ALEX'S POV
The next morning, things felt a bit different. I was just heading out for work when Macao caught me, asking if I was leaving and if I could give him a lift. I didn't mind—it's the least I could do—so I told him to hop in. We sat in the car, and for a bit, it was just the hum of the engine. I tried to keep it light, asking him about his studies. He mentioned he's working on his postgrad now, which is impressive, but my mind was stuck on something else. I had this burning question I couldn't hold back anymore.
I finally gathered the nerve to ask if he'd ever told his brother about that night. When he said he hadn't, I had to know why. His answer hit hard; he talked about how unforgivable his brother's actions toward Pete were. He's seen his brother suffer so much without Pete that he's scared telling him the truth would just destroy whatever hope he has left. He just wants to protect him from going back to that dark place. Hearing him talk like that made me realize how much weight he's carrying. Then he turned the question on me, asking how things were between us. It was a short answer, but it felt heavy: we broke up.
I looked at Macao, feeling the weight of the secret I'd been carrying. I told him that I'd already spoken with Pete.. the day before and that we'd reached an agreement. Macao seemed unsure, just humming in response, so I decided it was time to be fully honest. I took a breath and told him I was leaving soon. When he asked what I meant, I explained that I'd walked away from my old life to start over with Pete, but since Pete isn't with me anymore, I have to go back. There's too much unfinished business waiting for me.
Macao looked concerned, asking if Pete had actually agreed to let me go. I admitted that Pete hesitated at first, but in the end, he gave his consent. The rest of the drive was heavy with a silence that neither of us wanted to break. Once I dropped Macao off, I knew there was one last thing I had to do. I called Vegas and told him we needed to talk.
We agreed to meet at the club at 8:00.
When 8:00 rolled around, I was already there, waiting. Vegas walked in and got straight to the point, asking why I'd summoned him. I looked him in the eye, ready to finally address the one person who changed everything. I told him I was there to talk about Pete.
I stood my ground, staring directly at Vegas. I wanted him to know I wasn't intimidated by his power or that arrogant smirk he always wore. I told him straight out that I'd seen them together that night, and my message was simple: stay away from Pete. Vegas just smirked back, challenging me, asking, "or else what?" He thinks he's the only one with leverage, the only one who can play this game.
I didn't back down. I reminded him that I'm the one who knows how to bring Pete here, and just as easily, I can make him vanish again. I told Vegas that if I chose to, I could take Pete back to a place where there wouldn't be a single trace left for Vegas to find him ever again. It was a threat, sure, but it was also the truth. I have resources he doesn't even realize.
Vegas lost it then, calling me an asshole and claiming that Pete would never choose me because he loves him. He's so certain that their toxic history is enough to keep Pete bound to him. But I had to ask him the hard question:" who would Pete really choose? Someone who put him through hell, or the person who has actually stayed by his side through everything?"
I watched the silence stretch between us as that realization started to sink in. Then, I went for the final blow. I looked him dead in the eye and asked, "Do you love him?"
I looked at Vegas and heard him say the words I never thought he was capable of:
" I loves him enough to die for him ". It honestly baffled me. "I couldn't wrap my head around why someone like Pete would ever fall for an asshole like him" I said. Vegas looked genuinely confused when I said it, but I didn't back down . It was the truth, and we both knew it .
Even though I'd tried to keep Pete by my side out of fear of losing him, I knew from our very first day of dating that his heart belonged to you Vegas . It's a hard thing to admit, but I've finally realized it's time to let go. Pete deserves real happiness, and as much as it kills me to say it, Vegas you are the only one who can actually give that to him. I could see Vegas was stunned; he probably didn't expect that kind of honesty from me.
I made sure to leave him with a warning: "You better take care of him". If you ever hurts Pete again, I'll make sure it's the end for you. Vegas promised he'd protect him with his life, and for the first time, I think I actually believed him. I told him I'm leaving tomorrow to go back to my old life and start fresh . We traded well wishes, and just like that, I walked away, leaving them to the future they were always meant to have.
MACAO'S POV
The next day, I see Alex getting ready and ask if he's heading to work. When he says yes, I ask for a ride, and he agrees. Once we're in the car, the conversation starts off simple—he asks what I'm studying, and I tell him I'm working on my postgrad. But then the mood shifts. He asks if I ever told my brother about "that night."
I haven't. Honestly, I don't know if I can. What my brother did to P'Pete was unforgivable, but seeing him suffer without him was heartbreaking. If I tell him the truth now and his hopes are crushed, it'll just destroy him all over again, and I can't bear to see him like that. When I try to change the subject and ask Alex how things are between him and Pete, he tells me they broke up. It's heavy, realizing how much pain everyone is still carrying.
The car ride with Alex took a turn I didn't see coming. One moment we were talking about plans, and the next, he dropped a bombshell: he's leaving. He explained that since Pete isn't with him anymore, there's nothing keeping him here. He needs to go back to his old life and finish the work he left behind. I was stunned, barely able to process the idea of him just walking away from everything.
My first thought went straight to P'Pete. I asked Alex if P'Pete actually agreed to this. He told me that while P'Pete hesitated at first, he eventually gave his blessing. It felt like the finality of it all just settled over us.
For the rest of the ride, I couldn't find any more words to say. We sat in a heavy, uncomfortable silence until he finally dropped me off, leaving me to wonder what happens next now that everything is changing again.
VEGAS'S POV
When Alex called, I wasn't in the mood for games. He sounded serious, telling me we needed to talk at to meet at the club at 8:00 sharp. I gave him a short "mm..okay," but my mind was already racing. Alex has been getting far too close to Pete lately, and every time I see them together, it feels like a knife twisting in my gut.
I arrived at the club right on time, the heavy bass thumping in my chest, matching my agitation. I didn't waste any time with pleasantries. I looked Alex dead in the eye and demanded to know why he'd dragged me out here. My patience was thin, and the air between us was thick with a tension I couldn't ignore.
Then he said it: "To talk about Pete..." The name alone made my heart stop for a split second before it flared with possessive anger. Pete is mine, and I don't care what history or "dating" rumors Alex thinks he has a right to discuss. Whatever he's about to say, he better choose his words carefully, because I'm not about to let anyone take him from me.
I scoffed when Alex told me to stay away from Pete. "Or else what?" I challenged, a smirk playing on my lips. I didn't think he had the guts to actually threaten me, but his expression didn't change. He reminded me that he was the one who brought Pete here, and he could just as easily make him vanish without a trace. The thought of losing Pete again, of him being taken somewhere I could never find him, made my blood run cold, though I refused to let it show.
"You asshole, do you think he will agree?" I spat back, my anger finally boiling over. I tried to convince myself—and him—that Pete loves me, not him. I told him Pete would never leave with him, but Alex just looked at me with that damn pitying expression. He asked me who I thought Pete would choose: the person who hurt him like hell, or the one who stayed by his side through it all?
His words hit me like a physical blow, and for the first time, I had no comeback. I stayed silent, the crushing weight of my past mistakes suffocating me. I knew what I'd done to Pete, and the thought that he might actually prefer a life with someone like Alex was a torture I wasn't prepared for. Then, Alex leaned in and asked the one question I was most afraid to answer: "Do you love him?"
"I love him... I love him more than anything. I'd die for him." I didn't care how it sounded anymore; the truth was the only thing I had left. Alex looked at me like I was something he couldn't quite fathom, muttering about how he didn't understand why Pete would ever like an asshole like me. I was confused, ready for another fight, but then his tone shifted. He admitted that Pete's heart had belonged to me from the very first day they started dating. He'd kept Pete by his side out of fear of losing him, but now, he was finally letting go. Hearing him say that I was the only one who could give Pete the happiness he deserved left me absolutely stunned.
The weight of his words settled over us as he made me promise to take care of Pete. He warned me—one final time—that if I ever hurt him again, it would be the end for me. I didn't hesitate. I swore to protect him with my life because I truly do love him. When Alex told me that Pete loves me too, it felt like the world finally righted itself. He's leaving tomorrow to start over, heading back to his old life. As much as we've clashed, I genuinely wished him the best. It's a new chapter for all of us now, and I'm going to make sure I don't waste this second chance.