Leading Risk

CHAPTER 12

“Why didn’t you play today, Kuya Ruiz?”

Wes’s voice cut through her thoughts as she struggled to open her beer can.

They had decided to chill at the Uncle's John nearby, which was conveniently right across from the gate of Filinvest Subdivision. It was all good, really, since this was where the four of them—her group of friends—often hung out, and it was close to Rins’ place. If anything went wrong, they all knew they’d be meeting up at the barangay hall.

They grabbed some beer cans, juice, and snacks, then settled outside at a table with chairs.

The seating arrangement had her facing two people who definitely had a thing for each other, while she was stuck in the middle of Wes and Ruiz.

She flinched when someone snatched the beer can from her hand.

“I was actually going to play, but someone came up,” he said casually, easily popping open her beer can.

With arms crossed, she watched him handle her drink.

“Here.”

He handed it back to her while continuing his conversation with Wes.

She grimaced as she took a sip of her beer. Feeling a bit spontaneous, she decided to get up and head back inside the Ministop to buy a vanilla sundae. Instead of a cone, she asked for it in a cup, requesting spoons to mix it all together.

After paying, she returned to her spot and began experimenting, pouring the beer into her cup of sundae and mixing it.

“Tada! Beer float!”

She cheerfully whispered.

“Does it taste good?”

She heard the question from her side while she watched the duo in front of her.

“Not good, but not bad,” she replied, her tone flat.

She cringed a bit as she watched Kai fix Charlotte's hair.

“Sweet,” she sarcastically whispered, rolling her eyes before turning her attention back to the guy beside her.

“Hotdog,” he said, laughing as he drank straight from his beer can. She furrowed her brows, staring at him.

“You're the hotdog girl,” he clarified while popping open another beer.

She was about to respond when she heard someone’s phone ringing.

“Excuse me.”

She watched Wes walk away from their table, grinning as he bit the straw of his drink. She hadn’t let him drink beer yet since he wasn’t of legal age, so she gave him a sterilized drink instead.

“So cute, our little brother,” she teased when he returned. But instead of getting annoyed, he just smiled back at her.

“So weird, our sister,” he replied, pointing at her beer float with a look of disgust.

“It’s my first time seeing someone use a spoon with their beer.”

Leyie frowned, glancing at Kai.

“What? It’s kinda weird,” Kai defended.

“Does that even taste good, Ate?”

Instead of answering Charlotte’s question, she shot her a glare as she scooped some of her beer float and turned to the guy she’d been wanting to take a picture of for the group chat.

“Ah.”

Though puzzled, he tasted it too.

“How was it?”

He just stared at her for a moment, wiping his mouth before answering.

“Hmmm?”

She didn’t break eye contact with him.

“It’s surprisingly good.”

He replied. So she quickly looked at the others.

“See?! It’s good!”

The two just nodded, while Wes rolled his eyes at her. He pointed at her phone sitting on the table.

She raised an eyebrow, then picked it up. A grimace crossed her face as she read through Wes’s string of messages.

“Such a flirt, Ate.”

“I thought only Kai was?”

“You’re so flirtatious.”

“I’ll tell Mama you’re feeding someone!”

Instead of getting annoyed, she just smiled sweetly at him.

“You’re so dead later.”

She mouthed at him, glaring, and he just grinned before turning to Kai with a question.

“Oh, is it all gone?”

She sighed sadly at her empty cup. Checking herself, she wondered if the beer had hit her harder than she thought, as she grabbed an empty can to examine its alcohol content.

“It’s 30 percent.”

She glanced at him, finding him focused on his phone, frowning as he scrolled through it.

She just shrugged at him, mumbling.

Setting down the empty can, she picked up the cup she had used earlier and headed to the trash bin.

She held onto her chair as she stood up. Please don’t tell me I’m tipsy from the beer, she thought while pinching her right ear.

“Wes, I’m going to buy something inside.”

He just nodded, still talking to his crush Kai, which made her a bit grumpy.

Frustrated, she glanced at the beverage section, trying to find something to warm her stomach. But nothing seemed appealing.

She sighed and knelt down, feeling exhausted. I’m so tired of pretending...

“You’re delusional and assuming, Ley,” she muttered angrily, crumpling her face in frustration. Looking up, she realized she was still in the beverage aisle.

Standing up, she grabbed two cans of Red Horse beer.

“I don’t have work until the afternoon tomorrow, so I guess it’s fine.”

Shrugging, she walked to the cashier. Before paying, she also picked up a tuna sandwich.

“275 pesos, ma’am.”

She took out her wallet and paid, leaving the sandwich unwrapped.

Just as she was about to step outside, she spotted them happily chatting, causing her to hesitate.

“I don’t want to ruin their moment.”

Maybe waiting would be better.

She sighed again, not wanting to interrupt.

Choosing a spot inside the Ministop where there weren’t many people, she sat down.

“I can’t open this,” she grumbled, staring at her nails, which were slightly long. Standing up, she headed straight to the cashier.

“Sir, can you open this for me?”

She asked, handing over her two beer cans. He took them and opened them with ease.

“Thank you!”

After grabbing the cans back, she hurried back to her spot and began to drink alone.

“Sometimes being alone is the best,” she said cheerfully, taking a bite of her tuna sandwich.

She faced the transparent window but found herself staring at the parking lot full of cars.

Opening her phone, she suddenly noticed a recent message from her little brother.

They’re dating. You should move on.

She couldn’t help but smile at that.

“Bullshit. I’ve tried a dozen times, but still...,” she thought, clutching her chest. Her heart was pounding fiercely.

She didn’t even want to like him anymore, but her heart just wouldn’t quit. So annoying!

“Ouch, damn it.”

She muttered unconsciously, drinking straight from her beer until it was all gone.

“Why does my heart like to feel pain?”

She groaned, laying her head on the table.

It seemed like her heart had a kink for suffering, she chuckled as she shook her head.

She picked up the empty can and covered her eyes with it. It was still cold, even though it was empty. She stayed in that position for almost a minute.

Feeling her phone buzz, she was too lazy to check it. But eventually, she got up to see who messaged her.

Raising her eyebrows, she realized it wasn’t a message but a notification from i********:.

@GnruizZ followed you on i********:.

“Who is this?”

She whispered curiously, staring at the username.

Taking a sip from her second beer, she pressed the notification, which brought her to the person’s account.

She nearly choked when she recognized who owned that account.

“What the hell?”

Finishing her beer, she tossed the can aside and focused intently on her phone.

He had 12k followers.

“Nobody’s following me; I only have 130,” she joked, rolling her eyes. Five posts, but a ton of tagged photos.

She wanted to stalk him but felt too lazy, so she settled for browsing his posts.

He mostly wore hoodies and aviator glasses. She smirked, staring at one photo where he looked like a model. If she wasn’t mistaken, he was on a yacht during sunset, and the lighting was gorgeous.

He wore a serious expression in that side profile, his sharp nose visible under the aviators, and he held a wine glass while in a polo shirt.

“So hot,” she said, feeling a tingle as she saved his photos. Just as she was about to see who he followed...

“Eh? Only one person?”

Her cheeks flushed. Maybe it was just the beer, but she couldn’t help the warmth spreading through her.

“Oh wow.”

She whispered in awe when she realized.

It’s just me?