Surprise!
While scrolling through your comments, I came across the comments of raheel_rael and SamridhiSamridhi1 asking about PeteKao and you know how much I love all of you, so here's the first part of their story. I sort of wrote this out of boredom and since I haven't finalized the first chapter of My Favorite Place, I decided to give them a three-part side story.
Hope you enjoy this one! 💙💕
(P.S. You can refer to Chapter 10 to backtrack everything about PeteKao. 😁)
***
Kao.
"Are you avoiding me?"
I closed my eyes and I heaved a deep sigh before facing Pete who had been bugging me for hours already.
"Pete, I'm working," I warned and started wiping the glasses for the nth time. The bar was not yet busy since it was still early so I decided to just wipe the glasses...again, hoping that Pete would get the idea that I had lot of things to do other than entertaining his whining ass.
"Is this about what happened last week? Are you angry with me?"
I tried hiding the reddening of my face as he mentioned that night. It had been a week since that incident and I'd been avoiding him since then. And no. I wasn't angry with him. I was angry at the fact that I let my guard down. I was angry at how I gave in to my bodily desires that night and how I let the alcohol control my actions.
"Wh-what about last week?" I tried acting as innocent as possible but my voice still quivered and my face was red no matter how hard I tried to keep a straight face.
"Come on, Kao. You haven't talked to me ever since. You even left me that morning. Do you hate me that much?" he tried reaching out for my hand but I quickly took a step back away from him.
"Seriously? Why do you think I hate you? It was just sex, Pete. There's nothing more to it. It was just a mistake. I was just drunk and brokenhearted. Can we just forget about it and act like nothing happened?"
I bit my lips as he stared at me. He seemed serious. Did I just offend him?
"No. Call it whatever you want but for me it was not just sex, Kao. It was something more."
"I-I was just drunk, okay? I can't even recall everything that happened. So don't act like there's more to it other than libido. And can you stop bugging me? I told you. I-I already have a boyfriend," I lied when in fact I had remembered every single detail of our steamy sex in his car.
I could even recall how his skin felt against mine and how his length filled me until I ran out of breath. But one thing I noticed was how gentle he was with me, something that I hadn't felt with Tay. Yes, Tay and I did it several times but it was always in a hurry and I couldn't even feel his care for me. Well, I couldn't blame him. It was my fault anyway for begging him to do it with me when he already liked someone else.
But with Pete, it felt different. I felt loved and cared for, something that I'd been longing for all these years.
"Oh? Really? You're lying. I know you broke up with him," he snorted as he leaned on the bar counter.
"I-I'm not. So go away or Tay would be mad at you."
"You know what, you seriously suck at lying, Kao. Or are you still living in the delusion that he loves you?"
"I hate you," I muttered under my breath as I shot him a dangerous glare. Sure, he knew that I broke up with Tay and I didn't have any idea how he knew about it, but I still didn't want to let my guard down again.
"I actually overheard your conversation with Tay...on the day you broke up with him."
"Is it really your habit to listen to other people's conversation?"
"It was accidental, okay? I was passing by when I overheard your conversation. It's not my fault you were in an open space."
"Fuck you."
"Kao, I may fuck around and switch from one person to another, but right now, I'm serious. I wanna know you more," he uttered before going back to his friends and although I wanted to know him more as well, I was afraid I'd end up getting hurt again.
***
I massaged my arm as I ended my shift. I checked the wound on my arm and groaned when I saw that it was still bleeding.
"Ugh, seriously?" I grabbed a handkerchief from my bag and used it to stop the bleeding.
I was about to hail a cab when a motorcycle stopped in front of me.
"I'll send you home," Pete said as he took off his helmet.
"I know my way home," I muttered and started walking away from him but eventually flinched when he followed me and grabbed my arm.
"Oh, shit. How did you get this??"
"It's none of your concern. Now let me go, I'm tired. I just wanna go home," I pleaded for I didn't have the energy to argue with him. Aside from the fact that I was tired at work, my arm was starting to become numb.
"You're coming with me," he announced and dragged me towards his motorcycle.
"I told you I'm going on my own!" I tried removing his hand from my arm but he was definitely stronger than I was.
But he didn't say anything and just held me in place as he put his spare helmet on me.
"It's either you're coming with me or you're going to bleed to death here."
***
"Th-thank you," I muttered lowly as we got out of the hospital after having my wound checked. It wasn't actually that big but it was definitely deep.
"I don't accept a simple thank you."
I raised an eyebrow as he eyed me from head to foot. He had a playful smirk on his face and that somehow sent chills down my spine.
"Excuse me? Pervert! You're not getting what you want!" I exclaimed and immediately covered my body as the stare he was giving me was making me uncomfortable.
"Wait. Seriously? It's not what I meant, okay? I want you to tell me where you got it," he replied as he leaned on his motorcycle and pointed at the wound on my arm.
"Uh, some customers got into a fight at the bar earlier and someone accidentally hit my arm with a broken beer bottle," I explained nonchalantly. I didn't even know why he was so interested when it was just a simple wound.
"Who is it?"
I furrowed my eyebrows as he eyed me intently. He seemed serious.
"I-I don't know him, okay. He's not a regular so I didn't recognize him."
I jolted when he suddenly cupped my left cheek and started caressing it with his thumb. And at some point, the dangerous look in his eyes slowly faded.
"Wha-what are you doing?" I nervously asked as he continued what he was doing and scanned my entire face.
"I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have left the bar early. You wouldn't have gotten hurt."
"He-hey, I'm not your responsibility. I can take care of myself."
"But I want to be responsible of you. From now on, I'll be watching you as you work, so events like this won't happen again."
"Wa-wait, what do you mean?"
"No more questions. Come on, I'm hungry," he then grabbed his spare helmet and put it on my head.
"Pete, why are you doing this?"
"I told you. I want to know you more. Do you know how to cook?"
I slowly nodded as I stared at his eyes and for some reason, I found myself falling into their depths.
"Then cook for me in exchange for bringing you to the hospital."
***
I placed the plate of fried noodles in front of him and I felt rather conscious for he had been staring at me ever since we got to his unit.
"What?" I asked as I could no longer bear the kind of stares he was giving me.
"Nothing. I'm just curious why you're working as a bartender at your age."
"I'm poor that's why, okay? I'm not like you who was born with a golden spoon," I scoffed as I started eating on my own plate.
"It's not my fault my parents are rich, okay. And it's their money, not mine."
I didn't say anything and just continued eating. Well, he was right. It was not his fault he was born with wealth and privilege.
"Why don't you quit? See, you've been hurt. That place is not safe for you."
"Yeah, I'll quit and then I'll starve. And besides I'm saving money for my studies."
"I'll pay for your fees then."
My fork dropped along with my mouth as he blurted out such nonsense. Why on earth would he pay for my fees? We were not even friends in the first place!
"I'm not kidding. I'm willing to pay for you. I'll send you to school," he continued when I didn't say anything.
"Tss. Quit that one, okay? It's not funny."
"I told you I'm serious."
"And what would you ask in return?" I gave him the same intense stare. There had to be something behind his offer.
"Be my boyfriend."
I stilled when he blurted out such ridiculous statement. I then immediately stood and headed for the door, ready to leave but he grabbed my arm and pulled me towards him.
"Okay, okay, I'll stop. But if you need help I'm just here. You can tell me."
I glared at him before whisking his hand off my arm.
"Look for someone else to toy around. I'm too busy getting by with my daily life. I don't have the time to get along with your act."
"What makes you think I'm just playing around?"
"I know what's running on your mind, Pete. We just fucked once, nothing else. I have no plans of becoming your fuck buddy so quit bugging me," I threw him one last glare before heading out of his room.
***
Two weeks. I hadn't seen him for two weeks.
I should be happy for he wasn't bugging me anymore but at some point, I was disappointed that he didn't fulfill his promise.
"One shot of vodka please."
The gruff voice of the customer dragged me out of my thoughts.
"Here you go, sir," I uttered as I swiftly placed the glass on the bar counter but eventually flinched when the guy held my hand instead of the glass.
"Excuse me, Sir...my hand."
"Wanna go somewhere? 5000 bucks for a night," he muttered lowly as he lightly squeezed my hand.
Okay, I just wanted to give him a punch on the face but I didn't wanna lose my job.
"I'm sorry, Sir, but it's not within my job," I heaved a deep sigh of relief when he let go of my hand.
"Come on. Why are you playing hard to get? I know your kind and I know you need money. I'm gonna double the amount. I've been wanting to have a taste of you ever since you started working here."
"Sir, you're just drunk. I'll call a cab for you."
I fished my phone from my pocket and was about to book a taxi for him when he grabbed me by the wrist all of a sudden.
"You don't have to. I have my car. Come on."
I flinched when he tightened his grip on me. I tried resisting but he was way too strong compared to me.
I was about to call the guard when he gave me a strong tug.
I was preoccupied with prying his hands off my wrist when someone threw a punch at him, hitting him straight on the face.
"Don't touch what's mine, you fucking asshole."
For some reason, I felt a sense of security the moment my gaze landed on Pete. But he looked different. He looked dangerous as he stared at the guy who was groaning on the floor.
He was about to give the man another punch when the security personnel came.
"Drag this pervert away while I can still control myself," he told the personnel before turning to me.
"Are you okay?" he asked softly as he checked my hand.
"I'm fine. You may go," I said nonchalantly and went back to my post.
"No, you're coming with me," he then dragged me out of the bar counter and headed towards the exit.
"Pete, I still have work!"
"Don't worry. I'll talk to the owner. I know him personally."
He immediately put on his helmet on me the moment we reached the parking lot.
"I haven't seen you for two weeks," I muttered lowly as I checked his face.
"Why? Did you miss me?" he chuckled as he put on his own helmet.
"Tss. Why would I? I'm just curious why you're not bugging me anymore."
"I had something to take care of. But I'm already done with it so you're gonna see this handsome face every day."
"Tss. I didn't say you're handsome," I muttered lowly and hopped on his motorcycle.
And per usual, he just grabbed my arms and wrapped them around his waist. I didn't complain since I didn't have the energy to argue with him.
But unlike before, he was driving slowly. He even let the cars go ahead of us when he would usually race with them.
"Are you okay?" I asked when I noticed that he had no plans of speeding up.
"Hmm. Why?"
"This isn't how you usually drive. You're driving slowly today. Are you okay?"
But he didn't answer and just tightened my arms around his waist.
"I wanna savor this moment. You hugging me this tight."
"Tss. You're the one who wrapped my arms around your waist. This is actually coercion," I snorted and glared at the back of his neck.
"But you didn't complain though," he snickered and glanced at me through the side mirror.
"Pfft. Come on, speed up. I just wanna take a rest, okay. And just tell me if you want me to hug you. You don't have to pull such tricks," I chuckled as I leaned my head on his back and tightened my arms even more around his waist.
***