Chapter 124 Uneasy feeling
They both turned at the familiar voice. Jason approached Annie right beside him, both looking exhilarated from the successful show.
“You made it!” Annie beamed, pulling Lucas into a quick hug. “Nice to meet you Lucas, what do you think?”
“It was incredible,” Lucas said honestly. “You guys killed it.”
Jason grinned, then looked at Alex. “And you? Don’t tell me you’re already trying to disappear.”
Alex gave a polite smile. “Something like that. We were just heading out.”
“Absolutely not,” Annie cut in immediately, eyes narrowing playfully before she turned to Lucas. “Do not let him leave.”
Lucas blinked. “Wait, what?”
Jason chuckled. “The night’s just getting started. After-party’s where the real fun is.”
Alex sighed under his breath. “Another time, Jason.”
“Nope,” Annie insisted, looping her arm through Lucas’s. “You’re staying. Both of you.”
Lucas glanced between them, then at Alex, caught in the middle.
“Alex, come on,” he said gently, nudging Alex’s arm. “We can stay for a bit. It might help you, take your mind off things.”
Alex hesitated, clearly unconvinced.
Jason leaned closer, lowering his voice just enough. “Relax, man. You’re safe here, no one is going to kidnap you.”
That sentence made Alex’s eyes sharpen. He wondered why Jason would say that. He never told anyone about the mystery call.
Alex’s jaw tightened slightly, but after a moment, he exhaled.
“Fine. Just for a while.”
Annie clapped her hands excitedly. “That’s the spirit!”
Lucas smiled, relieved, as they allowed themselves to be swept along with the crowd into the next hall, where the music was louder, the lights warmer, and the night far from over.
And for the first time that evening, Alex let himself try to blend into the moment.
Lucas had lost count after the third cup of drink.
By then, the party had gotten warmer, and whatever restraint he’d walked in with had melted into the rhythm of the night. When Annie grabbed his hand and dragged him to the dance floor, he didn’t even resist.
“Let loose for once!” she laughed, pulling him into the crowd.
Lucas did. He moved freely, laughing, completely in his element. His earlier worries were buried under bass and flashing lights.
Across the room, Alex stayed back. He leaned slightly against the bar, a drink untouched in his hand, his gaze fixed, not completely on the stage, not on the crowd, but on Lucas. Every movement, every laugh, he tracked it.
But his eyes didn’t stay there long. They kept shifting, scanning, and watching their surroundings.
Every unfamiliar face. Every sudden movement. Every shadow that lingered too long was a suspect.
Not just that. He was also waiting for his phone to buzz. For the voice of Mac to come through but it never came.
Minutes stretched. The music changed, the crowd thickened, but
still nothing.
Alex’s grip on his glass tightened slightly. The silence felt wrong, too quiet after everything.
On the dance floor, Lucas was finally slowing down, breathless and flushed, laughing as Annie spun away from him. “I need a break,” he said, stepping out of the crowd.
On his way back, someone from the passing servers offered him another drink. Without thinking, without counting, Lucas took it with an easy grin. “Thanks.”
By the time he reached Alex, he was already laughing to himself, his steps just a little unsteady.
“You should’ve come,” Lucas said, his words slightly slurred but playful. “You’re missing out”
Before he could finish, Alex reached out and took the glass straight from his hand. “That’s enough, baby," Alex said as he took a sip.
Lucas blinked, surprised, then frowned slightly. “Alex…”
“Come on,” Alex said, his tone firm but not harsh, setting the cup down. “You’ve had enough.”
Lucas let out a soft laugh, swaying just a little. “I’m fine.”
“I know that look,” Alex replied, leaning closer, lowering his voice. “And you’re about two steps away from not being fine.”
Lucas tried to protest again, but it came out more like a grin. “You worry too much.”
“Yeah,” Alex said quietly, his eyes flicking around the room once more before settling back on him. “Someone has to.”
Lucas studied him for a moment, his smile softening. Even in his tipsy state, he could see it, the tension was still beneath Alex’s calm.
“You’re still thinking about Mac,” Lucas murmured. Sitting beside him.
Alex didn’t answer immediately.
His gaze drifted briefly again, over the crowd. “No call from him,” he said finally.
Lucas tilted his head. “Isn’t that a good thing?”
Alex exhaled slowly, shaking his head. “No, it means he’s planning something.”
That sobered Lucas just a little.
The noise of the party continued around them, laughter, music, clinking glasses, but in that small space between them, the mood shifted.
Lucas reached for Alex’s hand, squeezing it lightly. “Then we stay together.”
Alex looked at him, really looked at him this time, slightly flushed, a little unsteady, but still choosing him.
“Yeah,” Alex said softly. “We do.”
And this time, he didn’t let his eyes wander far.
Alex stared at the remaining drink in the glass for a second, then downed the rest of the drink in one go.
Lucas raised a brow. “I thought you said I’ve had enough.”
Alex gave a faint smirk, wiping his lips. “Doesn’t apply to me.”
Before Lucas could argue, a familiar voice cut in. “Having fun yet?” Jason dropped into the seat beside them, relaxed and buzzing from the night’s success.
“More than I expected,” Lucas admitted with a grin. “The show was amazing.”
Jason leaned back, clearly pleased. “Told you. And the after-party? This is just the beginning.”
Alex nodded politely, but his attention was already drifting again.
“I’ll be right back,” he said, standing. “Restroom.”
Lucas glanced up. “Want me to…”
“I’m good,” Alex cut in, already moving.
Lucas watched him disappear into the crowd, a small crease forming between his brows.
Jason nudged him lightly. “He’s been like that all night.”
Lucas sighed softly. “Yeah, just stressed.”
They fell into an easy conversation after that, about the show, the design, and random lighthearted things. Lucas laughed, responding, trying to stay present.
But now and then, his eyes flicked toward the direction Alex had gone.
Time passed, five minutes, then ten but he hadn't returned. Jason eventually stood up. “I need to check on Annie before she starts a dance battle she can’t win.”
Lucas chuckled. “Go save her.”
“I’ll catch you later,” Jason said, giving him a quick pat on the shoulder before disappearing into the crowd.
And just like that, Lucas was alone. The music suddenly felt louder. The space became wider.
Lucas glanced at his phone.
No message. His smile faded slightly. He looked toward the hallway leading to the restrooms again, but no sign of him.
He should be back by now.
Lucas shifted in his seat, trying to brush it off. Maybe there’s a line or maybe he ran into a friend and got into chats.
Another minute passed. Then another. The uneasy feeling settled deeper.
Lucas shot to his feet. At first, he tried to walk casually, but the closer he got, the faster his steps became.