Chapter 41: Lovelle?

**THE NEXT DAY**, I woke up in a soft bed but I was alone. Was everything last night just a dream? But if it was a dream, why am I here? Sometimes I want to believe I'm really stupid. I took the opportunity to look around Fire's entire room while he was away. His room wasn't messy. In fact, it was clean and fragrant inside. It seemed like a girl owned the room. It was also surprising that he never brought his girls inside. The room's motif was black and white, making it look classy. The simple color combination beautified the entire room, from the white walls to the black and white combination of his bed.

I opened another door and immediately the bathroom appeared before me. It smelled good. He had so many perfume collections, so I wasn't surprised why he smelled so nice. As I left the bathroom, my gaze wandered to another door at the end, which wasn't very noticeable. I immediately approached it, and when I opened the door, various musical instruments were revealed. From drums, different types of guitars, saxophone, violin, keyboard, and other instruments I had never seen before. It was amazing that someone known as a playboy inside and outside the campus was actually serious about music.

"You're here." I turned to the speaker and saw Fire leaning against the door. He was wearing a polo shirt and khaki shorts.

He was barefoot, but annoyingly still looked very much like a man. I stepped closer to him.

"You really like music?" I asked.

"Music was my best friend until my mom died. Just like my mom, it also vanished." That's when I realized he still loved his mom deeply, even though she had made a big mistake towards them. I smiled.

"Your mom loves you, Fire. And she's proud of you." He stared at me for a few seconds before sighing. After that, he walked away. I frowned and silently followed him.

"I thought we were going to study, huh?!"
I shouted at Fire.

He took me to my apartment, but I didn't expect him to stay. It's not that I didn't want his presence, but I couldn't concentrate on studying because I felt my entire soul was being pierced by his gaze.

"I am studying, ah? I'm trying to memorize how perfect your face is," he answered with a smile. My heart almost dropped because of his line.

Good heaves! How many corn does this guy eat that he has become this corny.

"Can you, Fire? Help me study," I said to him softly. Even though we're far apart, he still manages to make a remark.

"Pfft. Okay...." He turned away from me and pretended to read the book he was holding.

I couldn't help but look at his broad back and smile at what we have now. I felt so light because of what happened last night. It feels good to know that the person you love also loves you. Now, even without a label, I know we share the same feelings. But I want to keep my feelings to myself first. I want to see how serious Fire is about what he said about me. Just like what he said, I want him to prove that he's really worthy of my love.

We studied seriously for a few hours. Our finals are tomorrow, and of course, I don't want to neglect my studies because of recent events. I don't want to lose my scholarship again, especially when I'm just one year away from graduating.

"Do you want to go to East Side?" he said. I looked up. The place seemed familiar. Suddenly, a flashback came to my mind of the bar where I first saw him sing, so I immediately nodded.

"Is that okay?" I asked.

"Of course! I'll sing for you."

My cheeks warmed because of what he said. I immediately looked down so he wouldn't notice.

"You know..." I heard him wanting to say something, so I lifted my head that was looking down to look at him.

He was looking directly at me, and it was too late to avoid his gaze.

"I want to kiss you right now, pull you in my arms, cuddle with you, leave kiss marks on every part of your body, and do naughty things with you. But I'm fighting the urge not to do those things since I'm not your boyfriend. And it sucks!" I felt the frustration in his voice, and deep inside, I smiled.

One thing I like about Fire is he is true to his word. When he said no more contract, he really meant it. I can feel that he's trying to restrain himself from me, and I guess he's doing it right.

"I'll just change," I made an excuse.

I was nervous to look at him for too long. I might completely lose control and suddenly kiss him. I dressed appropriately for that type of bar. I just wore a simple dress and slightly fixed my hair. When I was done, I immediately invited Fire.

"Shall we go?"

"Let's go."

He went out first while I followed behind him. He opened the car door for me, and just as I was about to get in, someone called me. When I turned, I saw Shan standing in front of the gate.

"Solene! Where are you going?" He walked closer to us.

He quickly glanced at Fire's position before turning his gaze back to me. I told him where we were going, and his face suddenly brightened. This guy is something else. Fire and he would make a weird pair!

"Hmm, that's great! I'm heading to the mall, which you'll pass by, right? Can I ride with you? It's okay with you, right?" while looking at Fire.

Shan paused for a while, and I didn't quite notice if a smile or a smirk crossed his lips.

"Callante?" he added. Fire remained looking at him and didn't respond.

He voluntarily sat on the driver's side.

"That seat is for Solene!" Fire shouted at Shan. Shan turned to look at him and smiled. When I looked at Fire, his palm was clenched and his face was slightly reddened. I looked at Shan again, and he just remained smiling.

"Back off!" Fire said in an authoritative voice.

"Chill your fucking ass, Callante," Shan said and laughed.

I felt the tension growing between them. I felt afraid of what might happen if they continued, so I broke the tension myself.

"It's okay, Fire. I'll sit at the back. Shan can sit there." I even smiled at him to show it was okay. Then I quickly sat in the back.

He went to the driver's seat and forcefully closed the car door.

Am I the only one feeling nervous around these two? When I looked at Shan, he was calmly seated beside Fire, while Fire tightly gripped the steering wheel.

"I miss your cooking, Solene. When can I taste it again?" Shan broke the silence. And if I could hit him right now, I would have.

Shan, you’re unbelievable!

Fire and I had just reconciled, but here comes this idiot again, and it seems like they're trying to stir up another argument between us.

"You, Callante, have you tasted Solene's cooking? You must try. She's a good cook." He tapped Fire's shoulder. Fire glanced at him briefly, then returned his focus to the rearview mirror, looking calm.

"I've tasted more than that," Fire replied smugly.

I felt my cheeks flush at Fire's bold remark. If I could just disappear from this car, I would. But I knew I couldn’t because Fire didn't know how to drive. I also understood the double meaning in his statement, which made me grin awkwardly.

The entire trip, the two of them just talked to each other. I chose not to eavesdrop on their conversation because it seemed to be full of nonsense. I also didn’t want to get angry over something I wouldn’t understand. They just teased and bantered, so I stayed quiet and looked out the window, ignoring them.

"I'm courting her, and I'm serious about her, so know where you stand!"

I was startled by Fire's loud voice. I didn’t know what they were talking about, so I wasn’t sure if he was referring to me.

But I thought no one else was courting me, right? So, is it me? What does he even know about me? I kept quiet, suddenly confused.

"As you said, C-O-U-R-T-I-N-G! Why, are you sure she'll say yes?" Shan replied with a smirk.

Fire briefly glanced at me through the rearview mirror, his eyes firm and piercing. "I know she will," he said, making my heart race and my cheeks flush with excitement.

"I wish you happiness then. … I’ll get going. Thanks for the ride," Shan replied.

Fire stopped the car in front of mall, and Shan quickly got out.

"Take care," I managed to read his lips as he addressed me before Fire sped off in his car. They were like children fighting over something for no apparent reason.

I couldn’t relax until we reached East Side. Fire had been unusually quiet, and I didn’t know why.

"Is something bothering you?" I asked him.

"You don’t like him, do you?"

I frowned. "Who?"

"Shan Martinez…" His eyes seemed to plead as he mentioned that name.

*Somehow, I saw myself in him before. Back then, I only hoped for him to love me. But not now—because my heart belongs to Fire.*

*I never saw such emotion. Is this really the effect of love?*

"Nothing... You're the only one I love."

He smiled. "Let's go?" he said as he held my hand, and we started walking together.

A woman, probably in her mid-20s, approached us. I was immediately struck by her striking beauty. If angels were real, she could easily be mistaken for one. She slightly resembled Fire, though she was fairer compared to him. Fire’s skin tone leaned towards brown, which also suited him well.

The woman looked at me and smiled. "You must be Lovelle?"

The smile on my face slowly faded. I felt my heart skip a beat. I also noticed Fire’s grip on my hand suddenly tighten. Shit! I was too stunned to respond to her question.

"No, Kate, she’s not. She’s Solene. She’s my girl," Fire answered, gripping my hand even tighter.

The woman, whom Fire called Kate, quickly covered her mouth in embarrassment. "Oh! My ba
d. I’m so sorry, Solene."

I forced a smile to show her that it was okay. "It’s all right," I replied.

*Why did she mistake me for Lovelle?*