Onyx's POV
The moment I stepped inside the bar, the noise hit me like a physical force.
Music pounded through the walls. Lights flashed violently across bodies already half-drowned in alcohol. The air smelled like perfume, and sweat.
People were dancing everywhere. Some were swaying lazily with drinks spilling from their glasses. Others were stumbling, laughing too loudly, leaning too heavily on whoever was closest.
Someone bumped into me.
Another tried to cling to my arm.
I pushed them away gently but firmly.
Not tonight.
I moved through the crowd with purpose, weaving between intoxicated strangers, heading straight for the VIP corner where I had once seen Jace and his friends sitting like royalty surveying chaos.
Please let them still sit there...
And they were.
I spotted Sam first—the bossy-looking girl with the sharp smirk and eyes—holding a drink like it was an extension of her personality.
She noticed me immediately.
I approached their table.
"Hello," I said. "I'm not certain if you recall, but we've met before."
"Look who's here, if it isn't Boss." she said with a slow grin. She lowered her drink. "Come sit with us."
She shifted slightly, creating space.
I sat down, scanning the area.
Lloyd and Howard were there too.
"What made you come to the bar?" Sam asked, eyeing me from head to toe. "And I see you're wearing Jace's favorite leather jacket." She tilted her head. "What now? Are you his boyfriend?"
My eyes widened instantly.
"Just kidding," she laughed, pouring beer into an empty glass before sliding it toward me. "Drink with us."
"But didn't Jace say he doesn't like drinking?" Lloyd asked, looking at me curiously. "Isn't that right, Boss?"
"Please call me Onyx," I replied calmly. "That's my name."
"Oh," Sam smirked. "I guess he only wants Jace to call him 'Boss.'"
Heat crept up my neck.
"If you're looking for Jace, he's not here," Howard said.
My stomach tightened. "Oh? Where did he go?"
"We don't know," Howard answered. "Lately he keeps saying he's busy. Claims he's working. Won't even tell us where."
"Well," Sam shrugged dramatically, "you know our guy. He might be embarrassed. Imagine us showing up and acting like annoying customers. He'd probably curse at us instead of assisting. Might even get himself fired."
They laughed.
I didn't.
I stared at the beer in front of me, watching the bubbles rise and disappear.
"Did you two fight?" Sam asked suddenly. "Is that why you're here looking for him?"
"I don't think we fought," I admitted. "It was more of a misunderstanding. I wanted to explain, but he kept cutting me off."
"That's Jace for you," Lloyd said dryly. "Welcome to the club."
"I was hoping I could find him here and talk," I continued quietly. "But he's not even here."
"Hey," Sam said brightly, leaning forward. "Don't feel bad. At least you found us."
She pushed the beer closer to me.
"Drink up. We'll help you find Jace."
"Jace might not like it if he finds out we made Onyx drink," Howard muttered.
"Well, that's his fault for not keeping an eye on his Boss," Sam shot back. "Now, drink."
She picked up the cold mug and placed it directly into my hands.
The glass was icy.
Condensation dampened my fingers.
I stared at the foam gathering at the top.
"Don't worry," Sam added with a wicked grin. "If you get wild, I'll tie you up."
"I don't think that's a good idea," I said flatly.
"Look," she leaned closer, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "Just drink once. After that, you'll loosen up."
"What do you mean?"
She grinned and grabbed her phone.
"If you really want Jace to show up badly," she said, flipping the camera toward me, "I'll send him a video of you drinking. Trust me. He'll be here in no time."
My heartbeat stumbled.
I looked at the beer again.
Why was it always about Jace who pushed me toward things I never imagined myself doing?
I tightened my grip on the mug as the music throbbed around us and the lights flickered overhead, the camera fixed steadily on me. I swallowed.
"Okay, go! Drink!" Sam said, thrusting her phone toward my face like a reporter chasing a scandal.
If this is the only way Jace would show up, I have to do this.
I lifted the mug slowly, acutely aware of every pair of eyes on me as the rim touched my lips—and then a hand wrapped around mine, warm and firm, stopping me before I could take a sip.
"Okay! That's enough proof," Sam said quickly.
She snatched the mug away and set it back on the table.
I blinked at her.
"I do want you to drink," she said, lowering the phone. "But trust me, it'll get complicated if I let you. Jace wouldn't like it. He might trash this place."
"Trash this place? Just because I'm drinking?" I said. "Isn't that too petty?"
"No," she replied. "Not because you're drinking. Because we are breaking his trust."
I froze.
"Breaking his... trust?" I asked.
Sam sighed before answering, like someone about to explain gravity to a confused child.
"We've known Jace for too long," she said. "We've seen everything—his good sides and his worst sides. And one thing about him? He cares too much about trust."
Trust.
The word lingered heavier than the beer in front of me.
"He knew that if you two fought again someday—and I think that someday is now—you'd chase him. And you'd look for him in the one place you hate."
I stared at her. "He predicted that?"
"More like he planned it," Howard said, unfazed.
"What?"
"Jace doesn't just 'go with the flow.' He sets the flow. He plans things so they work in his favor."
"Really..." I muttered.
"Jace doesn't do accidents. If something happens, it's usually because he allowed it to." Howard added.
Planned it?
No. Jace wasn't the planning type. He was reckless. Spontaneous. He jumped into things without thinking.
...Didn't he?
But then again, he always seemed two steps ahead of everyone—myself included. Maybe the problem wasn't him, but how little I actually knew... or worse, that I had simply been part of the calculation all along.
"Anyway," Sam continued, leaning back in her chair, her earlier playfulness fading into something more deliberate, "he specifically told us not to give you a drink. Said you don't even like beer."
She paused, watching me closely.
"He doesn't want anyone forcing you into it. Not us. Not even him. If you're ever going to drink, he wants it to be your choice." Her gaze softened. "Not something you did because someone pressured you."
She glanced at me briefly before adding, almost casually.
"I only pushed it so we'd have a reason to get him here."
I stared at the mug again.
It suddenly felt less like alcohol and more like a test I didn't know I had been taking.
"That guy literally cares about you too much," Sam added, rolling her eyes. "My ears are burning from 'Boss this' and 'Boss that.' Every time we talk, every time he calls, it's always about you. It's kind of annoying, honestly."
I glanced at Howard and Lloyd.
They nodded, struggling not to laugh.
"What did you feed him, Onyx?" Sam asked suspiciously. "What did you make him eat that he turned into this?"
* * *
Author's Note:
In Filipino culture, it's common to jokingly ask "Ano pinakain mo sa kanya?" (literally, "What did you feed him?") when someone starts acting differently or unusually—especially in a surprising or suspicious way. It doesn't mean actual food; it's more of a playful expression implying that something must have "caused" the sudden change in behavior.
* * *
"Nothing," I said. "I never cooked for him. My Pa always cooks."
"You're impossible," she said, taking a long sip of her beer. "I don't know what Jace saw in you, aside from being..." Her voice trailed off as her gaze lingered on my face a moment longer than necessary and smirked.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Onyx," Howard said gently, "if you still don't get what we're saying... that might be exactly why Jace is frustrated right now."
My chest tightened.
"I don't even understand what's happening," I said, the words spilling out faster than I could control them. "I'm trying to figure things out. I'm trying to keep up with him, with a personality that shifts before I can even predict it. I tried to explain myself, but he didn't give me the chance."
I let out a breath that felt heavier than it should have.
"And now I'm here. All because of a misunderstanding. If we had just talked about it earlier, I would've been home. Working on our project. Probably already asleep."
My throat tightened before I could stop myself.
"I should've been... lying beside him on my bed."
Silence followed.
Three pairs of eyes stared at me.
I swallowed.
"Did I say something wrong?" I asked quickly. "Please tell me. I'm not good at this. I don't have long-term friends, so I don't know if I'm saying something terrible right now. If I am, please guide me. You're all older than me. You are all my seniors..."
"Hey!" Sam snapped. "Are you calling me old? We're just one year apart, you lunatic!"
"Sam, don't scold him," Lloyd laughed. "Our little boy might get scared."
"Well, he's right and we are his seniors," Howard said, lifting his chin with exaggerated dignity. "Guiding him is basically our responsibility. Someone has to make sure you know how to handle our Jace."
"Exactly," Lloyd added, the teasing curve of his smile easing into something quieter as he pointed at me. "It's a good thing we already know quite a bit about you... even though we've barely spent any time together."
I blinked. "You know something about me?"
Sam nodded. "We know you're a loner. Not the 'I hate the world' type. Just... the quiet kind."
Howard hummed in agreement.
"Apparently, you're helpful when it comes to academics," Sam continued. "Too helpful sometimes. You let people take advantage of you."
She tilted her head slightly.
"Jace hates that."
I blinked. "He... talks about me that much?"
"Yes," Sam said flatly. "More than I can count."
"But doesn't Jace really have a lover?" I asked carefully.
Sam snorted. "The last time he mentioned a girlfriend was two years ago—when he found out she cheated on him. After that, he didn't talk about anyone. Until you."
"And when he really likes someone," Lloyd added, grinning, "when he finds them interesting? He won't shut up about it. You'll never hear the end of it."
I frowned. "I didn't think he liked me like that. Maybe he just likes teasing me. Messing with me—that, I'd believe. So you're saying he doesn't really have a girlfriend?" I pressed.
"We don't know," Howard shrugged. "Maybe he does. Maybe he doesn't. Maybe he's hiding it."
"Anyway," Sam said, leaning forward, "what happened? Why are you looking for him? What kind of misunderstanding?"
I straightened.
"I'm sorry," I said firmly. "But I'd rather talk about it with him in private. I hope you don't take that badly."
"Okay..." she replied, glancing at her phone. "He said he's playing billiards right now. Judging by his message—full of curse words—he's seriously pissed."
"Where?" I asked. "I'll go."
"Nope." She shook her head. "That place is dangerous. You look too neat. Too attractive. You'll get eaten alive. I'll make him come here."
"Will he?" I asked quietly. "If he knows I'm here?"
"If he knows you're here? No. But if he sees you drinking?" She smirked. "Absolutely."
Before I could protest, she lifted her phone.
"SENT! I just sent him the video of you about to drink."
"Let's count," Lloyd said gleefully. "Three... two... one..."
"Oh, here it goes," Sam said as her phone started ringing. She answered instantly. "Yes, hello, my dear Jace?"
I stared at her, blinking.
"Don't shout at me, you dumbass!" she shot back. Then she grinned wickedly. "Oh, he's very drunk, by the way. Dancing with girls who are twerking in front of him. Having fun."
"No! I don't—"
She clamped her hand over my mouth.
"If you don't come here soon," she said sweetly into the phone, "someone else might take him home."
A beat.
Then she pulled the phone away from her ear. "The hell? That lunatic? He hung up on me!"
I stared at her in disbelief. "Isn't that too much? Lying like that?" My brows pulled together. "I thought he cared about trust."
She didn't flinch. She took another slow sip before answering.
"He'll find out you didn't actually drink," she said calmly. "So it's not like we're destroying his trust."
My jaw tightened.
"Sometimes," she continued, setting the glass down, "you bend the truth to fix something bigger."
Right on cue, my phone buzzed.
Jace.
Finally.
"See?" Sam said, raising an eyebrow. "Lying works."
I exhaled slowly before opening the message.
Jace:
Why did you go to the bar?
Sent: 10:48 p.m.
I was about to reply when Sam grabbed my wrist again.
"No, stop typing," she said. "Let him worry a little more."
"If I don't reply, he'll think badly of me," I said.
"Onyx," she replied, grinning mischievously, "I'm teaching you how to handle Jace."
"I don't think you are a good teacher," I muttered.
Howard and Lloyd burst into laughter.
My phone vibrated again.
I didn't even have to check to know who it was.
Still, I did.
Jace:
I told Pa you're at the bar doing unnecessary things. Go home now. He's worried.
Sent: 10:49 p.m.
I stared at the words longer than I should have. The noise of the bar—laughter, clinking glasses—suddenly felt too loud, too careless.
So that was how he was going to say it.
I typed back before my pride could stop me. This time, Sam did not stop me.
Me:
Are you not coming here to pick me up?
Sent: 10:49 p.m.
Jace:
No. Just go home. I'll tell Howard to drive you home.
Sent: 10:49 p.m.
Just like that.
I lowered my phone slowly, as if moving too fast would crack something fragile inside me.
"He's not going to come here," I said.
Sam blinked at me. "Aw. I thought he was going to rush here the moment he knew you were drinking too hard," she said, confused. "Maybe he is really upset with you right now."
The words hit harder than the alcohol I hadn't even swallowed.
I forced a small exhale.
"Jace just messaged me." Howard leaned forward slightly from his seat. "I can give you a ride home, Onyx. Don't worry, I didn't drink much."
"Well," Lloyd added thoughtfully, "Jace might still care a little bit. At least he wanted Howard to drive you home."
I frowned at the screen again.
Care.
Is that what this was?
"Let's go, Onyx?" Howard said.
I nodded and stood, "Thank you for tonight, Sam. Lloyd," I said.
"No worries, Onyx," Sam replied with a teasing grin. Lloyd just nodded, raising his glass in farewell.
"Come," Howard said, gesturing toward the exit. "I'll be back, guys."
End of Chapter 32