VI: Jared Libean

His friend's POV (Jared Libean Marcus)

I'm Jared Libean, simply Red or Jar. My friends call be Lib but we're not friends so just call me Red.

Unlike my friends, I'm just a nobody. A free spirit. I own some restaurants but that's superficial and they're originally owned by my parents. Since I'm used to freedom, I let my brother manage it. Let him take that property for all I care. I am not rich. I work on my own (hidden from my parents) because I want to earn and make my own money. I live in a small apartment not far from here.

This is not my story so I should probably shut up.

8 hours. We've been in this bar for 8 straight hours. Man, if I touch those liquors I will get wasted. So I drank moderately so I could goof around once he is done. This man rarely drinks. He drowns himself to work.

But what confuses me is that, why did he marry her? When we ask din if he love her, he said he don't know. You know, when we are feeling about something... It is always there. Words are there to define them, and that's what shapes them to be what we wanted them to be. That means that we only knew those words by how we feel them,for his case... It is very rare.

So when he said that he wanted to marry her, I already knew that he felt something. He's just not sure of it.

I sighed. It's so hard when your mental health is fucked up. You forget the feelings. Someone told me that painful memories reminds you of painful feeling, but time will come you will learn to forget. Rei is a special case. He didn't naturally forget. He forced himself and used that method. I sighed again.

"Man, can you still drive?" I asked when I saw him leaning on the sofa, his eyes were closed and he is breathing heavily.

"I'm not lightweight in alcohol like you Marcus..."

I crunched my brow when I heard Ace laughed loudly and throwed a glass to him which he easily caught of course, typical Ace, I should've used the dart. "Hey don't call me by my surname! And one more I'm not lightweight, Lee. Your just a monster drinker, I'm normal unlike you!" I shouted.

"Tss, whats so good in that? You probably can't get drunk no matter how you drown yourself to liquor." I whispered and sighed. Poor Rei. Another useless talent. Yeah I call that talent. I mean he gulped all 10 bottles of vodka and he's still up, could you believe that?

"That's enough Rei. You have to drive home." Nico spoke, which is very rare. Sometimes I wanna tell him directly that his mouth and tongue is senseless. It is used in talking and of course, in doing more interesting thing *insert evil laugh*. Anyway, among us four, Nico is the prude type. Rei might be heartless but he once loved. It just didn't end well.

"What time is it?" he asked lazily. I glanced at my wristwatch. "It's already 9 pm man, you have to go home." I answered. "Your wife might be waiting for you." I added because I hope it could convince him.

But he chuckled. "She won't.... She once told me she hates me." I almost saw his eyes welled with tears but he leaned his head on the sofa and closed his eyes. Pushing back your tears?

But damn, openly hating someone? Hmm it's better than pretending after all. I felt his pain when he said those words.

She told me she hates me.

Dammit. I could tell that he is hurting. Why did he even marry that girl? For goodness sake. Is he a masochist?

I gulped the remnant liquor from my glass.

"She said she hates you?" Ace said, his eyes almost falling from his sockets, I'm not exaggerating though, it really is.

He chuckled and looked at Ace which is beside me. "You know what I told her?" he had a smirk on his face. "I know. I told her I already know. But I'm glad. She talked to me. It isn't much but likewise I'm still glad." he said and I could almost see his eyes smiling. Good god? Am I seeing this right?

When Ace said that she might be his cure, I also agreed. What if she could end her misery for once and for all? What if she's enough to take all his pain away? But knowing Rei, he would not tell her. I already knew.

"You don't know that don't you? When it just hurts like hell and you drown yourself from pain. You want to end it all but you can't. You remember painful memories every single time. Yet you can't do anything but to stay there and live at my own hell."

God dammit. Man your pathetic... Tsk tsk.

He might look ruthless and cruel and he really is but behind all that is a shattered soul.

"You should go home Rei." I automatically turned my head to Nicholei when he said that, damn he used that authority. You see, he is a very strange person. Poker face, straightforward. He uses authority rarely, and I emphasize rarely because once a Nicholei Vega speaks, even without authority you will tremble with fear, since we are his friends, of course we are used to that personality of his.

That words he said, I also felt Ace and Rei looked up to him. Of course Rei isn't intimidated because they're pretty much the same. But when Nico uses that tone on him, he takes them seriously as he knows that the Intimidator is also serious.

"It's only Thursday and you still have to work tomorrow." Nico added in his usually placid tone. I let out my breathe that I've been holding for a while now. Goddamn, this two is out of this world. The two of them alone could make this large room soooo suffocating.

Rei nodded and thankfully, obliged to Nico's request. Shhk, I didnt event get to play billiards, this heartless bastard just urged us to stay beside him and drink with him... Being a monster he is, do I even have a choice? I'm a lil bit scared hehe. But keep it a secret okay? Rei is a weak and shattered person inside but sometimes he can be scary. Especially when he loses control and get out of his mind.

"Hey can you drive? Should I take you home?" I asked out of concern. I know he could drink well but dammit, we've been drinking for too long. What if an unexpected accident occurs?

"I can. No need worrying." he placidly said and got up like he didn't drink any liquor. Sometimes I'm envious, of a could drink like that and keep my head cool maybe I could get a lot of girls. Tsk tsk, what a waste of talent man...

I also stood and looked at the wristwatch. "Ugh I hope there would also be someone who will worry about me when I come home late hehe" I said disappointed. Shhk.

"What a sore loser..." I heard Ace mumbled.  "Hey you also don't have a girlfriend!" I said loudly. "But I have lot of flings" he said wiggling his brows. I reciprocated the naughty look in his eyes. "Oh. Me too. Hehe." I suddenly thinks that having a girlfriend only gives trouble. At least in flings, no emotional attachments. No pains, no hard feelings. Just fun.

"I also have to go. I have to work." the Intimidator said and I nodded my head at him. "Hmm, be careful man." I said and took my jacket from the stand. I halted from my steps when someone caught my sight. This bar has a billiard table and dart at this side while on the other side, there are table and chairs. I thought we are the only people here. But there is a girl. There. In front of the bartender. She's wearing a formal attire. A black sleeveless dress and her auburn hair is tied on a high and messy  bun. "Hey man, where are you heading now?" Ace asked me. The Intimidator was nowhere in sight.

"You go ahead man, I'm just going to the comfort room." I said and he nodded his head. Can't believe he'll buy that. When he's gone, I sat beside the girl who seems to be sleeping on the countertop table.  "The usual Mr. Marcus?" the bartender asked me and I nodded. "Thanks." I said to him with a smile. She raised her head. I know she felt me here but to my dismay, she ignored me.

Gorgeous. Sharp features, this one seems intimidating. I don't her.. But she seems high profile.

"Do you mind if I join you?" I said in my usual manner.

She turned her head to me and looked at me in a menacing manner. Or is it her normal. God, she looked dangerous. "Yes. I do mind." she said and to my surprise, she grabbed two bottles of a cheap bear with her and  headed there on the sofa where we sat a while ago. She seems to be looking for something and I my eyes followed her to check her up. Sexy. I unconsciously bit my lips.

She reminds me of someone...

But I can't pinpoint who. She has the invisible barrier around her as if she had her own world inside it.

She sat on the sofa holding the jar of darts. Oh is he commiting suicide? Hey what a stupid thought Marcus... I am busy watching her when I felt sudden danger that made me tilt my head. But not fast enough, it brushed to my cheeks and the cold liquid dripped from the opened wound down to my cheeks. I felt an inexplicable sense of danger which I don't know where originated.

"Too slow." she's suddenly standing in front of me and it felt like she's looking down on me.

"The next time you get too busy, you could get killed." she looked at me with her eyes devoid of any emotions. Fuck, is it her? The frail looking gorgeous girl? I unconsciously gulped and the surrounding felt heavy. Goddamn who is she? Is she an assassin sent to kill me? Shit shit shit. I cursed at the back of my mind.

I sneakily got my knife at my pocket. If she's really an assassin, then it's a waste of pretty face. She looked at me coldly and I felt my palms sweating. Fuck. Holy fuck.

"A knife can't kill me." she said which made me shudder in fear. Fear that I tried to hide. "But let me tell you," she inched closer and I held the knife tighter. "Checking me out  could kill you." I heard her said-what?

By the time I processes what she's saying, she's nowhere in sight.

What the fuck was that?