A thick silence covered up the house after Kenji Abraham arrived. Hernan ran downstairs to hug him, while the rest of the friends dragged their feet downstairs to welcome Kenji, unwillingly. They had to do it for their friend Hernan, even if it made them sick to the stomach.
��Welcome to your new home, Ken,�� Hernan welcomed his boyfriend with a big grin plastered on his face.
��We are doing this for that smile,�� Danica mumbled, motioning at Hernan��s current happiness to Troy, Trevor, and Gabrielle. ��Let��s forget the past and move on.�� With that, she approached Kenji and Hernan. ��Hello, Kenji. Welcome to the Rose mansion.�� She extended a hand to shake with him, but after scanning at Danica from head to toe, Kenji pulled her into a hug that caught her off-guard. His hand rested on her waist.
��Thank you, Hazel,�� murmured Kenji. ��Oops. I am sorry for calling you Hazel.�� He further continued after they broke apart from the hug, ��Actually Hernan talked so much about you and he calls you Hazel, so I am habituated with it. I hope you don't mind.��
��It��s okay.�� Danica gave a warm smile, still wondering about the hug. That hug didn��t seem like a friendly hug; it was nothing like the way she felt when Hernan hugged her��it was uncomfortable. Shrugging those thoughts away, she looked at Troy, who had his fists clenched. ��Troy, come here.�� She glanced at Gabrielle and Trevor as well.
They came and greeted Kenji, but Troy remained still in his place. Noticing that, Danica said to Hernan, ��Why don��t you help Kenji arrange his stuff in your room at first? Then we can gossip together.��
Hernan nodded after sparing a last glance at Troy. ��Let��s go, Ken.�� He walked upstairs with Kenji.
Danica walked to Troy and entwined his hand with hers. ��What��s wrong?��
��He looks so fake,�� Troy grumbled.
��Exactly,�� Gabrielle said and faced Danica. ��Ken? Ew. I cringed at that nickname. I never thought that I would live in the same house as Kenji Abraham. That is so not cool.�� Scrunching her nose in disgust, Gabrielle made her way to her room.
When Danica looked at Troy, he pushed her hand away. Then he walked away as well, leaving Danica and Trevor alone in the living room.
��The hug���� Trevor started speaking. ��The way Kenji hugged you, I suspect his preferences. A straight guy cannot be gay all of a sudden and it is proof, Dani.��
Despite feeling the same, Danica tried to trail off, ��It was just a����
��Don��t try to cover it. I noticed it, Dani. I won��t say anything to Troy, for now, don��t worry.�� After Danica heaved a sigh in relief, Trevor further said, ��But if I find it troublesome, I won��t stay quiet. Just take care of yourself.�� With that, he placed his hands in his pocket and disappeared from her sight.
Danica sat on the couch, well aware that Trevor was right. He was the one who noticed every small detail silently, and if he did, it meant Troy did as well. Because Troy was the type of guy who would notice everything happening around him even when he was engrossed in talking with someone else.
No wonder why Troy was angry. Now she had to calm him otherwise he would act rude with Kenji, which would result in him arguing with Hernan; it would create another problem in their friendship.
She got up and decided to make two cups of hot chocolate before going to Troy��s room. After spending some time making the hot chocolate, she placed it on a tray along with some fresh cookies and knocked on the door of Troy��s room. When there was no response, she was about to open the door, but Trevor stopped her.
��Your boyfriend is in his studio,�� he informed Danica, who arched an eyebrow, hearing the teasing tone in ��your boyfriend�� from Trevor. He chortled and said, ��Did you forget that Troy shares everything with me?��
Danica smiled, her cheeks heating up in embarrassment. ��I have never visited his studio. Can you take me there?��
��It's in the outhouse. Follow me,�� Trevor said, and they started to walk together. ��Dani, I am proud of you. I am really glad that you managed to gather your courage and took the first step. But have you told Troy the reason why you left?��
��No,�� she let out. ��I didn��t tell him yet.��
Trevor sighed. ��If you don��t tell him, Troy will never confess his feelings for you. You left him heartbroken, so it's obvious, he is waiting for you to speak up before you guys start to date for real.��
She stopped on her tracks along with Trevor after reaching the threshold of the outhouse. She realized that his words had a point. How could she expect Troy to open up after what she had done to him?
��This is his studio. The third door is his recording room, and the second door is his resting room. The first one is where his editors edit his video,�� Trevor informed her. ��For now, Troy is in his resting room.��
��Thanks,�� she said with a smile and reached the second door. She knocked at first. After hearing a small ��come in��, she stepped inside with the tray. Troy was lying on the couch, reading a magazine. ��I brought some light snacks,�� she spoke up.
Troy was busy staring towards the window until he heard the familiar angelic voice. He peeked over the magazine slightly, to find Danica smiling at him. He glanced at her from head to toe; she was wearing black tights along with a yellow crop top. She was looking very beautiful as always, which made Troy want to pull her into a kiss at that instant and make out with her. But he had to control himself.
��Snacks?�� Troy changed his position from lying to sitting on the couch. He glanced at his wristwatch. ��It��s 1 PM already. We will have lunch after a while so����
��But I made this hot chocolate for us,�� she mumbled, giving him a puppy eyes look.
He shook his head with a curt smile. ��Fine. Lunch can wait.�� He took the tray from her hand and placed it on the small table in front of him.
Danica sat next to him, taking a look around the room. ��So this is where Troy Kingston takes a rest during his video shoots,�� she said and handed him his mug before taking her one.
��Oh, right. This is the first time you are visiting my studio.�� Realizing she hadn��t come here before, he asked, ��How did you know where I was then?��
��Trevor helped me,�� she answered him. While drinking her hot chocolate, her eyes fell on the dreamcatcher hanging on the window. Troy was looking at it quietly by lying down until she knocked on the door.
The black dreamcatcher was what she gifted him on his sixteenth birthday. She made it by herself instead of buying one. She was surprised that he had it with him till this date and looked at it during his resting time. While giving it to him, she had said, ��Troy, if I am not there to calm your silly temper, then you can look at it. It will calm you and give you peace.��
A pang of immediate guilt splashed on her. He loved her so much. How could she never notice his immense love for her?
