** Nineteen **
**Jc's POV **
I took one more step closer to her, and our noses were touching. I could feel the heat of her breath on my face. She even managed a sarcastic smile, and I responded with a mischievous smile.
Gradually standing up, the hair on my neck stood up as my heart beat faster. Am I nervous? It's just Rhea.
My gaze was still locked on her eyes as I slowly lowered my face closer to her lips. I looked forward to the reaction on her face.
Little by little, our lips were about to touch when suddenly a piece of paper blocked the space between us.
"Have you ever tried to cheat?" she casually read what was written as if nothing was happening.
I just smirked, stepped back, and sat down while looking in another direction.
Did she pull out? Too bad; I thought I could really score. Stupid! Do I regret it? The Scotch influence is really dominating my thinking. I feel like the surroundings are spinning a little, and I feel so hot that my forehead is sweating.
Scotch is really a strong drink. I won't drink it next time. Some kind of inexplicable electricity flows through my body, making me feel grounded.
"Your answer," I said with dismay and then drank what was in my glass.
Her eyebrows knitted together as she looked at me, maybe because of the tone of what I said. I expressed my dismay.
She sat down again as she tried to read what was going on in my mind while I tried to avoid her gaze.
I can't look at her directly. I do not know why. The way she looks at me is like she won't stop until she gets inside my brain.
"I'm waiting for your answer." I tried to keep my tone of voice natural so she wouldn't be surprised.
She drank what was in her glass first. "No. And I will never try," she answered while still looking at me.
Because of the Scotch's effect, I mustered up the courage to face her and look straight at her.
Instead of saying something, whatever it was suddenly erased from my mind, and I stared at her with my mouth closed. This girl is really different, and that makes me feel weird. Or maybe it's just the Scotch influence. I do not know.
My instinct prevailed, and I pulled out a question.
'The longest relationship you have had with whom?'
My brain read what was written on the piece of paper.
I poured shots in our glasses for the last time while Rhea was silent, waiting for me to continue. "Mary Jane Clarkson is the longest relationship I've had: 1 year and 3 months."
Unexpectedly, her eyes widened, and her mouth slightly gaped. "Mj became your ex-girlfriend?"
"Yes. You know her?" I was surprised at her reaction.
"Soo much. She is the daughter of my mother's second family," she reasoned flatly.
"That's why you two have a little bit of a similarity," I stated.
Her eyebrows met again as she snorted. "I'm more beautiful than her."
"Really? Where is it?" I smirked teasingly.
"Head to toe," she boasted.
I stared at her from head to toe, examining if she was really beautiful.
She is indeed beautiful because of her smooth and white complexion; her shiny and natural brown hair suits her. She is attractive because of her sharp nose and charming smile. She is sexy because of her knee-length plain orange dress and a denim blazer with elbow-length sleeves.
But she is not that beautiful to meet my standards of 'beautiful.'
Go ahead, fool yourself, Jc.
"I really don't see anything," I teased with a mischievous smile.
"It just is! I am beautiful! Don't contradict me," she scolded in annoyance while pulling out a question.
"I think you're the only one who knows," I added.
She just raised an eyebrow at me. It's something she does when she's annoyed, but I wasn't moved because I was still grinning at her.
Eventually, she turned her attention to the paper and silently read the question.
Her eyes widened after she read the question, and she took her glass and drank.
I wonder what she pulled out...
"My worst heartbreak..." she whispered to herself while looking at the floor as if thinking.
Later, she looked at me.
"Why are you looking at me?" I asked in surprise.
She sighed and took off the necklace she was wearing, which I hadn't noticed, and placed it next to her hair tie.
My eyebrows knitted together. "What's that? I answer almost all the questions, and then you, that's the second."
"Because I can't answer the question," she reasoned.
"Why? Only I will know," I insisted.
"That's the problem. You will know," she excused herself.
"Am I your worst heartbreak?" My voice was weak, but the tone was serious.
The speaker is really Scotch. I've had too much to overpower the influence of Scotch in my mind and mouth.
She couldn't look at me directly, and her attention was still focused on the floor. "I took off my necklace, so take one."
I didn't press her anymore. She really doesn't want to talk. But my instinct seems to say that I am the answer. I can read it through her movements and reactions on her face.
It's really hard to think straight when your mind is under the influence of alcohol. The impossible becomes possible, and the possible becomes nonsense.
I pulled out a question while watching her. Her eyes were sad. There seemed to be a hidden resentment.
'Ex that you will never forget and why?'
My mind read what was written and briefly stared at the paper. I gathered all the emotions that were buried in my heart to release them all in my answer, so I could definitely move forward without heartache.
"Jaycille Gamboa is my ex I will never forget." When I started, she immediately raised her gaze directly into my eyes. "Because even though our relationship only lasted for a few months, I became a martyr to her alone," I added while looking in another direction.
I avoided her gaze again because I knew my throat was getting rough from trying to hold back tears. I don't want to cry in front of other people, especially in front of her.
After staring at me for a few minutes, she stood up and walked towards me. Even if I didn't look at her, I could hear her every step.
Unexpectedly, she hugged me. A hug from a sympathetic friend. Suddenly, I became a rock in my seat, and my brain froze.
Why does it feel good? Can I just be brokenhearted for her to hug me like this?