Tiffany
Travis and I will be staying at the Baguio Burnham Suites Hotel for nearly two weeks.
I bit my lower lip while keeping my gaze on him. It seems that our situation now is going to be more complicated than I initially thought.
“I can’t believe that this is actually happening right now!”
Travis touched his nape, with his right hand resting on his waist. Irritation was evident on his handsome face.
Life is really unfair. How can he still look good even when he’s frowning?
I shrugged. Honestly, I wasn’t really bothered by our current setup. The thought of us staying in one suite excites the hell out of me.
But it also made me nervous at the same time.
“Maybe they had already booked your room before they offered the job to me. That’s why we only have a single suite for us right now. As much as I want to get my own, this hotel is already fully booked.”
I raised both arms and yawned. Now I felt extreme fatigue, and my arms were numb from the long journey earlier.
He turned to look at me. “I was supposed to be the only one here, actually. I can manage to film myself for the documentary they need and take a shot of my own picture.”
I pondered for a moment. In reality, sharing one suite between the two of us could potentially spark gossip.
Because of that, I stood up from the sofa and grabbed my suitcase.
“Don’t worry. I’ll just find another hotel to stay in. Just give me your contact details and your prepared schedule of your trips, so I can keep up with you.” I extended my right palm to him.
He was taken aback and stared at me in surprise. It seemed like he didn’t expect my suggestion.
“I know how much you hated my presence. Plus, I’m just an extra here. I have money with me, and my fee is negotiable anyway. Maybe I’ll just include my hotel expenses in that,” I continued without him interrupting.
He seemed to be weighing his gaze on me. Then he slowly shook his head.
“No. It’s already late. Besides, you’re not familiar with this place.”
I raised an eyebrow at him. Just a while ago, he practically pushed me away because of his extreme annoyance. And now he has suddenly calmed down.
This guy is hot and cold. Well, even back then, he was like this.
“Okay. Don’t worry because I’ll sleep on the sofa. I’m used to sleeping here,” I said as I returned to my seat. It’s still comfortable enough for me.
He couldn’t believe his eyes as he looked at me with his lips slightly parted.
“Why? Do I look like I’m not used to sleeping there?” he asked with a furrowed brow.
I stared at him in surprise. “What?”
He glanced down and then retrieved his clothes and towel from his luggage. “I’ll take the couch; you take the bed.”
I was about to protest when he spoke again.
“If you want this setup to work, you must abide by the rules.”
I was left speechless, watching him as he entered the bathroom.
***
I’ve been restless in bed for a while now. No matter how much I try to close my eyes, I can’t seem to fall asleep. I let out a frustrated sigh as I stared at the ceiling. Sleep is eluding me tonight.
After a few minutes of contemplation, I blinked and slowly turned to look at Travis, who was sleeping on the sofa. His right arm covered his eyes, but I knew he was still awake. It seemed like he couldn’t figure out how to get comfortable in his sleeping position.
I shook my head. I had argued with him a few minutes ago, trying to convince him that I should be the one to sleep on the sofa. He’s just too tall, and the position wouldn’t be comfortable for him.
I bit my lower lip before getting up and leaving the bed. I turned on the light, prompting him to remove his arm and open his eyes.
“What’s your problem?” Irritation was evident on his face.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “I’m the one who’s going to sleep there. It’s obvious that you’re not comfortable because of your height. Just move to the bed.”
He shook his head and closed his eyes again. “Go back to bed. This is how I am at every hotel I stay in. I have difficulty sleeping.”
I scowled at him. This guy really has a stubborn skull, huh?
I disregarded what he said and instead grabbed his arm to forcefully pull him away. However, he quickly countered, causing me to be pulled toward him and land on top of him.
My eyes widened as my face landed on his chest. Besides that, I felt something hard poking at my belly, which made him groan.
I immediately placed my hands on his chest to create a bit of space between us. As I did, I felt his heart beating rapidly.
I gasped. I didn’t want to jump to conclusions. But I knew that no matter how much he pushed me away, he still had feelings for me.
“Is work really the reason you came here? Or do you just want to invade my privacy?”
I couldn’t miss the way he struggled to catch his breath and the strain in his voice, causing me to lift my gaze.
But it seems like the wrong move.
I gasped when I noticed that his lips were almost brushing against mine. His inviting lips tempted me, and I was very willing to become his guest.
But as much as possible, I didn’t want to repeat the recklessness I had shown in the past. Because I might lose even more opportunities to get closer to him.
In a state of panic, I pressed my hands against his chest to force myself to stand up. This caused him to let out a slight cough.
“Damn, woman! Do you have an intention to kill me?” He glared at me.
I just gave him a peace sign. “Sorry.” I grinned. “But come on, it’s your fault too. If you didn’t argue with me, we wouldn’t have this problem. And killing you right away? Your fans might be the ones to harm me if something bad happens to you because of me.”
He huffed and stood up in a huff. “Fine!”
I smirked. I was about to lie down on the sofa when he suddenly pulled me towards the bed.
“But you’ll sleep here too so that we’re both comfortable. The bed is big enough. It can accommodate four people, so we won’t be too close to each other. Unless you’re a restless sleeper.” He shrugged.
My eyes widened. “I don’t move around when I sleep!”
“Come on. Let’s just end this discussion. We’ll both sleep on the bed.” He lay down on the other side and turned away.
I swallowed and felt my heart pounding so fast that it seemed like it wanted to escape. I stared at his back for a few minutes before deciding to turn off the light and lie down on the other side.
It was cold with the air conditioning on and the natural climate of Baguio. But I didn’t know why it suddenly felt so warm around me.
I tried to ignore the strange sensation I was feeling. I was about to close my eyes when suddenly there was a lightning strike followed by a loud thunderclap and heavy rain.
“Oh, my God!” I almost jumped out of bed in surprise. It felt like my heart jumped along with it.
Even now, I admit that I still have a fear of lightning.
I quickly pulled the blanket over me, even though I knew it was useless. I didn’t care anymore, even if I ended up pulling Travis’ blanket too.
In an instant, I remembered a night where, for the first time, I felt calm despite the loud lightning.
Travis used to be my comfort zone whenever I felt afraid. He used to be my armor and shield from everything.
Still, I didn’t hear any complaints from him. His wide smile, which was always on his face, never failed to give me assurance that everything would be alright.
But what I gave him in return was a painful goodbye.
I was startled from my reverie when I felt him slowly removing the blanket from my cover. Annoyed, I turned to look at him, and I held my breath when I realized how close his face was to mine.
“You really haven’t changed. You’re still scared of lightning,” he said.
I couldn’t utter a word as he suddenly wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me closer to him.
“W-What are you doing?” I nervously asked, my gaze fixed on his chest, where my face was pressed against it.
“Don’t worry. I won’t do anything harmful to you. Just stay still. This gesture used to calm you down before whenever there was lightning. That’s why I hope that it still works.”
Suddenly, my eyes became teary. I never expected that despite the anger he feels towards me, he would still have some remaining concerns.
I nodded and remained silent. I might as well cherish this moment because tomorrow he will surely return to being cold again.
Despite the loud thunder and lightning, I managed to fall asleep immediately with a smile on my lips.