Chapter 4

Flash

“Dad, take your medicine after we eat,” I said while chewing the food in my mouth.

“Don’t worry, I always take my medications on time.”

I nodded and then continued eating.

“How is your work?” He started a conversation quietly.

“It’s fine, Dad. We have a lot of customers this weekend. It’s as close as vacation,” I said between bites.

“Well, that’s good. Just be careful because there are a lot of men in the bar,” he warned.

I swallowed in no time at what he said, so I immediately drank water. Fortunately, he did not ask again, so I finished the meal.

“Be careful going home!” I waved as I went down to the resto-bar to enter. He just nodded at me then sailed away.

When I turned around, the fancy flashes of cameras welcomed me. I did not expect their series of questions.

“Miss, is it true that your rumored boyfriend is the vocalist of Logistic Band?” the reporters asked.

I was shocked by the number of them and their series of questions. I also did not know the answer, so I chose to walk away.

“Miss Cherry, right? How true is it that Rexon Del’Torre defended you when someone insulted you last time?”

“How about the rumor that your connection involves a third person, namely the manager of the resto-bar where you work?”

I was stunned by that question.

“Is it also true that you had a relationship with your manager while you and Rexon were together?” she asked again, and the smile on her face turned wide.

“No, that’s not true!” My eyes flashed with anger.

“In that case, which of the two is your boyfriend?” she asked again with twitched lips.

The cameras’ frequent flashes annoyed me, so I was unable to answer. Why do I need to answer those false questions, anyway?

“Please just answer, miss,” she insisted.

“You bitch! You’re not Rexon’s girlfriend! Illusionist!” I heard young people shouting in the distance.

“Miss Cherry, please answer!” They are struggling.

It was there that I felt anxious because of the influx of the people around. They shouted at me. But the anger and the eagerness to hurt me was what really bothered me.

Then suddenly, someone caught my attention and, without saying a word, left the people. He looked straight into my eyes. And right now, at this very moment, I felt secure. I’m now out of danger.

The murmur began and left them speechless. We dodged through the crowds as we hurried inside his car.

Again, I was nervous as I sat in the front seat and closed my eyes tightly.

“Wear your seatbelt,” he said in a cold tone.

I slowly obeyed what he said and glanced at the reporters outside his car.

Until his car pulled away. I firmly held the strap and closed my eyes. The nervousness in my chest seemed to have no place in the pace of events.

We traveled for a few minutes. I do not know where we were going. When I noticed that the paparazzi were not there, my heart calmed.

He slowed down his car and glanced at me repeatedly. The silence went on so long that it became very uncomfortable. In fact, I have this fear of awkwardness to open a conversation because I do not know him. But in the end, I chose to speak.

“Ah, thank you for helping me.” I held my breath for a while and waited for him to answer.

But he suddenly stopped the car, so I faced him. “You can go down now,” he said.

I quickly looked around. I don’t know where we were. I was not familiar with the place. I also seemed overwhelmed with nervousness at the thought of being left in such a dark place.

“Are you serious?!” I said, surprised.

“Yes. Get out of my car!” he scolded. I saw his facial expression and the way he clenched his jaw at me.

I immediately bit my tongue at what he said before glancing around again.

“I already saved you twice. If I save you again, I might charge you.” His voice was full of sarcasm.

So, he was showing me his salvation, is that so? Blood rushed to my head, and I looked at him badly.

“Thank you, huh?” I said and chose to open the door of his car, but it was locked.

I turned around and glared at him. “Can you please open this door?” I said.

But he just faced me with a big smirk on his face. Admit it, Cherry, he’s goddamn hot.

“Is that how you thank me?” He crossed his arms on his chest and lifted his brows on me. Why does he look hot? I wanted to pull off from his hypnotism, but I suddenly shook my head and sat up.

I frowned and acted normally. “Then what do you need?” I leaned back to the chair and faced the window.

“Can you say it nicely?” I glanced at him, and he just smiled at me.

I suddenly felt ashamed of what I did earlier. How could I sound unfriendly even though he was the one who saved me when the reporters rushed to me?

“Okay, thank you for saving me,” I said sincerely. I bit my lower lip when he didn’t bother to say anything.

He just raised an eyebrow at me before restarting the engine.

I feel relieved to think I will not walk home alone.

But I immediately raised my back to my seat when I realized he was going in the other direction.

“Where are we going?” I asked, but he didn’t even answer.

Oh hell, Cherry. If you came down earlier, he wouldn’t have a reason to take you anywhere.

I calmed myself down and faced him again, and smiled broadly.

“You can take me down there,” I ordered.

“I have a gig to attend to,” he said and glanced at his wristwatch.

“And?”

“Join me at my gig tonight,” he answered coolly.

My eyes widened at what he said. “What? No way! I still have a job,” I said hysterically.

“I’m afraid that the reporter is still there. If you come back there, they will definitely attack you again. You don’t want that to happen again, right?” he countered.

“But my job will be compromised. And speaking of reporters, why are they asking me those questions? Shouldn’t that be you?!”

He shrugged and didn’t bother to look at me. I sighed heavily and tried to control my temper.

I snatched my cell phone from my bag and called Calix. “Cherry, where are you? Someone saw you with the press earlier.” His voice was full of authority.

I bit my lower lip and gasped heavily. “I’m sorry. I can’t go to work today.” I uttered a sound of frustration.

“Alright. It’s better if you don’t come back here today,” he replied.

“I’m sorry, sir,” I said in a low tone.

“Okay. Please keep safe,” he said on the other line. I smiled at the last thing he said.

“Yes, sir, thank you. Be careful, too.” I could not stop myself from answering. I feel like everything was red in me. There seemed to be a stir in my heart because of his concern.

He laughed at what I’d said. Oh deym. I can already see what he looks like while holding his cell phone—a broad smile and arched eyebrows.

“Ehem.” I glanced at the owner of that voice. He continued doing that thing while he was driving.

I immediately bid goodbye to Calix and pressed the cancel button before facing Rexon.

“So, is the news that the reporters are posting about you true? Your boss has something for you.” He started the conversation.

“How can you be so sure?” I glared at him.

“That’s why you dare to do phetics at work because your manager is your boyfriend.” He chuckled lightly.

I hope what he said is true. But since Calix and I were not a thing, I frowned at what he said.

I prefer not to answer it. I don’t need to explain myself to him in the first place.

“Silence means yes.” He concluded and turned his face on me. I swallowed when I met his stares.

Jacky will definitely tweak me when she finds out that Rexon was with me right now, and I was free to observe him this close.

I don’t want to deny it, but he better know that I already have a boyfriend so that he can be calm.

He looked at me for a moment before shrugging. He played his new piercing at the left side of his lip. The last time I saw it, he only had it on his eyebrow. I didn’t even pay attention to it anymore because I was already folding my seat.

He also did not speak because, after a while, we reached a well-known resto-bar in San Gabriel.