Freakin' Calvin moved from the seat beside me, making space for Frooze to sit.
I immediately panicked inside.
I was about to move to another seat to avoid him, but Frooze blocked my way, subtle but firm, like he anticipated my reaction.
Not wanting the group to notice the growing tension between me and Frooze, I stayed.
I could feel the weight of his stare as I toyed with my food, which had just arrived seconds ago. I tried not to look at him, but my skin was prickling from the intensity of his presence.
"You really had us there kagabi, Kate. Super panic naming lahat talaga," Calvin said, shaking his head with a teasing smile.
I gave a guilty grin, nibbling at my food. "I'm so sorry talaga, guys."
"Kaya sobrang inis ko talaga sayo when you told me that you hooked up with a guy!" Calvin continued dramatically. "Aba, you ditched us talaga for a stranger, ah! Masarap ba?"
I nearly choked on my drink. "What the fuck?!" I hissed under my breath, coughing.
And of course, I heard it—the low, amused chuckle beside me.
"Yeah? Nasarapan ata siya, kaya kinalimutan kayo," Frooze added smoothly, smirking.
Laughter erupted from the group. I blushed so hard I was sure I was the color of a ripe tomato. I could practically feel Frooze's smirk beside me.
"Hindi naman," I retorted quickly, trying to laugh it off. "Kaya nga tumakas ako agad nung nagising ako eh."
The group laughed again, the tension temporarily broken. I played along, but inside, my stomach was twisting.
Suddenly, I felt it—an electric chill running up my spine.
I glanced sideways.
Frooze wasn't laughing anymore. He was giving me a look. Not just any look—the look of a predator. His dark eyes were unreadable, sharp, possessive.
I swallowed hard and quickly changed the topic. "Ate Shang, do you guys have any summer plans? Beach tayo?"
"Uy, that sounds fun!" Shang answered, and the others chimed in, discussing possible dates and places.
I exhaled in relief.
But I let my guard down too soon.
I froze when I felt it—his hand.
Rough, warm fingers slid under the table and up my bare thigh. I was wearing a skirt. The restaurant's AC made my skin extra sensitive to touch, and now… this.
I choked on my breath, trying to maintain my composure.
My heart thundered in my chest as his hand boldly roamed up and down my leg, fingertips drawing lines of heat on my skin.
I glanced at Frooze. His face was calm. He was looking at his food, participating in the conversation about beaches as if nothing was happening.
"Sounds fun," he said casually, his voice perfectly steady. "I'll check my schedule."
His hand squeezed my thigh.
I could barely breathe.
This man.
I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to chew slowly, act normal, while my entire body was on fire.
Every nerve in my skin buzzed with awareness. I shifted slightly in my seat, but that only made his touch bolder. His fingers brushed higher, dangerously close to where I was already pulsing with heat.
Minutes dragged on like hours.
Finally, I couldn't take it anymore.
I placed my spoon down gently. "Excuse me, restroom lang," I said.
I stood, legs weak, and quickly made my way to the restroom, feeling his eyes trail after me.
I wasn't even inside for a full ten seconds before I heard the door creak open again.
It was him.
He didn't speak at first—he just leaned against the door, locking it behind him with a click.
We stared at each other.
I was breathless.
Frooze crossed the room in two long strides, pinning me against the cold wall, his hands on either side of my head.
"I've been thinking about you all day," he murmured.
I didn't answer. Couldn't.
Then he kissed me.
Hard.
His lips crashed against mine with a hunger that made my knees buckle. His hands cupped my jaw, fingers threading into my hair as he tilted my head to deepen the kiss. I gasped, and his tongue slipped into my mouth, tasting, teasing, claiming.
I clutched at his shirt, needing something to hold onto as the world spun. He pressed closer, our bodies flush, the heat between us unbearable.
He pulled back just enough to whisper, "You drive me crazy."
His lips found my neck, brushing softly at first, then biting, licking, marking. I moaned softly, my fingers tightening on his shirt.
His hands traveled lower, gripping my waist, pulling me into him. I felt the hard line of his body press against me.
"You don't get to tease me like that and walk away, Kate," he growled into my skin.
My breath hitched. "Hindi ka pala nasarapan ah."
"I wasn't—"
"Yes, you were." He kissed me again, slower this time, deeper. The kind of kiss that promised so much more.
I felt my legs tremble.
He lifted me effortlessly, placing me on the edge of the bathroom counter. The cold marble shocked my thighs, but it was his mouth, trailing hot kisses down my jaw, that made me shiver.
His hands slid up my legs, under my skirt again. "You think I didn't notice how you looked at me back there?"
I couldn't even think, let alone answer.
"Say it," he murmured, lips brushing my ear. "Tell me you want this."
"I—I…" My voice cracked.
He smiled against my neck, biting down gently.
"Kate," he said, lifting his head to meet my eyes, "I'll stop if you tell me to."
I stared at him—his swollen lips, his dark eyes blazing with want—and I didn't say a word.
That was answer enough.
He kissed me again, and I melted. My hands roamed over his chest, pulling him closer, closer—
But then I remembered where we were. What we were doing. The door wasn't soundproof, and I wasn't ready for this. Not here. Not yet.
What the heck? Not yet? Ano ba ang naiisip ko! Oh my god!
I broke the kiss, panting, cheeks flushed. "I need to—freshen up," I said, breathless.
His eyes searched mine, reading the hesitation.
He stepped back.
"Okay," he said, voice low. "But next time… I'm not stopping."
He straightened his shirt, smoothed back his hair, and unlocked the door.
"You better fix your lipstick," he said with a smirk.
And then he walked out.
Leaving me breathless, burning, and wanting more.
---
I walked back to the table trying to calm the wild fluttering in my chest. This time, I made sure to sit with Ate Shangie between me and Frooze. A buffer. A shield. My sanity.
But even with her presence there, I could feel it.
His eyes.
Heavy, hot, watching me the entire time. Like a silent pull that I couldn't shut out no matter how hard I tried.
I sat stiffly, trying to focus on the group. My laugh felt fake in my own ears, and every time I forced a smile, I could sense his gaze burning into the side of my face.
I kept fiddling with the napkin in my lap, my fingers twisting it into knots. My eyes bounced from plate to plate, from wine glass to centerpiece—anywhere that wasn't him.
Occasionally, someone would say something funny, and I'd laugh too loud, too sharp, hoping the noise would drown out the buzz under my skin.
But nothing helped. I could feel him. Like gravity pulling me in no matter how far I leaned away.
I could sense Ate Shang's glances. She knew. I didn't need to explain anything—her silence was her way of saying, "I got you," without having to ask the questions I wasn't ready to answer.
Time passed with agonizing slowness. My body was here, stuck in this chair, playing pretend. But my mind was still back there—pinned against a cold wall, lips swollen from kisses I didn't want to forget, skin alive with every ghost of his touch. I could still feel him on me. In me. My chest ached with the effort of holding it all in.
Everything felt too loud—clinking cutlery, overlapping conversations, laughter—and at the same time, too quiet compared to the storm I was barely keeping at bay.
It took nearly two hours before people started saying their goodbyes. One by one, they stood, stretched, posed for selfies, and exchanged tight hugs and parting jokes. I smiled along, feeling like a mannequin.
Then I heard his chair scrape against the floor.
Frooze stood.
"I have something to take care of," he said casually, his tone neutral. Like nothing had happened.
I didn't look up. Couldn't.
I just nodded faintly, my eyes locked on my now-cold plate, fork still clutched in my hand like it could anchor me.
He didn't say goodbye.
He didn't need to.
His silence echoed louder than words ever could.
The moment he walked away, I finally exhaled. My shoulders sagged, the tension easing slightly—but not entirely. It felt like a weight had been lifted, yes, but it also felt like something important had been ripped away.
Something I didn't have a name for.
After the late lunch, Ate Shangie offered to ride me back to my hotel. I needed to return to Pangasinan that night—school was waiting for me the next day, and reality didn't care if my world had just tilted off its axis.
When we got to the hotel entrance, she turned to me and wrapped me in a tight hug.
"Take care, ha? Message mo ko pagdating mo sa inyo," she said gently.
I nodded into her shoulder, clinging to the warmth, the normalcy. "Will do, Ate."
When she left, the quiet settled around me like a second skin.
I went up to my room to gather my things. Every step felt heavier than it should. I packed robotically—charger, wallet, small bag, one last glance around the room. My heart felt like it had stayed somewhere else.
As soon as I was done, I took the elevator down and stepped out into the lobby, my suitcase trailing behind me like a tired companion.
The night air outside was cool, brushing against my skin with a softness that almost stung. I pulled my cardigan tighter around me, standing just beneath the glowing hotel signage.
I pulled out my phone, fingers trembling slightly as I opened the ride-hailing app. I was mid-scroll, searching for a driver, when a sleek black car pulled up in front of me.
Its headlights dimmed.
The engine purred quietly.
I blinked, confused, pausing in my search.
Then the tinted window on the driver's side slowly rolled down.
And my heart stopped.
It was Frooze.
He was there.
Behind the wheel, in the dim glow of the dashboard, his face was unreadable. His eyes locked onto mine, dark and intense. His lips were pressed into a thin line, his expression somewhere between restrained and reckless. His knuckles were pale against the steering wheel, as though he'd been gripping it too hard for too long.
"Hop in," he said.
His voice was low. Husky. Commanding.
And I froze—caught between the soft golden light spilling from the hotel behind me and the wild electricity buzzing between us once again.