Chapter 43
Ashton
"Where are you taking me?" I asked Zie confused, after my session with doc Ramon he suddenly invited me to go to the mall to eat, and now that we had just finished eating, he dragged me again to some department store.
"Just go with me," Zie replied like a child eager to buy a toy, he seemed more excited compared to me. I just let him dragged me until he stopped, my brows furrowed when looking at the store in front of us. The Indie Shop, that's what the sign read.
We went into a store that was selling albums, "choose whatever you want, don't worry about the price it's on me," he said and turned his attention on looking at the CD's displayed in a row, I noticed that the albums displayed was all about hip hop, I was just looking at Zie a little bit amused until he suddenly turned to me and showed me a CD.
"What do you think of Drake?" He asked and I raised an eyebrow at his question, I smiled awkwardly looking at him and then the album he is holding.
"I don't know, I don't listen to Drake," I answered and turned away from him, I went to the section where the pop albums are lined up.
I smiled when I saw the album I was looking for and I immediately took a copy of it, I went back to Zie's place and gave him the album I had chosen.
"Seriously? Lover? Where's your taste?" He laughed looking at the album I chose to like it's a piece of dirt, I frowned at what he said, and when he noticed my reaction he immediately stopped laughing but he was just holding back his laughter.
"It's Taylor Swift's recent album, she's a genius when it comes to songwriting, I love Cornelia Street, London Boy, and Cruel Summer," I said daydreaming.
"Whatever you say, let's go to the counter." He laughed in response and walked towards the counter.
After paying for the album, we left the indie shop. I thought we're going home already but then Zie smirk at me and motion me to follow him. He is walking too fast and when he noticed the distance between us he stopped and walked back to me and took my hand. He dragged me again while holding my hand, I smiled at what he did, my heart beats so fast for an unknown reason. He does not care about the questioning looks thrown at us by the people we pass by. His grip just tightened around my hand.
"I think you should listen to the album track called Lover." Unexpectedly, Zie stopped walking and raised an eyebrow at me. Moments later a smile flashed on his lips. I don't know what's going on in my mind and I suddenly told him to listen to the track called Lover, maybe I was just too happy.
"I would love to." He replied which made me smile.
This time we walk together while holding each other's hands. I don't know but it feels so good even with just holding him in my hand, this is not the first time Zie has touched me, he has touched my hand a few times but this is the first time I am so happy for an unknown reason.
"Let's go to the National Bookstore," Zie said, I just nodded in response and we made our way to the bookstore.
As I walked, I looked straight at Zie, every time he noticed my stares he would turn to me so I quickly averted my gaze, he just laughed at what I was doing.
Zie is so handsome, big, and muscular, no one would think that he likes to read books and listen to music. I can’t help but smile at the thought that I am one of those who know the things he likes.
I couldn’t help but feel special to Zie.
"Here we are, close your eyes." He said, I looked at Zie my brows furrowed, why do I have to close my eyes?
"Do I need to close my eyes? What for?" I asked confused.
"Just do it." He replied and covered his hand to my eye, I could not help but smell the scent on his hand as if his scent hypnotized me so I just followed Zie in the direction he says as he guides me on the walk through the bookstore.
Moments later Zie suddenly ordered me to stop. Slowly he removed his hands from my eyes.
"Surprise." He whispers in my ear.
My eyes widened when I saw the book in front of me. I can’t believe what I'm seeing right now.
"Fuck, it's already released?" I asked in disbelief. I could not stop my hands from taking a copy of my book. The cover of this book is very familiar to me, it was me and Zie but our faces are cut, Zie's naked body is the only thing I love about the cover as if he's compelling you to grab the book and buy it.
"Yes, it was distributed the other day at different national bookstores," Zie informs me. I stared at my book again, it's really beautiful, the cover was hardbound so it seemed like it was just like the international books that were released.
"Thanks for this, daddy." I sincerely thanked him and without hesitation, I hugged him, I heard him chuckled but then he wrapped his hand around my waist and kissed my hair gently.
I closed my eyes and felt his warm body, at these times we do not care about the people around us, it seems we are in another dimension, in the world only the two of us know.
"Let's go to the counter, let's pay for the books so we can go home," Zie whispered, letting go from my embrace as he took two sealed copies of my novel. After paying for the book, I can't help but smile as we go out to the national bookstore.
As Zie and I were on our way home to the penthouse, I suddenly remembered the album we had bought earlier, I picked up my cellphone and attached it to the speaker of his car.
"What are you doing?" Zie asked in surprise while his attention is still on the road.
"Gonna play some music." I laughed in response and played Taylor Swift's song called Lover.
Along with the start of the song was the heavy downpour of rain, I couldn’t help but smile as I looked outside and listening intently to the song.
"Surprisingly this sounds good," Zie commented.
"It's a kind of song the grows on you," I replied and turned my gaze outside again. I don't know but it's fascinating to watch the heavy raindrops outside as if it brings me joy.
When we were at the gate of the subdivision, Zie just gave his identification card to the guard, and immediately the guard let us in.
But seconds after we enter the subdivision, we heard something exploded, the car suddenly stopped moving.
"Shit." I almost fell into the dashboard, fortunately, I thought about attaching my seat belt earlier, if I didn't put on my seatbelt my forehead would be gushing with blood right now.
"Are you okay?" Zie asked worriedly, checking my body if I had a wound.
"I'm okay I was just surprised. How about you? Are you okay? What happened?" I asked wondering.
"It looks like the tires were broken, I didn't check the car earlier.," Zie explained sighing deeply.
A few moments later someone knocked on the car window, Zie immediately lowered the window beside him.
"Are you all right sir? Your car tire exploded." The guard said almost shouting due to the heavy rain, the wind is almost blowing the umbrella he was carrying.
"We're okay, can you please park my car on the side if ever the rain subside?" He asked the guard politely.
"All right sir." The guard replied, he offered an umbrella but Zie strongly refused it so the guard returned to his post.
"What are we going to do now?" I asked cause we can't wait for the rain to stop, I'm sure it will be a long time before it subsides.
"We're pretty close to the penthouse, let's just go through the rain," Zie suggested, I look at him raising my eyebrow.
"Come on, just bring your phone." He said and removed my cellphone from the speaker, he put our cellphones in a plastic bag, he did not even turn off the music on my cellphone that the song was still playing over and over again inside the plastic bag.
out first and run through the heavy and cold rain, I could do nothing but follow him and run slowly.
"Fuck, the wind is freezing me to death." I shuddered as I tried to keep up with Zie.
"Hurry up, Ash." He shouted laughing, but instead of running towards him I just asked him to wait for me and stop running.
"What's the point of running if we're already extremely wet?" I said he shrugs his shoulder and stopped running.
If someone would see us they would think that we were crazy in the middle of the road, soaking wet.
"Tsk, tell me you just can't handle me." He teases me but then he stopped walking until I reached him and we walked together.
I look at him and suddenly smiled, his brows furrowed in confusion.
"Got you." I blew on him and pushed him before running fast, I couldn't help but burst out laughing, I just stopped laughing when I noticed that the raindrops entered my mouth.
"Hey! You're a cheater." Zie shouted. I was a bit far from him already.
"It's not cheating, it's called being strategic," I shouted back laughing but my smile immediately turns to panic when I saw him sprinted, I was surprised but thank god I still managed to ran fast, I don't want him to be near me because I feel like he would do something bad to me the moment he caught up.
I just keep running, sometimes when I look at him and the distance between us is not too far, I would sprint in panic, my heart is beating fast every time he comes close to me. He ran faster than I did so I tried my best to keep going even I'm already freaking tired.
"I love you, Ash," Zie shouted, my feet automatically stopped running. My heart beats faster, I slowly turned to face Zie.
He also stopped running, he eas looking at me seriously. I swallowed my saliva as if in a few moments I would faint because of the mixed emotions I was feeling.
"What?" I asked even though I heard what he said, I don't know why, maybe I just want to hear him say those words in front of me again.
"I love you, Ashton." He said stating at me intently. My heart had stopped from beating, it feels like the rain had stopped pouring.
Slowly Zie walked closer to me, he is walking towards me in slow motion as the song slowly played over and over on my cellphone.
'Can I go, where you go,
Can we always be this close,
forever and ever,
Oh take me out, or take me home
You're my, my, my, lover. '
When we got close he suddenly kissed me on the lips. It happened so fast, I couldn't think anymore and just responded to his kiss.
I can't believe, is this happening? All my fears suddenly disappeared and were replaced by joy. This is probably what love does.
We both gasped as our lips parted. A sly grin flashed across its lips.
"I got you." He whispered in my ear and laughed out loud. For a few seconds my brain did not work, it seems like my brain stops working.
When Zie's last words registered in my brain, the joy I felt before was suddenly replaced by a blank emotion, I did not know what to do as I watched Zie's distant figure.
I don't know what to feel, it doesn't hurt. I feel nothing but emptiness.
