my roommate's one night stands," he said, eyes focused on his laptop screen. "Damn, if I can finish this today, I'm taking myself out as a reward."

I leaned against their counter, looking around the apartment. The kitchen branched off into a small living room. There was a set of stairs outside of Dex's room, so I was assuming they had another level with more rooms.

A door opened and then Dex stumbled out, half dressed and looking like he was hardly awake at all. The boy at his laptop glanced up.

"Oh, Jesus," he said, shaking his head.

"Jack," Dex said, gripping the table for support. "Jack, my floor smells like alcohol."

"You probably got alcohol on it. Go back to bed," the boy, Jack apparently, said.

"Jack, I don't know where my shirt is. I'm really fucking thirsty, man," Dex insisted.

Jack sighed and got up, grabbing a water bottle and guiding Dex out of the room. He shut the door a minute later, coming back into the kitchen and sitting down.

"He passed right back out. Idiot," Jack said, shaking his head.

"This has already been a weird ass morning," I said. I chugged the rest of my coffee and set the mug down. "Thanks for the coffee. I'm out."

"I'm sure you'll be dearly missed," Jack said without looking up from his laptop.

I left the apartment, looking around and realizing that I had no clue where I was. I pulled out my phone and felt like an idiot as I had to map myself back to a familiar part of town before I could find my way back to my own house.

I walked up the driveway, hoping no one would be annoying today. I was tired. Walking up the steps of the porch, I raised an eyebrow.

Jer was asleep on his favorite chair. He had some papers spread out in front of him, but he wasn't in the same spot as he had been when I left the house yesterday.

I reached out and shook him. "Jericho!"

His eyes snapped open and he nearly fell out of the chair. "What the fuck?"

"You're going to get kidnapped if you sleep outside. I mean, who wouldn't see that charming potato shaped face and want to steal it?" I said.

"Fuck off, Ace," he said, rubbing his eyes and standing up. He gathered his papers and shoved past me, heading into the house.

I followed after him, both of us going upstairs. I thought about showering, but pushed the thought out of my mind in favor of sleeping.

I collapsed on my bed, curling up under the warm blankets and squeezing my eyes shut. I felt disgusting from the slight hang over and the lack of a shower, but sleep was more important.

"Ace!"

There was a pounding on my door. I groaned and pulled a pillow over my head, hoping that Jer would go away.

Instead, he threw open my bedroom door and barged in. He yanked the pillow off of my head, throwing it across my room.

"Rude," I groaned.

"How much did you spend last night?" he demanded.

"None," I said. "All my drinks were bought for me. And no one strangled me and left my dead body under a bed to be discovered days later."

"Don't skip work just because you were dumb enough to go out and get drink," he said, leaving my room and slamming the door as he went.

I sighed and got up. So much for sleeping.

I got out of bed and went to the bathroom, stripping and stepping under the warm water. I closed my eyes as the water washed over my body.

Last night had been fun, sure. But maybe I should take a break for a week or two. If I hung around at the bar too much, I'd become a familiar face there. I didn't like the thought of that.

Some part of me was still paranoid that my family would find me. That they would finally find me and drag me back into their clutches.

The rational part of my brain assured me that they had never bothered to look for me, that they didn't miss me. And even if they did want me back, I was too old to force me back.

Still, the only place I'd allowed myself to become familiar was the restaurant where I worked, and that was because I had no choice. Other than that, I'd rather just show up occasionally and then be forgotten about.

After a few more minutes in the shower, I stepped out and wrapped a towel around my waist. I went into my room, getting dressed. I reached for my beanie and stopped, groaning.

"No," I said miserably. I had left my beanie in Dex's room. Shit.

Letting out a sigh, I left my bedroom, heading downstairs. The guys were just starting to wake up to get ready for work and I could hear them moving around upstairs.

I made myself a bagel and sat down with it. Ike appeared in the kitchen a minute later, pouring himself a bowl of cereal.

"I'm surprised you're back," he said.

"I knew you'd all miss me," I said, blowing him a kiss.

"You looked exhausted. You better suck it up and go to work," he said.

"You're all so kind to me," I said, taking a bite of my bagel.

Jer and Christian came into the kitchen, grabbing breakfast for themselves. The three of them worked similar hours, while I tended to work a night shift. Sometimes Ike's schedule could be a little all over the place, but for the most part, he worked early enough to catch a ride with Jer.

"Go to work," Ike reminded me as they filed out of the kitchen to go to their own jobs.

"I know, mom," I said.

He ignored that as he disappeared out of the kitchen. I listened to the front door shut and leaned back in my chair, my food all gone.

Now what was I supposed to do? I was running out of ways to keep myself occupied until my shift started. I could only clean this house so many times.

With nothing else to do, I went to the living room and turned the TV on. I channel flipped until I found a movie to watch and curled up on the couch, balancing between trying to pay attention to the move and trying to take a nap.

Unfortunately, my body was awake even though my mind wasn't. I couldn't fall asleep, even when I muted the TV and buried my face in the couch.

Time ticked by slowly until it was time for me to get ready for work. I got dressed and went down, hating how empty the house was.

I looked down the hallway, almost able to imagine Micah running down, pulling me behind him so we could get more paper for him to draw with. I could picture Alexis walking into the house looking eternally exhausted yet coming alive the moment his eyes landed on the little boy.

But they were both gone now. They didn't live here anymore. They'd left our family all because Alexis had found someone he cared for more.

Whatever. That was just the way life went. People always found someone better than you and moved on to them.

I shrugged it off and left the house, getting on my bike and making my way to work. I went inside, greeting the other employees as I clocked in and moved to my section.

I shook my head a little, trying to clear it. I didn't usually need to write down orders, but I figured I better do it tonight. My mind was muddled with exhaustion and if I screwed up orders, I'd lose out on tip money.

I began to move around the restaurant, taking orders and doing what I usually did. Despite how tired I was, I slapped a smile on my face and made sure I was on top of my orders.

"Hey, Ace, just seated another one for you," Ryan said, walking by me. "Get to it."

"You still owe me," I reminded him.

"Don't remind me," he said with a sigh. "I'll pay you back for that eventually. Don't keep me in suspense forever."

"When I need something, you'll be the first to know," I said, smirking.

I moved past him and over to the new table, glancing around me to see if there were any other tables I needed to stop by. I was working a little slower than usual tonight, but still fast enough to keep people happy.

"Hi, I'm Ace and I'll be your server tonight! Can I start you with some drinks?" I asked, swinging my head to face the people at the table.

"Well, look at fate," Jack said.

Dex blushed. "Oh, uh, hi."

"Fate indeed," I said, lips curling into a grin. "Hey there, Dex. Does your floor still smell like alcohol?"

Dex blushed even harder. "Oh, man, how bombed was I? I don't usually tell people to call me Dex."

"Well, I'm glad we got on a personal basis right off the bat," I said. "I take it you're not ordering any alcoholic beverages?"

"Hell no," Dex said miserably. "Just a water, please."

"Water," Jack said, eyes scanning over his menu. "Told you I was going to reward myself if I got my work done. I brought Dex along for a celebratory dinner so that I didn't look like a total loser."

"Congratulations. I'll go get you your drinks," I said, walking away. I stopped at the table behind them. "Are you all set? I can clear some of the plates out of your way," I said.

"Yes, please," a woman at the table said with a smile.

I began to gather plates and silverware from their table. I wasn't even surprised that Jack and Dex had turned up here. This was one of the most popular restaurants in town. I saw a lot of people here while I was working.

"Man, even drunk, I'm a good judge of a hot guy," I heard Dex saying. I smirked to myself. Yes, yes you are.

"Not a very good judge of character, though," Jack said. His eyes were still on his menu.

"Screw character, I just wanted to get drunk and get laid. I regret nothing," Dex said.

I walked away with the dirty dishes, setting them down to be cleaned. I grabbed two cups and filled them with ice and water before going back over to Dex and Jack.

"Here you are," I said, setting the water down. "Are you ready to order?"

"I think Dex already knows what he wants to eat," Jack said. He winced and glared over the table. "Hey, don't kick me. I had to baby your hangover all day."

"Ignore him. I'll just have, uh...Fuck, Jack, you made me forget what I wanted," Dex said, opening his menu again.

"I'll just have a cheeseburger," Jack said, sliding his menu to me. He snatched Dex's away from him. "Dex will just have tonight's pasta special."

"Oh, yea, I want that," Dex said.

"That's why I ordered it for you." Jack set Dex's menu down on top of his own.

I took the menus. "I'll go put your orders in," I said, flashing Dex a smile. Hey, it was fun to see the guy blush.

I walked away from the table, putting in their orders. I moved around, collecting dirty dishes, carrying out meals, and handling bills. When Dex's and Jack's food was ready, I arranged it on a tray and carried it over to them.

"Here you are. Anything else I can get you?" I asked.

"I'm sure Dex would love your phone number," Jack said, wincing as he was apparently kicked again. "Jesus, learn to take a joke, Dex."

"I'd be happy to give my number in exchange for the beanie I left," I said, smirking.

"Beanie?" Dex asked in confusion. "There wasn't one in my room when I woke up."

"That's because I took it," Jack said, raising his hand a little. "I figured this guy would come looking for it. What was your name?"

"Ace," I said, gesturing at the name pinned onto my shirt. "So, care to give it back?"

"Sure. Once you pay Dex back for the drinks he bought you," Jack said. "You used a hopelessly drunk idiot as your wallet."

"Ignore him," Dex said hastily. "I'll get the beanie back to you. Honestly Jack, I offered to buy him drinks."

"True," I said, laughing.

Jack shrugged. "Hey, I don't mind having a new beanie."

"Feisty," I said, grinning at him. "I'll be back to check on you two in a little. I have other tables to tend to."

I walked away from them, swallowing down the anger that had been rising up. No one played me like that.

Besides, I needed to get my beanie back. It wasn't just some hat I'd bought for kicks. It had been a gift from...

Not now, not at work. I wasn't going to lose my composure in a place where I desperately needed it to make money.

I pushed thoughts of Jack and my beanie out of my mind. I'd slip my number to Dex and have him get my beanie back for me.

I took care of a few tables before heading back to Dex and Jack. They had just about finished their meals and were talking casually.

"Anything you're done with that I can clear away?" I asked cheerfully.

Jack slid me his nearly empty water. "I'll have more water. I'm still picking at my food."

"Is 'please' even in your vocabulary?" Dex asked.

"Is 'dignity' in yours?" Jack said.

"Ass." Dex glanced at me. "Sorry about him. Here, you can take these plates."

I took the plates and grabbed Jack's cup. I got him more water, setting it down for him. I went back to caring for other tables for a few little before going back to them.

"Are you done with that?" I asked.

"Yea, we're done," Jack said, chewing on his straw and pushing the plate towards me without looking at me.

I gathered some of their dirty dishes and carried them away. I got their bill for them, setting it down on the table.

"No rush," I told them before walking away.

I had to slip Dex my number before they left. I was going to need him to get my beanie back without actually paying any money.

So I tore off a piece of paper, quickly writing my first name and cell number under it. I folded it up and nodded to myself. I was getting that damn beanie back. This Jack guy wasn't going to play me.

I went back to their table when I saw the bill pushed to the edge of the table. I picked it up, looking at them.

"Do you need any change?" I asked.

"Nope, it's all set," Jack said.

"Have a good evening," I said. I glanced at Dex, offering him a grin. I made sure Jack wasn't looking before I tossed my number onto Dex's lap. He picked it up and gave me a slight nod.

I carried the money away from their table and over to the cash register. I watched as they set down a tip and left the restaurant together, Dex slipping my number into his pocket as they went.

I got back to doing my work. Hopefully he could get my beanie back to me soon. And who knew, maybe I'd get a few more drinks and another fun night out of it. With that thought in mind, I smirked and went over to wait on a new table.

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A.N.- THIS IS IMPORTANT SO PLEASE READ!

So, I agreed to make Cheating The Deck exclusive to Radish, which means I can only post the first 3 chapters on any other site. However, Radish was nice enough to ease up that rule to let us publish other chapters 2 weeks after they're free on Radish until their android version is released. Would you guys want me to keep posting chapters here until the android version of Radish is out? I'd have to delete anything after chapter 3 once the android version releases, but they'll be here in the meantime.

With that being said, I also just uploaded chapters 5 and 6 to Radish. If you have an iOS device and download Radish in the app store (just search "radish fiction"), you can now read chapters 1-4 for free. I'll be uploading new chapters on there every Tuesday.

So please let me know if you'd like me to keep posting here until the android version releases (updates will be slow, but they'll still happen. Radish readers will be about 3 or 4 chapters ahead of Wattpad readers).