“But you knew that already, right? And yet you continue to spend an unholy amount of money on him as if you can just buy him like some cheap object from the corner store. Fun fact, that isn’t how life works, Richie. Grow the fuck up.”

“That’s not even true—”

“When you’re older, you’ll understand. When you’re on your deathbed, there won’t be anyone by your side. You’re going to die alone, but I’m not because I have people that care for me and I’m not letting some snotty ass rich boy take that away from me. But hey! At least you’ll have money, right?”

Onyx’s pulse skyrocketed further and he almost felt dizzy with the high that came with it. He barely noticed when Day’s eyes began to water up.

“You don’t—”

Alyssa didn’t let him get another word out. The eye contact she leveled him with intensified further.

“You can’t even make your soulmate love you, let alone like you, so good luck finding someone else who will.”

Day turned to Onyx then as if he expected him to say something. Onyx didn’t blame him, he knew he should come to his defense, but he was at a loss for words, himself. As if Onyx had failed some type of test, Day let loose a shaky breath, turned around, and walked away. 

Onyx watched Day rub at his eyes as he got further and further until he was out of sight.

“I knew from the moment you suggested this that it would go bad,” Onyx whispered, finally finding the breath to speak,” but shit, Alyssa. What the hell was that?”

“He was—”

“No,” Onyx said. “There is no ‘he’. That was fucked up.”

Alyssa sighed as if she was exhausted. It was quite ironic considering, as far as Onyx was concerned, he was the one who the two of them had practically been playing Tug-Of-War with the entire evening. 

“I’m sorry,” she said.

“Are you?” Onyx asked, beginning to turn away to go after Day. “I hope that made you feel better.”

He walked briskly through the rows of gaming machines but eventually picked up his speed until he was moving in a light jog. He internally groaned at the realization that Day had been their transportation there. He could only hope he’d catch up to him before he drove off.

Not that Onyx would really blame him.

The minute he stepped into the humid, hot air, he scrambled to remember where Day had parked. Luckily, he spotted Day’s car just as he was getting in it and managed to reach it just as Day began to start it up.

He knocked on the window and, for a split second, he thought Day was going to ignore him, but then he saw him visibly sigh and heard the click of the doors unlocking.

Onyx quickly climbed into the passenger seat before Day could change his mind.

“What?” Day immediately questioned, his voice a little deeper than usual and the skin around his eyes puffy and red.

“Are you okay?”

“What the hell does it look like?” Day turned to stare him in the eye as he said it and Onyx froze. The face he saw was a stark contrast to the Day he was used to.  He looked truly hurt and it made Onyx feel awful. Like the entire situation was his fault even though he understood that wasn’t the case.

“I’m sorry,” Onyx said. “Alyssa didn’t mean any of that. She was just upset—”

“I don’t care about her. I just don’t understand why you’re here.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Why are you pretending to care?” Day asked, finally getting to the heart of the matter. “The only reason you ever hang out with me is because I have money, right? Well, I don’t have any for you right now so you’re free to leave.”

“What she said wasn’t true.” Onyx slouched in his seat a bit, a deep exhale escaping him in a rush as he ran a hand through his hair. “The money’s a bonus. With or without it, you’re still you. I like your company and I know a part of you already knows that.”

“You could just be saying that.”

“I came over to your house past midnight just a week ago. Last time I checked, I didn’t leave your house with a single extra penny in my wallet. In fact, I left with less than I had when I walked in.”

Day looked confused briefly before he finally came to the realization that he was talking about the painting. Then, he turned away to lean against his window.

“That was one time and that was also just because you had no one else to hang out with.”

Onyx scoffed. “That’s what you think happened?”

“Isn’t that what I just fucking said?”

Onyx’s eyes narrowed and he reached over to pinch Day on the arm. “Don’t curse at me.”

Day winced and swatted his hand away, peering at him from the corner of his eye. “Look, I just want to go home and I can’t be around that girl right now.”

“Alyssa,” Onyx corrected, “and I understand. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t too devastated or whatever. We’ll get home some other way.”

He started to exit the car but was stopped when Day grabbed his hand. He glanced first at the larger hand that was wrapped around his own and then into expressive, pale eyes.

“Come over later tonight?” Day asked in a low, uncertain whisper.

“Yeah,” Onyx nodded after a moment. “I’ll be there.”

Onyx exited the car and more so heard Day drive away than he saw it as he went to find Alyssa. 

It wasn’t a long search. 

She was leaning against the entrance to the arcade, one leg propped against the wall and a cigarette in her mouth.

“Well?” she asked, blowing a puff of smoke out. “What now?”

“Now we have to find another way to get home, thanks to you.”