NOVEL NEXT Chapter 60: My friend
She led Jace straight back to the pool table. The laughter dulled when they arrived, every pair of eyes turning toward him.
"Everyone," she said smoothly, her tone light, almost teasing. "This is my friend. He's with me."
Her words carried weight. Enough to keep the group from asking questions out loud, but not enough to change how they looked at him.
The guys at the table sized him up immediately. Their stares weren't curious, they were sharp, territorial.
Every muscle in their jaws was tight, their eyes flashing quick warnings. Jace could feel it like heat on his skin.
One of them leaned back, arms crossed, silent but heavy in posture. Another sipped his drink without breaking eye contact. None of them smiled.
Across the table, the second woman, the one who looked so much like her it had to be a sister, was harder to read.
She wasn't glaring at Jace. Instead, her disappointment was fixed on the woman beside him.
The shake of her head was subtle, but clear. A quiet rebuke, like this wasn't the first time.
Jace kept his expression neutral, forcing a half-smile as he nodded politely.
Inside, though, he clocked everything, the resentment from the men, the disapproval from the sister, and the faint pressure of the woman's hand still resting on his wrist like she owned the moment.
[They don't like you,] Zin's voice hummed in his head. [Which means you're either a threat… or a pawn. Be smart about which.]
Jace kept his focus on the woman, matching her playful tone. She leaned in close, dropping hints about heading back to her place, and he smiled at the suggestion. Every time she touched his arm, his grin widened.
But something nagged at him. Eva hadn't come back. She'd gone to the bathroom a while ago, and it wasn't like her to miss an opportunity to watch him squirm.
He excused himself smoothly, keeping his voice casual. "I'll be right back."
She gave him a curious look but didn't protest.
Jace slipped away from the group, weaving past the bar and toward the restrooms.
The low hum of voices and clinking glasses faded behind him. His shoulders loosened slightly once he was out of their view.
Jace pushed the bathroom door open, half-expecting her to be waiting with some smart comment.
But the room was empty.
The sink dripped quietly. The stalls were closed, but no sound came from inside.
He frowned, his chest tightening.
"Eva?"
Jace froze when a shadow moved above him.
A second later, Eva dropped cleanly from the ceiling tiles, landing in a crouch right in front of him.
His eyes went wide. "What the fuck—"
Eva dusted off her hands like it was nothing. "What? I thought it was them. Better safe than sorry."
Jace blinked, still staring at her like she'd lost her mind. "You were crawling through vents like some kind of movie assassin?"
She tilted her head with a small smirk. "You're welcome." Then, shifting the subject, "So… did you manage to get to her?"
"Yeah." Jace exhaled, remembering the pool table and the woman's hand on his arm. "I came here to tell you I'm leaving. I'll meet you back at the apartment."
Eva leaned casually against the sink, unconcerned. "Don't worry. I'll be following you."
Jace squinted at her, his tone edged with sarcasm. "You're gonna watch?" His expression twisted, caught between confusion and disbelief.
Her smirk widened. "No. Now leave."
Jace muttered under his breath, shaking his head. Zin chimed quietly in his skull.
The sister's voice was sharp, low enough not to draw the group's attention but firm enough to cut. "What are you doing, Hannah? We agreed to stop this years ago."
Hannah didn't flinch. She kept her smile soft, even playful, though her eyes hardened for just a second. "Yes… and we did."
Her sister leaned closer, her tone tight. "And what's with you? I know you're not interested in him."
Hannah tilted her head, her tone light but carrying an edge. "And what if I am? What if I'm not?" She sipped her drink like nothing about the conversation mattered. Then, leaning closer so only her sister could hear, she added, "Be patient, little sis. Be patient. I'll tell you all of it once we leave. Just know this, there's a score to settle."
Her sister's jaw clenched, but she said nothing more.
Before the tension could thicken, Jace reappeared, slipping back into the circle. He pulled his chair out and sat down, flashing that half-grin like he hadn't noticed the eyes that were still locked on him.
[They were arguing,] Zin murmured in his head. [And from the look on the sister's face, you're in the middle of something bigger than you realize.]
Jace forced his expression to stay neutral as he looked between the women, then settled his attention back on Hannah. "So," he said, keeping his tone casual, "what did I miss?"
Hannah smiled at him, smooth and easy, like nothing at all had happened.
"Nothing that should concern you," the sister cut in, her tone sharp.
Hannah's smile widened as if the comment never landed. She slid her hand down Jace's arm, fingers curling around his wrist like she'd already claimed him. "Hey," she said softly, leaning close enough for him to catch the sweetness of her perfume, "don't mind my sister. It's past her bedtime, she gets a little cranky."
Her voice was playful, but her grip wasn't. She tugged gently, coaxing him to his feet. "How about we get away from all of this and find someplace… private, just for us?"
The sister's eyes narrowed, disappointment hardening into something closer to warning. Jace caught it out of the corner of his eye, that silent shake of her head.
Jace looked at Hannah. The sister's glare burned at the edge of his vision, but at this point, he didn't care. He needed the power.
Every second his cells decayed was another second closer to falling apart, and no amount of silent warnings or disappointed looks would change that.
So who cared what her sister thought?
Hannah's hand was warm on his wrist, her smile sweet but sharp, the kind that carried its own promise.
She tugged gently, coaxing him to follow, and Jace let himself rise from the chair.