Cracks in the Mask

The apartment was quieter than it had been all night, but the tension still hung thick in the air. Grace sat on the couch, watching Jax as he paced back and forth. His hands were shaking slightly, his jaw clenched so tight she thought he might break a tooth.

"Jax, sit down," she said softly.

He ignored her.

She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "You should rest. After everything that happened tonight—"

"I'm fine." His voice was sharp, but it cracked at the end.

Grace narrowed her eyes. "No, you're not."

Jax finally stopped pacing. He turned to face her, something raw and vulnerable flashing in his dark eyes before he quickly looked away. "You don't get it, Grace. These guys—" He let out a humorless laugh, shaking his head. "They're not the kind of people you just ignore and hope they go away."

A chill ran down her spine. "What do they want?"

Jax exhaled, rubbing his hands over his face. "Money. Control. Both." His voice was low, almost defeated. "I used to... owe them. And since I never paid up, they figured they'd remind me of that tonight."

Grace felt something twist in her chest. "How much do you owe?"

Jax hesitated, then muttered, "More than I can give them."

Silence.

Grace's heart ached for him, but at the same time, she was terrified. She had never seen him like this before—so unguarded, so... lost.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked quietly.

Jax scoffed. "Because it's not your problem, Grace."

"You're my friend," she shot back. "That makes it my problem."

Jax let out a breath and sat down beside her, resting his elbows on his knees. He looked exhausted, like the weight of everything was finally crushing him.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. Then, barely above a whisper, Jax said, "I don't know how to fix this."

Grace swallowed the lump in her throat and reached out, hesitating for only a second before placing a hand on his.

"We'll figure it out," she said. "You're not alone in this."

Jax didn't answer, but he didn't pull away either.

And for the first time that night, Grace thought maybe—just maybe—he believed her.

Jax's fingers curled slightly under Grace's touch, but he didn't pull away. His jaw was tight, his body tense, like he was bracing himself for something.

Then, after a long silence, he finally spoke.

"No one knows," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

Grace frowned. "Knows what?"

Jax exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "That I was addicted."

Grace felt her breath hitch.

He let out a dry, humorless laugh. "Not my mom, not the band, not anyone. No one knows what I was doing to myself back then. And if they did—" His voice trailed off, his expression hardening. "If they found out now? Everything would be over. My career. My reputation. Everything I've built."

Grace stayed quiet, trying to process the weight of his words. She had seen a lot of sides to Jax Riot—the arrogant rockstar, the teasing troublemaker, the guy who got under her skin so easily. But this? This was different. This was real.

After a moment, she spoke, carefully choosing her words. "Jax... I get why you're scared. But you don't have to handle this alone."

He scoffed, shaking his head. "Alone is the only way I can handle it."

Grace hesitated before answering. "You're not that guy anymore, right?"

Jax's jaw tightened, his hands balling into fists. "No. I'm not."

"Then why are you acting like you still have to be?"

His eyes flickered with something she couldn't quite place—anger, maybe, or vulnerability. He turned away, pacing the room like he was trying to outrun his own thoughts.

"Because the second people see a crack, they tear you apart," he said finally. "And I can't afford to be torn apart."

Grace's heart clenched. She hated how much sense it made. Hated that he had to think like this.

"I won't tell anyone," she said softly. "You don't have to worry about that."

Jax stilled, his back still to her. For a long moment, he didn't say anything. Then, slowly, he turned around, his expression unreadable.

"Good," he said, his voice quiet but firm. "Because if you did... you'd regret it."

Grace's stomach twisted, but she held his gaze.

"I said I wouldn't," she reminded him. "And I meant it."

Jax studied her, like he was trying to decide if he could believe her. Then, finally, his shoulders loosened just a little.

"Okay," he muttered.

But something told Grace he wasn't just worried about her knowing.

He was terrified of himself knowing.

Grace crossed her arms, exhaling sharply. "Then pay them. Get it over with, and it's done."

Jax let out a hollow laugh, shaking his head. "You think it's that simple?" His voice was laced with frustration. "You don't just 'pay them' and walk away, Grace. That's not how this works."

Grace frowned. "Then how does it work?"

Jax ran a hand over his face, looking exhausted. "They don't want the money. I mean, yeah, they'll take it, but that's not the point. It's about power. Control. If I meet with them, they'll see it as an opportunity to pull me back in." He hesitated, his voice quieter now. "And if I don't... they might decide to make an example out of me."

Grace's stomach tightened. "What do you mean?"

Jax's jaw clenched. "I mean, they don't take 'no' lightly. If I go alone, I don't know if I'll walk away in one piece."

Grace's eyes narrowed in thought before she suddenly straightened. "Wait. I have an idea."

Jax gave her a wary look. "That's never a good sign."

She ignored his sarcasm. "The money from your mom. It's a lot, right? What if I just—stort it to them? Pay them off for you?"

Jax immediately shook his head. "No. Absolutely not."

"Why not?" Grace frowned. "It's enough to make them leave you alone, right?"

Jax ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "Because that money is yours. You earn it, Grace. You already have to put up with all this shit—playing pretend with some arrogant rockstar just to get by. You shouldn't have to deal with this too."

Grace hesitated. "I don't mind." Her voice was softer now, almost hesitant. "I mean... I don't mind being here. Doing this."

Jax's lips parted slightly, like her words had caught him off guard. He swallowed, eyes flickering across her face before he muttered, "Yeah... me neither."