When We Collided

The Gauntlet

"Pardon me?" Onyx asked icily.

I was shocked. Not because I was told to break it off with Garett. There was nothing between us, at least not yet anyway. But Onyx had been with Jessica for three years and they were pretty serious. How could he just break up with her like that? Was Ace joking?

"This is bad publicity, Onyx. A gossip magazine sent this to us a few minutes ago. Good thing I was able to smooth things over. Imagine the chaos this would cause should it go out in the open."

"I still don't get it," Onyx said, going rigid beside me.

"You are a newly-formed love team. Your target is the young fans. They can be quite a lucrative market, but they are also very possessive. They want to see you only with each other, not with anyone else. Now, we invested a lot in you because we can see the potential in your pairing. You are halfway through the film. Please don't tell me you'll throw that all away with a few thoughtless actions."

"You mean to tell me I should make adjustments to my private life in order to do my job?" Onyx clarified.

"You are a public figure now, Onyx. You do not have a private life anymore. That's just one of the prices you have to pay for being a celebrity. Eyes will always be on you, no matter where you go."

"Are you seriously telling me to leave my girlfriend to pursue my careeer?" Onyx asked disbelievingly.

The way he said it made it sound so heartless, so inhuman. Which it was, for me. Ace didn't have the right to meddle in our personal affairs.

"Leave her, stay with her. I don't care. As long as the public doesn't know. It has happened before. It can be done."

We were all silent for a long time, absorbed in our own thoughts.

Onyx grabbed my arm, and then he was pulling me out onto the street.

"Ah, shit." I heard him say under his breath.

"You okay?" I asked him. He looked pale, like he was going to pass out.

"Yeah. Just not looking forward to saying this to Jess," he replied.

"She won't agree to this?" I asked.

He looked at me for the longest time, as if he was trying to read my mind. "I'm sorry," he finally said.

"Sorry?" I asked, confused. Wasn't Ace the one to blame for all of this?

"Sorry you had to be dragged into this. If things go down the drain, you'll get pulled down too."

I thought about it for a while. Then I heaved a sigh.

"I admit I've worked so hard for this. For the big break they've promised us. And we're so close. But in the end, I understand that it's not the fame and glory that will get you through life. It's the people you love. I think that if you had to choose, choose her." I let out my breath in a whoosh and hoped to heaven that I won't regret those words when shit hits the fan.

He stared at me, his eyes unreadable for all the emotions going through them. I gasped when I suddenly found myself in his tight embrace.

"Thank you," he whispered.

We heard some loud throat-clearing behind us. We separated to see Jessica and Garett standing just a few feet away. Garett was wide-eyed, while Jessica was staring daggers at us.

No wonder Onyx paled at the thought of telling Jessica about what happened. The woman was scary as hell when mad.

"It's not what you think, Jessica," I told her in a serious tone.

"What do I think?" She asked me in a surprisingly calm voice.

"That was not a romantic hug. That was just a friendly hug. We're just friends," I reiterated.

"I know. Doesn't make it look less painful though." She sighed. "I trust Nyx, I know he's not like that. But shit. You look fucking good together."

I blushed. Everyone at AccEnt had been saying it but hearing it from her made it sound more convincing. "Guess you won't be watching the movie then," I backtracked.

They all laughed. "Well, maybe I'll watch and then just skip the hugging and kissing," Jessica allowed.

"So why were you hugging? Were you just practicing one of your scenes?" Garett asked.

"In the middle of the street? In broad daylight? No way," Jessica exclaimed. "I can smell publicity opps in the air."

The girl was closer to the mark than I had expected.

Onyx and I shared a silent look. 'Not yet,' his eyes pleaded.

"I can't see any cameras anywhere," Garett retorted.

"Paparazzi are sneaky bastards. They got cams on trees and cars and anything else you can think of," I answered.

Through all of this, Onyx never said a single word. It looked like Jessica noticed.

"Babe? What's wrong?" She looked up at him.

I took Garett's hand and pulled him away. "You like ice cream?" I asked.

"Sure." He grinned. "Bye kiddos!" He waved at Onyx and Jessica.

As we were leaving, I heard Onyx speak to Jessica in a low voice.

"Jessica, we need to talk."

Photo credits: http://roniartforlife.deviantart.com/art/cute-chibi-couple-hugging-308472331