Chapter 35

Primrose

Loey pulled away gently and met my gaze. My lips parted as I stared at him. I couldn't move my body. The beating of my heart became faster when the softest and gentleness of his lips registered on my mind. I looked away as I felt my cheeks heated. He chuckled before his hands found my wrist. He picked my bag and dragged me along with him.

Hindi ako nagsalita at hinayaan lang siya na tangayin ako palabas sa opisina. Pakiramdam ko ay aatakihin na ako sa puso sa bilis ng tibok nito. Napahawak ako sa aking pisngi gamit ang malaya kong kamay nang maramdaman kong umiinit na naman ito.

I just stood beside him silently, even when we're inside the elevator. I'm really glad that he was also quiet. My attention turned to his hand that's still holding mine. My hand looks really small in his.

"I'll bring you home. You should enjoy your rest day, Primrose."

I looked at him and nodded. He's still wearing that smile he had after the quick kiss.

Tahimik lang ang naging biyahe namin. Sinabihan lang ako ni Loey na pwede akong umidlip kung gusto ko habang nasa biyahe, pero hindi ko naman din magawa dahil bawat pagpikit ay nagwawala muli ang puso ko dahil naaalala ko ang nangyari kanina.

Nang makarating kami sa bahay ay mabilis akong pinaakyat ni Loey para makapagpahinga na. Sumunod din naman ako sa kanya. When I entered my room, I quickly sat on my bed and inhaled deeply to calm this heart of mine that couldn't stop from beating too fast. I couldn't erase how Loey's soft lips touched mine. I feel like I'm about to go crazy here.

I'm scared of expecting too much just because of what happened earlier. I can't trust my feelings.

I almost jumped when someone knocked. Inhaling, I stood and opened the door.

"Mango shake for you," he said, handing me the glass he was holding.

Much calmer now, I finally opened my lips and said, "Thank you."

"I'll give you some time now to rest. If you need anything just tell me, I'll just be in my room, okay?"

Isang tango ang ibinigay ko sa kanya at muli siya pinasalamatan sa shake bago siya nagpaalam sa akin para makapagpahinga na ako.

"Oh, gising ka na pala." Naglagay si Loey ng dalawang baso't plato sa lamesa habang nangingiti.

Even though I still feel awkward, I smiled at him. "You cooked?"

"Yep. I thought you'll get hungry once you wake up."

"Thank you."

He chuckled and gestured me to sit. "Don't mention it. Besides, I barely cook food for you. Alam mo naman ayaw ni Dred minsan na inaagawan siya ng role bilang chief dito sa bahay."

I laughed. True to what he said, Dred assigned himself as the chief of this house. He wanted to cook for everyone even though his schedules were tight, especially that he's not just an idol but also an actor. He'll always find time to cook for us.

Nakaramdam ako ng gutom nang maamoy kung ano ang niluto ni Loey para sa akin. Kaagad naman na sumilay ang ngiti sa aking labi.

I leaned on the table to smell the savory aroma coming from the bowl of sinigang that Loey put beside my plate.

"I know it's your favorite, that's why I chose to cook it," Loey said.

My heart thumped again. I really appreciate his gesture. I also appreciate that he didn't open up what he did earlier. I'm curious, but I know in myself that I'm still not ready for whatever the reason is.

Bago ako makatulog kanina ay inisip ko na hayaan na lang ang nangyari. Si Loey nga normal pa rin ang akto, kaya dapat ako rin. I know that some girls would demand an explanation, but I have drained my energy already with the talk I had with Karlin and the thoughts that swirled in my mind earlier. It's too much for me to handle in a day.

"I talked to Karlin earlier." My attention turned to Loey. When I just stared at him, he just gave me a small smile. "She's always been like that. I'm not defending her because I know that it's wrong. I swear that I wanted to deny the scandal, but I also have to respect your decision. I just hope that she'll stop acting on her own. It's just that... only one person can control her."

I frowned. "And who is that person?"

"Your uncle."

My frown deepened at his answer.

From what I remember, Ate Alice told me the same before. She even told me that Karlin acted like a queen in the Empire because my uncle let her do what she wanted. She's very obedient to him.

"Anyway, I've heard that a radio show is casting Jasper and Jimmy," he said, changing the topic when I remained quiet.

"Yes. I'm still thinking about it though," I replied. "Do you think it's a good idea to let them host a radio show even though they just debuted?"

"Well, yeah. The boys still need some extra activities for more exposure. They need to gain fans not just as an idol. Who knows, those who will admire them on the radio will lead people to know about the group." Loey leaned against his chair and crossed his arms on his chest. "There are still some people who love listening to the radio. So, it's not a bad idea. But of course, before sending them, they need to be trained."

Tumango ako sa sinabi niya. Alam ko na bukod kay Jasper at Jimmy, may mga members pa sila na kailangan kong isipin. They are still young in this industry, that's why I need to be careful about their future projects and albums. Their debut is not as successful as we have imagined, but we believe they have a bright future. After all, they are all talented young people.

"I'll take note of that. I just hope that they'll be strong enough to whatever they face in the future. Besides, I can see that they also want to achieve what the other artists in the company achieved."

He sighed. "They are under one of the biggest entertainment companies. Of course, there's the pressure that they need to be successful. But they have to learn that they couldn't achieve that in a day. Still, it's much better than the time we debuted, even the time of our seniors."

True to what he said, the feedbacks that our newly formed group got were much better than the SBG and the others, especially Grand Knights. Ilang albums ang ni-release bago talaga sila sumikat. Mas mahirap din noon kasi may kilala pa rin kapag solo singer ka lang. Isa pa, kahit sabihin nilang privileged ang mga artists sa Empire ay nandoon naman iyong pressure dahil maraming mata ang nakatingin sa kanila.

When we finished our food, I cleaned the table while Loey washed the dishes. SBG never let me wash dishes whenever I'm eating with them. We decided to stay in the living room although we only faced the screen of our phones like we're in a different world. We also need some quiet time and just do our things.

"Oh shoot!"

I turned to Loey. He's staring at his phone with a frown while biting his lower lip. He looked like he's in trouble. I quickly looked away when turned in my direction.

"Primrose," he called.

"Yes?" I replied, my eyes on my phone. When he didn't reply, I put my phone down and turned to him. "May problema ba?"

"I have to leave," he said.

I frowned. It's already nine in the evening. May schedule pa ba siya?

He seems to read my mind. That's why he explained, "I promised our fans that I'll go live tonight in my studio. I almost forgot about that."

My eyes didn't leave Loey, who walked back and forth around the studio as he prepared his things for his live. Every minute he'll glance at me to ask if I'm okay.

"I told you, I'm fine here, Loey. Just do what you have to do," I said when he asked me, again.

He smiled at me and sat on his chair in front of his working desk. He turned to me and mouthed that he'll turn on the live. I gave him a nod. I picked my phone when it vibrated on my lap. I got the notification of Loey's live. I didn't hesitate to open it and turned the volume down.

Sa totoo lang ay ayaw ni Loey na sumama ako sa kanya rito sa studio dahil baka ma-bored ako dahil wala naman gagawin, pero nagpumilit ako. It was nice to be here and watch him in person as he interacted with his fans. I sat in a corner where the camera wouldn't reach me.

"Good evening, everyone!" he greeted and clapped. "Today, just as I promised you, I'm here in my studio."

Loey picked his phone and showed his computer and the piano in front of it. He made sure that I wouldn't get caught as he carefully showed some other tools he's using. He talked and read comments, ignoring those who were mentioning Karlin and the dating issue.

I have to admit that I'm a bit bothered about it, but my focus was on reporting the harmful comments for now. I don't even know why people would waste their time and energy just to leave those hateful, offending, and harmful comments. When I realized that there were too many to report, I tried to spam the comment section with the positive one. I even suggested the others do it, which I was surprised that they did.

When I looked up, my eyes blinked when Loey turned to me with a huge smile, even his eyes were shining. It was a quick one but my heart skipped a bit. I suppressed a smile before turning my attention back on my phone.

After thirty minutes of talking, Loey decided to play some unreleased songs he made himself. He even explained some backstory as to the reason he wrote the song and the meaning behind the lyrics, especially songs about the group and the members.

When I was satisfied with how the fans continued to bombard the comment section with positivity, my attention went to Loey. The corner of my lips curved upward as I stared at his peaceful face. I really love watching Loey do what he loves to do. You could see the passion burning in his eyes whenever he talks about writing and making music.

"There's this song I'm working on and I'll let you guys listen to it once I'm done," he said. "For now, I need to end the live because I have a schedule tomorrow. Goodnight and thank you, guys!"

Loey stretched his hands before he picked his phone and stood. I put my phone back inside my sling bag.

"Na-bored ka ba?" tanong niya pagkalapit sa akin.

Umiling ako't ngumiti. "Okay lang. Na-enjoy ko naman manuod at makinig sa iyo." I laughed when he eyed me suspiciously. "I really did, Loey. Besides, I felt relaxed during your live, especially when you played those unreleased songs."

"Thank you, Prim."

I love how calming it was to be with him but it's too scary.

I've always been an over-thinker. Part of me felt scared because having him was too good to be true. I even have to admit that I tried to compare him to Liam. They were different. They made me feel different. It's scaring me.

Liam was someone I admire so much that I'm willing to risk everything for him. While Loey's my safe haven. He's the music that brought melody to my life. I don't want to ruin it. For now, I'm content with what we have at the moment. I just wanted to enjoy his company.

Loey was grinning the whole drive back to the house. He didn't even put an effort to hide it. For some, it might look creepy, but for me, it's cute. I like seeing him happy even though he was busy with his schedules. When we got home, Loey decided to make some hot chocolate before going to bed. He also made one for me. We talked about the songs he played as we finished our drinks.

"Loey," I called him out. He halted from entering his room and turned to me. "Thank you so much for today."

He blinked before he walked towards me. He ruffled my hair and chuckled. "I'm glad that you look better now. Just rest and don't think about anything else, okay? Goodnight, Prim."

My heart pounded when he leaned forward and kissed me on my forehead. I felt like my world stopped, again. He didn't even wait for me to react as he quickly walked and entered his room!

The night with Loey wiped all the negative things that happened earlier. Being with him calmed the raging storm inside of me.

Loey Parker has that effect on me.

******

Hello! It's been a while! I finally had the strength to update the story and publish this chapter. I'll try to update TSC more often since I'm already close to writing the final chapter of the story hehe. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, especially the story of Primrose and Loey~

-Hime