tfjayceking

[tfjayceking]

Jayce shrugged. "I'm down for whatever." He said with a shrug. "What do you want to do? Sit and eat or walk and eat?"

"Eskerrik asko" Zion thanked the street vendor at San Sebastian Market and held up the plate of food to the person he was with. "You ready to go eat and catch up? Or do we want to walk and eat?" @rededgerpstarterblog

[tfjayceking]

"What? I can't help it if I have a lame answer." Jayce laughed and looked at him. "Well I appreciate it, Brooke." He smiled warmly at her. "How are you doing though?"

"Jesus Jayce, that is such a lame answer!" She teased and looked at him. "I'm kidding, but I get wanting to hide away after you know...what happened with you and Sloane."

[tfjayceking]

"You think so?" Jayce laughed. "I never thought as my hair as something so important to other people." He admitted. "I..I think one day I might be ready to move on." He added with a nod. "I love Sloane and I know she wouldn't want me to wallow in misery while she's off...doing whatever."

"I think if you went bald, half the women in this town would lose their shit." Stassi laughed and looked at him. "I'm glad to hear that. I know getting dumped and left like that isn't easy, but I am glad to hear that you're doing better. Do you see yourself moving on with anyone or do you not know yet?"

[tfjayceking]

"It's better than sulking and being miserable." Jayce shrugged. "I'm doing good, the business is going great."

"Thanks man, I am too. Hell, I really hated being away, but at the same time, I know that getting out of my house and clearing my mind was good for me." He said and looked at Jayce. "How have you been man? How are things with you? Your business still going strong?"

[tfjayceking]

"I'm doing pretty good." Jayce smiled and looked at Aiden. "How about you?"

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Aiden laughed and looked at him. "No point in changing." He chuckled. "How are you doing man?"

[tfjayceking]

"Hey I'm glad you're finally trying new tea." Jayce teased with a chuckle. "I don't know yet. Maybe I won't get anything."

Jax chuckled and looked at Jayce. "What can I say? I like trying new things and today I'm trying some chai tea." He shrugged. "Oh yeah? What are you looking at getting that you can't pronounce?"

[tfjayceking]

"I am very much on autopolit, yeah." Jayce admitted and rubbed the back of his neck. "Hey, at least you can admit that playing guitar isn't your strongest talent. Most people think they're going to be the next big rockstar."

"You on autopilot or something man?" He raised a brow at his friend and chuckle. "I only rock cargo shorts whenever I'm on vacation and have run out of my normal clothes to wear and yes I do still play guitar and I do still suck at it."

[tfjayceking]

"I appreciate that a lot, Valentina." Jayce looked at her. "And the same goes for you too, you know that, right?"

"I get it." She promised him. "Like some days it feels like everything is okay and you'll be a whole again but then you find something of theirs and you just...break down."

[tfjayceking]

Jayce laughed. "I don't think I could ever sell out like that." He admitted.

"If you are, just be sure to remember us little people when you become part of the one percent." She joked.

[tfjayceking]

"I don't know, I think it's just one of those days to be honest."

"Well is there a reason why you're on autopilot today?' She raised a brow at him. "Something on that pretty mind of yours King?"

[tfjayceking]

"I honeslty don't know who I was expecting." Jayce admitted and looked at Daphne and chuckled. "I think I'm just on auto pilot to be honest." He admitted. "Nothing wrong with that you'd probably last longer than most people."

"I'm sorry, were you expecting someone else?" Daphne joked and looked at Jayce with a laugh. "I have never once been into cargo pants and even if I did take up guitar, I probably would have given it up like five minutes after."

[tfjayceking]

"They'd probably think we were all trapped here or something." Jayce said with a laugh. "I'm doing good. How about you?"

"Yeah, I can't imagine explaining how I'm feeling to someone who doesn't live in Red Edge." Sienna looked at Jayce. "How are you doing though?"

[tfjayceking]

"I mean, nothing wrong with being single." Jayce shrugged. "And this is coming from me, who thought I'd never have to be single and in the dating pool again." He chuckled. "I think we're all glad that the cargo shorts are gone, by the way."

"I think the only thing that's truly changed about me is that I'm single now and I wasn't back then." Maverick laughed and looked at Jayce. "I do still play guitar and I'm actually glad that the cargo shorts phase ended. It wasn't the best look I had."

[tfjayceking]

"I mean, probably, but somedays I am just on auto pilot and can't help help it."

"I think you said your rehearsed speech to the wrong person." Serenya teased Jayce and smiled at him. She took a sip of her water and laughed. "I do play guitar though, but I can say I have never worn cargo shorts. I'm proud of myself for that one."

[tfjayceking]

Jayce chuckled. "I appreciate it." He said and looked at her. "I'm just...I could be worse and don't get me wrong, there are a lot of times, still now, where I question everything and ask myself what I could have done different and how I could have been better, but it does nothing for me to dwell on that shit, you know?"

" I'm pretty great, thanks." she said with a smile. " Chill Hercules, I'm just trying to see where your head's at... the last time I saw you, you were pretty out of it, I found you pretty drunk in the streets."

[tfjayceking]

Jayce laughed, low and easy, the kind of laugh that came from someplace settled. He wrapped both hands around his mug, the warmth grounding him as he leaned in a little, mirroring the years they’d missed.

“God, 2012. That was the year we all thought we were edgy philosophers in band tees and wristbands.” He smirked. “And don’t knock cargo shorts too hard—mine held three drumsticks, a sandwich, and a bad decision once.”

His eyes crinkled at the corners as he studied Chase—still sharp around the edges, but softer now, like the grind had carved something deeper rather than just wearing him down.

“Calm and collected’s generous. I think the phrase you’re looking for is ‘chronically tired but pretending well.’ But yeah… therapy, for sure. Journaling too, when I can stomach reading my own handwriting. And I teach a bit now—music. Helps keep me sane. Or...saner.”

He paused, sipping his drink. “And no, sadly, not secretly rich. If I were, I’d be on a beach somewhere, still trying to figure out barre chords.”

A beat passed, the city noise brushing the edge of their silence.

“But hey... I’m really glad you made it back. Beard or not.” He grinned. “Espresso addiction's a fair trade for not burning out completely.”

Chase chuckled as he pulled out the chair across from Jayce, the weight of nostalgia settling between them like an old blanket. He set his drink down with a soft clink and leaned forward, elbows on the table, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“Man, cargo shorts were functional, okay?” he shot back, shaking his head. “But yeah, they died a noble death somewhere around 2012. As for the guitar—still playing. Not as much as I used to, but it's there. Kind of like my metabolism.”

He leaned back, taking in Jayce’s familiar face, the city noise a distant hum around their little pocket of time.

“I’ve been... everywhere, honestly. Work’s been a grind—startup life is no joke. Got close to burning out last year, so I took a couple months, disappeared up north, did the whole ‘soul-searching in the woods’ thing. Came back with a beard and an espresso addiction. One stuck.”

He grinned. “But enough about me—look at you. Mr. Calm and Collected. What’s your secret? Yoga? Therapy? Secretly rich?”

[tfjayceking]

"I am not going bald." Jayce laughed. "I hate to admit it, but I am pretty vain about my apperances sometimes and that comes to my hair too." He said. "You know? I'm actually doing a lot better." He said to her. "I know they say 'time heals all wounds' and they are right, and don't get me wrong, there are times when I just break down and try to figure out where I went wrong, but it's also know healthy for me to live in the past. I have to move on."

Stassi rolled her eyes and smiled. "One, I only have less hair because I just got a hair cut at Emersyn's salon, I'm not going bald like you." She teased and shook her head. "And two, my life is more than just good, it's fantastic. I seriously don't know how I got so lucky to be where I am in this life." She looked at him. "The real question is, how are you? You can't give me a one word answer, either, King."