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 and 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 the 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 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 surprisedly said.
• “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. Oh, damn. 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 heavily sighed and tried to control my temper.
• I snatched my cellphone from my bag and called Calix. “Cherry, where are you? Someone saw you with the press earlier.” His voice has 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 damn. I can already see what he looks like while holding his cellphone—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 the news that the reporters are posting about you is 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 in my seat.
• He also did not speak because, after a while, we reached a well-known resto-bar in San Gabriel.