Chapter 15

Tiffany I didn't make a mistake in my assumption. When we woke up this morning, he returned to his cold treatment of me. I am currently getting ready because, according to Travis, he plans to go to Burnham Park Lake and ride a swan boat. I couldn't help but laugh when he mentioned it because I didn't expect that it would be his first choice of destination for today. But I can't help but worry that someone might recognize him there. Moreover, what will other people think when they see him accompanied by an unfamiliar woman? I was busy fixing myself when I heard the bathroom door open. I looked up, and my eyes widened when I saw that he was only wrapped in a towel around his waist. I swallowed nervously. What would it feel like to be a towel? I quickly turned around. 'What's wrong with you? Why haven't you dressed inside?" I could feel my face turning red with embarrassment. 'I'm not used to changing inside the bathroom. You should know that." I closed my eyes tightly. 'Just let me know when you're done changing." 'Fine! But don't you really want to face me? This kind of opportunity is rare. Are you sure you don't want to make the most of it?" he teasingly asked. I was dumbfounded by what he said. 'Dream on! For your information, your body shape isn't that great. Jairus has a better body shape," I said without hesitation. Okay. That's a lie. Of course, my best friend is incomparable to him. I thought he started changing because I didn't hear any more words from him. But I was taken aback when, in an instant, he was standing right in front of me. I took a step back in surprise. Especially since that part covered by the towel was right in front of me. One wrong move from him, and it would completely slip off. Hold on tight, as if you're begging for mercy! 'What did you say?" I blinked and slowly lifted my gaze from the part of his body I was staring at. I was immediately met with his piercing eyes as his jaw clenched. 'What I said was that Jairus has a better body than you. Are you deaf or are you just pretending to be?" I tried to hide my embarrassment. 'Why? Does he often go topless in front of you? Are you both that comfortable with each other?" His voice carried a threatening tone. I furrowed my brow. The truth is, Jairus does often go topless whenever I visit him. He always seems to be burning hot because he sweats easily. But it wasn't a big deal to me at all. Even though looking at his half-naked body wasn't easy on the eyes. I was taken aback as he suddenly leaned forward, causing our faces to be level. He put both of his arms on my side, trapping me. Okay. What did I do this time? Is he planning to scare me to death with a mixture of nervousness and excitement? 'No one insults my body and gets away with it." He took my hand, and my eyes widened as he pressed it against his well-defined chest. 'Touch it and feel it, Tiffany. Now tell me that your skinny friend has a better body than me." My hand trembled as I placed it there. His enticing voice added to the mix. He slowly leaned closer, and instinctively, I closed my eyes. But just a few seconds later, I heard a distant thud. I quickly opened my eyes and turned around. But all that greeted me was a view of his back, followed by him slamming the bathroom door. Just what the hell happened? *** 'Watch it; you might drown in your own thoughts." I blinked as I looked outside and turned to Travis, who was driving with a serious expression. 'Huh?" 'You seem deep in thought. You might drown in them." He stared intently at the road. I adjusted my seat and looked outside again. 'Are you sure you want to go there? You might cause a commotion suddenly. Besides you might be gossiped about for being with an unfamiliar woman." I changed the topic. Until now, the scene that happened earlier has kept replaying in my mind like a movie. 'Don't worry. If that happens, I'll just tell them that you're my personal assistant." I turned to him sharply. 'What personal assistant are you talking about? I was offered a job as a personal photographer, and I accepted it! They're different!" He shrugged. 'It's just the same for me." I just sighed and didn't say anything further. It's fine like this; at least I can have a normal conversation with him. Before long, we reached Burnham Park Lake. But I furrowed my brow when I noticed that there were no people around and no cars in the parking lot. I quickly took out my camera from my bag and hung its strap around my neck. 'Wait. Are they open today? Why is it empty?" I got out of the car and looked around. 'I rented the whole place until the afternoon," he answered. I looked at him in disbelief. 'You what?" Before he could answer, an older man approached us. He seemed to be in charge here. 'Welcome, Sir Travis and Ma'am Tiffany," he greeted us with a smile. 'I'm Jaime," he introduced himself to me. I smiled awkwardly. How did he know my name? Before I could ask further, they started walking. So I silently followed. We stopped in front of one of the restaurants here. 'I'll leave you now. Just call me if there's any problem," Jaime said to us before gently tapping Travis' shoulder. We decided to have lunch first before heading straight to the lake. I couldn't contain my excitement, as it was my first time being here. Afterwards, we had the entire place to ourselves. I suddenly paused. If I hadn't come along, he would be wandering here alone. It felt a bit sad to think about that. We were promptly attended to and guided by the attendant upon our arrival at the lake, so we could board the pink swan boat. I was about to go for the other one when, suddenly, Travis held my left arm. I looked at him, confused. 'Where are you going?" he asked in a menacing tone. I pointed to the swan boat waiting on the side. 'I'll ride there. Because you'll be on the other one, right?" He sighed and suddenly let go of me. 'How will you take my pictures if we're on different boats? Maybe you forgot that you came here for work, not for vacation." He quickly turned around and boarded the pink swan boat. I scratched my head and instinctively touched the camera hanging around my neck. Honestly, I almost forgot about that because of the excitement. As we cruised around the entire lake, all I did was take pictures of him from various angles. Most of his shots seemed like stolen moments since he avoided looking at the camera. But even so, I didn't miss the opportunity to capture the surrounding views. I hugged myself tightly when a strong gust of wind blew. I felt that my jacket wasn't enough to keep me warm in this cold weather. When we got tired of the swan boat, we decided to go biking. I didn't want to overthink things, but it felt like we were on a date. And the fact that it was just the two of us here, aside from the guards, added to that feeling. Perhaps the reason he rented the whole place was so he could wander around without worrying about being recognized. But I couldn't help but assume that maybe he just genuinely wanted the two of us to enjoy ourselves without being bothered. I felt like a fool, suddenly smiling to myself, thrilled by my own thoughts. Well, I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case. After all, he's always been possessive. There were moments when I would stop pedaling just to capture him in photos. Stolen shots are the best, in my opinion. Sometimes, it was because I was genuinely out of breath. He just goes so fast! Until I eventually stopped the bike. I couldn't resist looking at each photo one by one. I am happy because I was able to capture this moment. And I am the one who's with him while he is enjoying his break. In an instant, it felt like an ordinary version of Travis was with me. Far from who he is behind the flashing cameras and screaming fans. In my excitement, I didn't immediately realize that I had lost my balance while sitting. So I closed my eyes tightly, while tightly embracing the camera in my grip, and waited for myself to completely fall to the ground along with the bike. But instead of hitting the ground, I felt a pair of strong arms catch me. I opened my eyes, and we both widened them when we noticed how close our faces were. He slightly leaned back, and because of that, he lost his balance too, and we both fell to the ground. It felt like time had stood still when his lips suddenly met mine. It was just a brief touch, if you think about it. But it seemed like my heart wanted to escape because of its pounding intensity. His right hand was placed under my head, while his left was on my waist, maintaining protection even in such a precarious situation. When I realized that we were in a public place, I quickly stood up. I couldn't look straight at him, and it seemed like he was the same as me. 'Sorry," we both said simultaneously. I panned my hand against myself. It felt like the weather suddenly turned hot, even though the climate here was cold. Because of what happened, we didn't say a word to each other until we got back to the car. But when I looked outside the window, I couldn't hold back the smile I had been repressing. It may still take time. But I know that we're getting there already. *** Travis I am currently on the balcony of the suite where we are staying. The surroundings are already dark, but I can clearly see the sparkling Christmas lights on every house and building from where I'm sitting. I let out a deep sigh. It's a good thing I was able to restrain myself earlier from capturing her lips and imprisoning her in my arms. Because if that happened, she might get fed up with me again. So, since we got back earlier, all I've been doing is avoiding her. Because even I don't trust myself. I was interrupted from my thoughts when I suddenly heard her shout. I quickly stood up and ran towards her location. My eyebrows furrowed when I saw her wrapped in a blanket while sitting on the floor. I shook my head when I realized that she was actually watching a horror movie. She enjoys watching those kinds of films, even though she gets scared easily. Just as I was about to return to my seat, I heard a sound. I turned to her slowly, and our eyes met at that moment. 'Why didn't you even tell me that you were hungry already?" I asked her. Judging by the loud growling of her stomach, she must have been hungry for a while now. She shrugged. 'How could I tell you when you've been avoiding me? It's not like I can eat alone. I don't like that either." I let out an exasperated sigh. 'You can continue watching later. Let's eat at the restaurant downstairs first," I invited her. Her eyes widened before she quickly turned off the TV and got off the bed. I put on my shades and mask before heading out. She followed me quietly. From the moment we entered the elevator until we walked out, neither of us spoke. We were currently walking towards the restaurant near the hotel lobby when she suddenly pulled my arm. 'What the hell? Where are we going?" I asked in confusion as I noticed that we were heading towards the exit of the hotel. I began to suspect that we were being watched by the guard as we walked out. 'I have a better idea." She winked at me. Although confused, I let her pull me along to wherever she wanted to go. I looked in a different direction as we walked. Even if I wanted to remove her grip on my arm, it seemed like I didn't have the strength to do so. I can't deny that it feels relaxing. Just like the good old days. After a short while, we stopped in front of a convenience store. I couldn't believe it as I looked at her. 'We're going to eat here?" I asked. She nodded with a smile and walked inside. I still felt confused as I followed her. I was taken aback when she grabbed a pack of instant noodles. 'Is that what you're going to eat? Why don't we go to a restaurant instead? Don't worry, I won't let you pay," I assured her. Perhaps the reason she never seems to gain weight is because she's always on a diet. I couldn't help but frown as I remembered that she still doesn't know how to cook. 'What do you think of me as someone who can't afford to pay?" She glared at me. 'But will you really feel satisfied with that?" I raised an eyebrow at her. She turned towards the aisle where the bread and biscuits were placed. 'This isn't the only thing I'm going to buy." After picking something, she looked back at me. 'Will you forget just for a moment about the celebrity, TJ Vernon, and just be your true ordinary self?" She smiled gently. My mouth hung open at her words. Truth be told, ever since I entered the world of showbiz, I rarely get to do the things I used to do. 'Can't we go back to the time before you entered the limelight? Doing something reckless, simple, and without thinking about the other people around us? Even just for tonight?" I couldn't bring myself to speak. I just stayed in my place as she walked past me towards the counter to pay. There's actually nothing wrong with her suggestion. The thing is, I just don't want to go back to those memories. Because what I desire most is for her to be mine again.