bapa: from here to eternity

chapter 39: trouble

Bose POV:

It was the last day in Italy. Andrew and Mika, along with the fashion department, had returned to Rome late last night. I was still settling into my morning routine when Andrew knocked on my hotel room door. The rhythmic knock he always used gave him away, and I opened the door to see him standing there, looking a little too energized for the early hour.

"Morning," Andrew said, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation, as usual. He dropped onto the small armchair by the window, letting out a long breath. "Man, Milan was something else."

I raised an eyebrow as I sat down on the edge of the bed. "Yeah? How was the show?"

Andrew smirked. "Oh, you know, the usual. Models strutting their stuff, some great designs, some ridiculous ones. Mika and I had a blast. VIP seats, you know how it is. It's Milan."

I nodded, though I wasn't that interested in fashion, not like he was. "Sounds like a good time. Rome's been pretty quiet, though."

Andrew glanced at me, noticing something in my tone. "What's up with you, you sound down."

I sighed. "It's complicated, man. Chapa and I... I kind of said something two days ago, and now I don't know if it was too much, too soon."

Andrew's interest piqued immediately. "What'd you say?"

I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling the weight of the words I'd said the night before. "I told her I love her."

Andrew stared at me for a beat, then burst into laughter. "You? Bose? You said 'I love you' to someone other than your mom? Man, that's huge!"

"Yeah, well, it doesn't feel that great right now," I muttered, sinking deeper into the bed. "She has been avoiding me all day yesterday. We sort of talked it out, but I don't know if I still freaked her out or what."

Andrew's laughter died down, but there was still a spark of amusement in his eyes. "Well, I have something to show you."

He pulled out his phone, swiped a few times, and then held the screen up to me. I leaned forward to look, and my heart nearly stopped.

There it was—a video of me and Chapa, dancing together in the bar last night. It wasn't just any video, though. It was the moment we'd been slow dancing, her in my arms, her head resting on my shoulder. And it wasn't just a small clip either—it had gone viral. The comments were blowing up, full of questions about who we were, speculating about our relationship.

"What the hell?" I whispered, grabbing the phone out of his hand to look closer. "How did this happen?"

Andrew shrugged, clearly enjoying my reaction. "I guess someone at the bar was recording. It's all over the internet now. Your fans are going crazy."

My mind raced, a mix of panic and disbelief flooding through me. This was not how I wanted things to go public. I needed to find Chapa. Now.

I handed Andrew his phone and bolted for the door, my heart pounding. "I need to talk to her."

Andrew followed, chuckling as he strolled behind me. "Good luck, lover boy. I'll stay out of this one."

I made my way to Chapa's room, the adrenaline coursing through me. When I got there, a small group of female students had already gathered outside her door, talking excitedly. As I approached, I heard bits and pieces of their conversation.

"Is she really the girl from the video?"

"I heard they've been secretly dating."

"No way, Chapa? And Bose?"