Chapter 3

I've been working with them for five days now, and things have been going surprisingly well. Mr. James, the manager, really loves my work. He compliments me every time he sees the results of my photos. Not that getting his approval is easy, of course. The man could complain about literally anything. He’s incredibly fussy and has a habit of shouting at everyone whenever things don't go according to plan. But somehow, beneath all that noise, he is actually one of the sweetest people I've met.

I've been getting closer to the members, too, and I'm starting to know them better. Henry, for example—I really like that guy. He's quiet most of the time, but he's incredibly nice once you get him talking. We usually end up chatting for quite a while after we finish a shoot.

And then there's Jason, who's probably the most energetic of them all. Daniel isn't much different, and the two of them are practically like brothers. Fighting most of the time.

While Alex is different. He's so mature, gentle, and caring. He treats me very well. I probably spend more time with him than anyone else in the group throughout the day. Somehow, we became really good friends.

“Hey, what are your plans after the shoot?” he asked while I was preparing my camera before we took another set of photos for the promotional album.

“I guess I’m just going to finish the editing before I send the final results to Mr. James,” I answered.

“I see. Great."

I glanced at him briefly, expecting him to say something else, but he just stood there.

I adjusted the lens, pretending to be busy while occasionally stealing a glance at him. There was something odd about the way he was standing there, like he had something on his mind but couldn't quite figure out how to say it.

“Is there something you want to say?” I finally couldn’t help but ask.

“No. Nothing. I just—”

His hand slipped into his pocket. A second later, he pulled it out again, only to run it through his hair.

Then, he just walked away like that.

I frowned slightly.

Okay.

I turned my attention back to my camera, cleaning the lens and checking the settings even though everything was already perfectly fine.

“Actually—”

My hands stilled. I slowly lifted my head, looking up from my camera.

He came back and stopped right in front of me, close enough that I had to tilt my head slightly to meet his eyes. Since I only came up to his shoulder.

“Would you like to come to my—”

He stopped himself.

My eyebrows lifted. "Hm?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, his cheeks turning faintly pink.

“Would you come to my apartment—I mean…” He paused again. Juggling between his word trying to get them out.

“I need your help, wrapping a gift for my mother.”

“Oh.” The word slipped out before I could stop it.

For some reason, I suddenly found my camera very interesting. I lowered my gaze and pretended to check the lens again, even though I'd already cleaned it twice.

“Your mother?” I repeated.

“Yeah.”

He nodded quickly.

“For her birthday.”

“I see.”

Another awkward silence settled between us. I could feel the corners of my lips threatening to curve upward.

"Yeah, sure."

“Okay, great. I’ll see you then.” He smiled and gave me a small wave before turning around.

After the photoshoot was over, the members each went their separate ways. Alex waited for me to finish packing up my camera equipment before we headed back together.

The apartment was quite spacious, rented specifically for the four members, with each of them having their own fairly large bedroom. I helped him wrap the gifts, just as he had asked me to.

“Wanna drink?” he asked, pouring some wine into a glass.

That day had been exhausting. We’d been working since 7:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. So, why not?

"Sure."

We chatted and laughed, and with the alcohol slowly clouding my judgment, I ended up telling him about every stupid thing that my brain could generate.

I wasn’t sure if it was because of the alcohol, but he kept looking at me with that intense gaze. There was something about the way he looked at me that I couldn’t quite understand.

I didn’t realize how much I’d had until my head started spinning and my legs felt unsteady. I tried to stand, but I nearly lost my balance. I would have fallen if Alex hadn’t caught me.

His hand slipped around my waist, steadying me, while my head rested against his chest. For a moment, I froze, suddenly aware of how close we were. He gently helped me back into my seat.

“You drank too much. You can’t go home like this,” he said.

I blinked at him, trying to make sense of his words through the haze in my head.

“You can stay here tonight.”

I immediately glanced at him.

“No, no, no, I didn’t mean it like that. I’ll sleep on the sofa, so you can sleep in my bed,” he quickly explained.

I smiled. “It’s okay. I can still wal—”

I tried to stand again, but my legs immediately gave out. Once again, he caught me before I could fall.

I gave him a wide, sheepish grin as he let out a long sigh.

“I can’t let you go home in this condition. So you’re staying. That’s an order.”

"Oke." I gave up immedietly.

My head was spinning. I could barely move my body anymore, so I simply accepted my fate, letting him guide me to his bed and help me get into a comfortable position. I could barely make out his face when he pulled the blanket over me. Then, everything went completely dark.

A cold breeze brushed against my skin. Somewhere between consciousness and sleep, I heard something. The sound of a door opening made my eyes slowly flutter open. I saw him walking into the room.

“Did I wake you up?” he asked softly. Almost like a whisper.

He walked over to the bed and lay down beside me. His face looked even more handsome up close. His green eyes seemed to turn lighter, revealing tiny flecks of gold around his pupils that I had never noticed before.

“It’s cold,” I mumbled.

“I'll warm you.”

I almost can't hear it.

Alex started to moved closer. I could feel the warmth of his body and his breath against my skin. His fingers gently played with my hair, while his gaze fixed deeply on mine. His hand slowly moved to my cheek, then down to my lips, brushing over them softly.

“You’re so beautiful, Rose.”

He leaned closer. I could hear his heartbeat pounding, fast and hard, while his warm breath brushed against my face. Slowly, his lips touched mine.

I could feel their warmth and softness.

“Can I?”