Natalie stood watching the empty sky above her as night wind pierced her skin. She sneaked away from the commotion and the rooftop felt comfortable than the heated room downstairs. She did not know how was she supposed to behave. Everyone kept congratulating her for the success of the project. Some were excited for the news of her dating Sonic’s CEO. But she wasn’t certain how she felt about it. She had questions only he could answer. Did he approach to her with a plan? Why did he hide about it? Did he make Sonic invest in her project out of pity? Her head was filled with numerous voices whispering different things. She did not like secrets. Once bitten twice shy, they say. But she couldn’t figure out why she find herself again in a mess. 

“That was quite a show.” Mark stood next to Natalie with a glass of vodka. “You need something to keep you warm.” 

“Yeah it was. I wish if I had some warnings.” She took the glass from his hand. 

“So you had no clue at all?” Mark asked sipping his whiskey. She shook her head.

“ah! How do you feel dating a young CEO?” Mark chuckled while pulling her closer. Natalie scoffed as a response but she let him hug her. It was chilly on the rooftop and as usual Mark had his shoulder ready to be lend  to her. 

“But he must have had a reason. Don’t worry about it much,” Mark said slowly caressing her arm. She nodded her head in agreement.

“Can I steal her for a moment?” Jinyoung stood next to them. His eyes were turned down and his hair looked messy like he has ran his fingers through it. 

“Oh the new CEO request for an audience you.” Mark playfully nudged Natalie while laughing loudly and stepping away from her. “She is all yours man. Don’t forget it.” 

Natalie smiled softly as Jinyoung kissed her lips. Few hours ago his touch felt warm and comfortable but for some reason, the kiss felt strange. She pulled back awkwardly. Something was stopping her from enjoying his warmth even when her body craves for some. 

“I- I didn’t know he was going to announce it today.” The corner of his mouth turned down as his lips were trembling. “I would have told you if I knew.”

“You certainly knew you are the CEO of Sonic. What kept you from telling me that?” It was out from before she had time to think. This was not the way she had in mind to bring it up but it was too late to worry. 

For a moment Jinyoung looked like he was in pain. She could see the light in his eyes diminishing slowly. It looked like he was thinking  of a proper answer. 

“It’s ok. Let’s talk at home. Here is not the place,” she said as she placed a soft kiss on his cheek. No matter how tired she was, she had to be at the event with a bright smile and clear eyes. She walked away leaving Jinyoung alone on the rooftop. 

She wasn’t certain how she managed to get through the rest of the night. Her mind was all over the place but she had to receive all Congratulations with a wide grin and pretend she was actually thrilled to be dating a handsome young CEO. She was glad when the night came to an end and she finally set foot home. However, Jinyoung was dragged by Kang Seho so she ended up coming home alone. She liked it that way. She wanted at least few hours to herself to gather her thoughts and calm herself down. The day felt too long for her liking and her whole body felt like she had been hit by a lorry. She scattered her clothes and jumped into the shower letting hot water run down her body healing it. The bathroom soon turned into a foggy mess just like her mind. So many different thoughts swam inside her head creating different stories. But as Mark suggested she gave the benefit of doubt to Jinyoung for now. She wanted to believe he must have had a good reason for hiding it from her. That thought brought her some relief. 

Jinyoung wasn’t home even when she stepped outside from the bathroom and the time on the wall indicated half passed one in the morning. She wanted to stay awake till he gets home but her eyes felt heavy. She got under the covers and checked her phone for a message from him. There were thousands of notifications but none from him. She typed a quick message to let him know that she was at home but then decided against it. She put the phone on silent and pulled the cover up. 

Jinyoung climbed the stairs dragging his feet as he was drained of energy. He never expected his day to turn this way when he started the day in the morning. He saw Natalie curled up under the covers and all he wanted was to hug her. But he decided to take a shower to sober himself up before crawling on to bed. He had way too much of alcohol in his system to keep him from breaking down in f