Tiffany

I raised an eyebrow at him. We haven’t had any connection for a long time. So, how did he find out where I moved?

“Don’t tell me that you’re also researching my personal life?” I asked him once again.

I held my breath, waiting for his response. But he remained silent, not saying a word.

Instead, I was surprised when he suddenly approached me, trying to forcefully take my sling bag from my grip.

“What are you doing? This is mine!” I resisted, trying to keep my bag away from him. I was sure he was after my camera. I had thought that he had forgotten about it.

“No! I won’t stop until I get your camera and delete my picture. No one has the right to take my photo without permission.” His voice reverberated angrily in every corner of the car. If he were someone else, I might have been scared.

But he is Travis Jason Vernon. So, I won’t budge.

“You’re now a public figure. These kinds of things are unavoidable. You should know that. Ever since you entered showbiz, it’s not easy to hide your privacy,” I defended.

He gave me a fierce look. “But that doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want without my permission.”

He continued to try to take my bag. So, to protect it, I quickly hid it behind me and grabbed both of his hands before facing his hostile gaze.

But both of us froze when we realized how close our faces were to each other. I held my breath as he suddenly looked down at my slightly parted lips.

For the second time that day, my heart started to race. Due to the unsettling silence between the two of us, I was afraid that he would hear the loud pounding of my heart.

I could clearly see how he swallowed, as if he were struggling to hold something back. The air conditioning in his car was cold, but I didn’t understand why suddenly the atmosphere felt so warm.

I also noticed how he clenched his fist before tightly shutting his eyes. It was as if he were chasing after his breath, as if something was pursuing him.

I bit my lower lip. I didn’t want to see him in such distress. So, I decided to be the one to end his suffering.

I took a risk, needing to find out immediately if I still had a chance. This wasn’t like his shows, where we would wait for someone to say “cut,” so I seized every opportunity.

Without hesitation, I grabbed the back of his neck, causing him to open his eyes wide in surprise. I claimed his lips as my own.

I could see the shock in his eyes before I closed mine, and he gasped in response. Because of that, I have his lower lip between mine.

I continued kissing him, and soon I felt his lips moving in response. I couldn’t help but smile in the midst of our kiss. It gave me hope that there might still be a chance for us.

But I was taken aback when he suddenly pulled away as if he had been burned. Surprise and confusion were still evident in his eyes.

“Travis—”

“Whatever it is that you’re planning, I’ll make sure that you will not succeed,” he said through clenched teeth.

I looked down. “I just want you to forgive me.”

He laughed, a bitter sound. “Forgive you? So, it means you went to all this trouble just for me to forgive you?”

I wanted to say that it wasn’t the only reason, but I couldn’t find the words.

“Get out,” he commanded.

I looked up at him with admiration. “But—”

“I said out!”

I was startled by the strength of his voice, almost jumping in surprise. So I quickly left without looking back and ran into the house.

As soon as I closed the door, that’s when I fully felt the trembling of my knees, causing me to slowly sit on the floor like a flickering candle. I stared into nothingness as tears kept falling from my eyes, which I had been trying to hold back since earlier.

Travis is still mad at me, and I can’t blame him for that.

But I won’t give up. Especially not now. And I’m more than willing to swallow my pride just to get everything right after what happened that night.

***

I don’t know how many minutes have passed since I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling. I’m not even sure if I managed to have a decent sleep because of what happened yesterday.

I frowned. I felt too lazy to get up and move. Luckily, we don’t have a photoshoot scheduled for today.

I don’t know why, but I feel so heavy right now. Aside from that, the scene of me kissing Travis last night keeps replaying in my mind like a movie. There was no one else around at that time. But it’s a good thing that his car has tinted windows.

Until now, I still couldn’t fully understand where I got the courage to do such a daring act.

I was contemplating my thoughts, and when I finally decided to stay in bed a little longer, the doorbell suddenly rang. It brought me back to my senses and momentarily set aside my thoughts. Curious about who might be visiting me this early morning, I immediately got up and went outside my room.

When I opened the door, I was dumbfounded to see the man who took my car last night standing outside the gate. And my car was parked behind him.

I opened the door wider and quickly approached him to open the gate. To be honest, I didn’t pay much attention to what Travis said last night about them bringing my car here in good condition.

But now that he’s actually in front of me with my beloved car, I just can’t believe it!

“Here’s your key. Don’t worry because your car is fixed now, and I drove carefully to bring it here.” He handed me my keys, which I immediately accepted.

I nodded involuntarily. Besides being unable to believe that they really brought my car here themselves, I can say that their service for my car was also fast.

“Thank you. It’s really nice that you were able to fix the problem with my car quickly. With others, it takes several days before I can get it back.” I smiled at him.

He scratched his head. “Travis instructed us to repair your car as soon as possible. That’s why we did everything we could just to finish it overnight.” He chuckled before pausing, as if he suddenly remembered something.

I furrowed my brow in confusion. “He did?”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

I bit my lower lip. It seems like he’s gotten used to giving orders that need to be followed as soon as possible, even to other people.

I was taken aback when I suddenly remembered something. I haven’t given him any payment yet.

“Wait. I’ll just get my wallet.” I was about to turn around when he spoke again.

“No need. Travis took care of everything.” He smiled. “We’ll go ahead now.”

I stood there in amazement until he completely disappeared from my sight. He got into a car that I assume served as his convoy to come here.

I tightened my grip on the keys. What does Travis think of me? I don’t have any money to pay?

I marched inside the house and happened to see my cellphone on the bed ringing, and so I quickly answered the call.

“Hello?”

“Thank God you finally answered! What the hell happened to you yesterday? You didn’t turn off your phone like I told you, but you’re not answering my calls either. If it weren’t for that blind date, I would have come over there to check on you!”

I slapped my forehead upon hearing Jairus’ concerned voice. Honestly, I forgot to contact him last night to let him know that I had arrived home. I couldn’t answer his calls because I didn’t know what to say. I even mentioned to him through chat that I bumped into Travis again. But I didn’t respond to him after that.

Before I could even say anything, he interrupted again.

“Tell me everything I need to know over a cup of coffee. I’ll be there in an hour, so get ready.”

I was left dumbfounded as he abruptly ended the call. It seems like I won’t be able to wallow in sadness at home all day, as I originally planned.

Well, I guess I really need a cup of hot coffee right now.

I quickly got myself ready. After an hour, I heard the sound of his motorcycle stopping in front of my house, followed by the ringing of the doorbell. I grabbed my helmet, which was already prepared by my side, before getting up from the sofa and opening the door.

It’s a good thing that he picked me up. I can at least feel relieved that my car will have a long rest.

Upon stepping out, I swiftly locked the door and gate before putting on my helmet and hopping on his stationary motorcycle. Once he made sure I was comfortable in my seat, he revived the motor, and we were off.

I’m always at ease when I ride with Jairus because he drives carefully. In fact, I feel more anxious when he’s alone because he tends to speed in those situations.

“When are you planning to pick up another girl here aside from me and Aunt Jen?” I asked as we stopped at a traffic light.

“Can’t you just be thankful because you have the special privilege to ride with my baby?” he replied with a teasing question.

I just laughed. Well, as far as I know, he has also done some good deeds by giving rides to a few others using this motorcycle.

I just happen to be his frequent passenger. I’m willing to be his passenger all the time because it saves me money on gas and time since the travel is faster on a motorcycle compared to using a car.

“You’re so grumpy! Is that how it is for someone who’s single and happy?” I joked.

Instead of responding, I was taken aback when he suddenly accelerated the motorcycle, causing me to cling onto him tightly. The traffic light had turned green.

“Hey! Don’t go too fast! I feel like my soul is left behind!” I shouted at him.

I thought he didn’t hear what I said because it seemed like the wind swallowed my voice. But I breathed a sigh of relief when he returned to normal speed.

“It’s better to be single and happy, compared to others who found someone to love but let them go, and then suddenly regret it and chase after them in the end.”

Okay. That’s below the belt. I only asked him one question, but he went on with a long rebuttal.

I didn’t say anything. But after a few minutes, I furrowed my brow when I noticed that we had just passed by the coffee shop we often hang out at.

“Hey! Where the hell are we going?” I asked, confused.

“Aside from drinking coffee, I want to breathe some fresh air with a perfect view,” he replied.

Even though I didn’t understand his answer, I just stayed silent. For now, I’ll just enjoy the lightness I feel during this spontaneous road trip.