Chapter 12 Boundaries

Chapter 12 Boundaries
My head felt like it was about to explode from all the alcohol I drank last night. The sound of plates clinking in front of me only made the headache worse.

We were all having breakfast together. I glanced at Dad, who was carefully feeding Mom a piece of fruit. I’ve always admired the way he treats her. I promised myself I would be like him for my future partner.

Aside from Kuya, Dad was the person I looked up to the most. The way he listened patiently whenever Mom ranted, the thoughtful gifts he gave her, and the fresh flowers he brought home every day. She was incredibly lucky to have him, and I was proud he was my father.

I looked at Kuya Dave sitting beside me, eating peacefully. Next to him was Yohan, who was clutching his head—clearly suffering from a hangover.

When I woke up earlier, Ethan was no longer beside me in bed. I had hoped I’d get to talk to him, but he was already gone. Even now, I couldn’t stop thinking about what he said last night. I wanted to know if it meant something… or if he was just drunk.

“Lucas, are you okay?” Mom suddenly asked.

“Yes, Mom,” I replied, forcing a smile before continuing to eat.

My gaze shifted to Yohan, who was chatting with Kuya. I still didn’t understand why this guy was still here.

“You slept here, bro?” I asked.

Kuya shot me a sharp look, clearly annoyed that I had interrupted their conversation.

“No, I just came early to freeload off breakfast,” Yohan answered sarcastically. Mom burst out laughing.

I raised my middle finger at him. Talking to this idiot was exhausting—he thought he was some kind of comedian.

“Do you want me to cut that fucking finger off, Lucas?” Kuya snapped.

Why was he so angry? I wasn’t even flipping him off. I decided to ignore it and pulled out my phone to message Angela.

Lucas Buenavista
Ethan slept here last night, but when I woke up, he was already gone from my room. Can you check if he got home safe?

I was genuinely worried about Ethan. The image of that single tear sliding down the corner of his eye kept replaying in my mind. I couldn’t shake the feeling—I needed to know what had caused those tears.

“Lucas,” Mom called again, pulling me back to reality.

“I didn’t give you my gift last night. Do you want to receive it now?”

I remembered Mom mentioning she had a surprise for me. I thought the whole party setup was already the gift.

“Sure, Mom.”

She stood up and walked out toward the pool area. When she returned, she was carrying a small Corgi puppy in her arms.

“Is that my gift?” I asked, surprised.

I paused, then gently reached out to pat the puppy’s head.

“I thought you didn’t want me to have a dog?” I asked.

I wanted to understand why she had suddenly changed her mind. I had asked her many times before if I could get one. When I was eight, I even cried and begged, but she still refused. If she was only doing this out of obligation, we could give the puppy to one of my friends. I was sure someone like Martin would take good care of it.

She handed the puppy to me, and I took it carefully.

“We actually had a dog before,” Mom said, glancing at Kuya. “Twinkle was Kuya’s dog when he was younger.”

Kuya’s voice grew heavy as he spoke. “You used to play with him when you were little. But one day, you accidentally stepped on his paw, and he bit you. That’s when we decided to give him to Mom’s brother.”

So the dog at Tito Alfred’s house used to belong to Kuya. That explained why the dog always ran to greet Kuya whenever we visited.

I turned back to Mom. “You cried nonstop after you got bitten.”

That was the reason all along. They didn’t want me to have a dog because they were afraid I might get bitten again. But I wasn’t a kid anymore. These days, I was the one doing the biting.

I set the puppy down on the floor and pulled Mom into a tight hug.

“Thank you, Mom. This is the best gift I’ve ever received.”

“What about my gift, bro?” Yohan suddenly chimed in. “I’ve been using it for a long time, but I gave it to you. You better treasure it.”

“What did you give me?”

“My old socks. They already have holes, so I bought new ones and decided to give you the old pair,” he joked. Kuya immediately laughed.

This guy really committed to being the family clown.

I wanted to curse at him, but when I saw the dark look in Kuya’s eyes, I held back. Let him joke around if he wanted. I didn’t care.

I was lying on the floor of my room, legs stretched out, wearing dark pants and black socks, just relaxing.

On top of my legs rested my little TanTan—the new Corgi Mom had given me. I named him TanTan because he was a boy.

TanTan lay comfortably between my legs, looking up at me with those big, soulful eyes. His soft tan-and-white fur was incredibly fluffy. He seemed perfectly content in that cozy spot.

With one hand, I gently scratched behind his ear. I could feel how calm and relaxed he was. His head rested near my knee, as if he had no intention of moving.

I took out my phone with my free hand and snapped a photo to capture the peaceful moment between me and my little furry buddy. After checking the shot, I posted it on my account.

Once the photo was up, I headed to the bathroom to take a shower. I was planning to go to Angela’s unit to ask for an update on Ethan. I still didn’t know how he had gotten home last night.

It was exactly noon when I arrived at Angela’s place. A few minutes later, the door opened. She looked like she had just woken up—her hair was a complete mess.

“You demon, coming to my unit so early,” she grumbled while trying to fix her messy hair.

I didn’t reply. I simply walked over to her living room sofa and sat down comfortably. I opened my phone and saw the flood of notifications—mostly reactions to the photo of me and TanTan.

Martin Ashford
Whose dog did you fuck? The breed looks good.

Lucas Buenavista
Why? You planning to fuck it too?

Martin Ashford
No way. I’d rather fuck you. Your breed looks fine too. I wouldn’t lose out.

This idiot really had nothing decent to say.

Caleb Stratton
The breed is okay, but the dick is small.

The moment I read Caleb’s comment, I quickly sent him a nude photo in DM.

Lucas Buenavista
Fuck you. Check the DM. Stare at it properly and tell me if it’s really small.

Yohan Sebastian
Cute dog. It even knows how to wear socks.

I laughed at Yohan’s comment. This guy had just eaten at our house this morning and he still had the nerve to mess with me.

TJ Vanderbilt
It’s cute. What’s the dog’s name?

It was a miracle this guy was even holding his phone. I thought the only thing he knew how to hold was a book.

Sydney Anderson
Lucas, apparently.

Samantha Valtor
Where did you get that cute puppy?

There were many more comments, but I left them alone and placed my phone on the small table in front of me.

“Didn’t you read my message?” I asked Angela, who was still struggling with her hair.

“Do I have magic powers to read messages while I’m asleep?” she snapped.

Damn. There really wasn’t anyone normal to talk to among my friends.

“It’s about Ethan. He slept at our house last night, but when I woke up, he was already gone. Do you have any update? Did he get home safe?”

She was about to answer when the door beside her room opened and Ethan stepped out.

He was wearing shorts and a white tank top that showed off his smooth, flawless arms.

“There’s the one you’re looking for,” Angela muttered before turning around and walking back into her room, closing the door behind her.

Ethan and I both stared at the closed door for a moment.

I cleared my throat to get his attention.

“Are you okay now?” I asked.

Ethan turned to me, startled. I patted the empty space on the sofa beside me, motioning for him to sit. He might get tired standing there.

He sat down, head bowed and eyes closed, looking like a child who didn’t want to be scolded.

“Sorry if I bothered you last night,” he said quietly.

He suddenly looked up and met my eyes. I held his gaze. “If I did anything last night, I’m sorry. I don’t remember what happened. I was really drunk.” His eyes showed he genuinely meant the apology.

I chuckled as a funny thought crossed my mind. I put on an angry expression and raised my eyebrows.

“You kissed me. I think ‘sorry’ isn’t enough. You should take responsibility, Ethan.”

I struggled to hold back my laughter when I saw the shock on his face.

“Is that why you left my room so early? Because you didn’t plan to take responsibility?” I added, glaring at him to make it look like I was truly upset.

“Why would I take responsibility? I didn’t get you pregnant. And about the kiss—I was drunk. No wonder my mouth tasted bitter this morning. Your lips must’ve left a trace,” he answered arrogantly while wiping his lips.

I felt insulted when he said my lips tasted bitter. I was a good kisser. All my past flings had told me my lips were sweet. He just hadn’t experienced it properly yet.

“My lips taste good. You should try them again.”

I leaned forward to close the distance between us, but he suddenly pushed me away.

“Idiot,” he cursed.

I actually liked the way he said it.

He stood up and walked to the kitchen. I followed as he opened the refrigerator and took out a bottle of water.

I suddenly remembered what he had said to me last night. I wondered if I should ask him about it.

“Do you remember what you said last night?”

He froze mid-drink and looked at me.

He shook his head firmly.

I really wanted to ask. I needed to know the reason behind those tears. Part of me also didn’t want to see him cry again.

“Last night, I gave you a sponge bath. When I tried to wipe your legs, you suddenly said something… You told me that if I wanted to, I should just do it. I’ve been wondering what you meant.”

He stiffened at my words.

“I was just drunk. I don’t know what I was saying,” he replied, then started to walk away.

I grabbed his hand from behind. “You also cried last night.” I couldn’t stop myself from saying it. I needed to know.

I didn’t understand what was happening to me. But I felt like if I didn’t ask, something would feel incomplete.

I knew it was his personal business. I shouldn’t be prying. But seeing him cry like that last night had felt like a stab to my chest, and I didn’t want to see him in that state again.

He aggressively pulled his hand away. “You’re studying, right? Then you should know there are things you’re not supposed to ask about!” he snapped.

Then he walked away.

I stood frozen in place. He had a point. My question had crossed the line. Had I really overstepped his boundaries?