Stay With Me: a Backstage Pass B-Side

By Tara Frejas

Moving to Seoul for a job at an entertainment company has made a self-reliant woman out of Filipina. But when she gets injured in an accident and her boyfriend, Gabriel, proposes she move in with him until she’s back in shape, Fi reluctantly gives up her independencein favor of some TLC.

What happens when being under one roof ignites the desire she has been firmly keeping underneath the surface? Will she up and leave, or decide to stay?

This is a Backstage Pass B-Side.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tara Frejas
• Release date: May 31, 2019
• ISBN: 9781073182480

Book preview

TARA FREJAS

Stay With Me

This book is a work of fiction.

While inspired by real people and events,

all characters, events, and some places depicted

in this book are entirely fictional.

This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Copyright © Tara Frejas 2019

All rights reserved.

Cover illustration | Shaira Bea San Jose

Design & Layout | Tara Frejas

Edited by Layla Tanjutco

Thank you for boarding SS #LegaspiPark,

hope you enjoy the ride!

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FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

EPILOGUE

About the Author

Thanks To

ONE

Fi heard herself gasp as her eyes fluttered open, heart racing like she’d been submerged underwater for much longer than she could hold her breath. Suddenly assaulted by bright light beaming down from a spotless white ceiling, she blinked several times and felt warm, fat tears roll down her temples.

Finally, the endless echo of their horrifying ordeal had been shattered. She didn’t know how long she’d been stuck in a vacuum of blinding lights, frantic yelling, the sickening sound of grating metal against concrete…

And was she imagining it, or could she still smell smoke and copper in the air?

Mahal?

She turned her head to the side and realized she had a neck brace on. Terrified, Fi attempted to move her limbs and cringed when a sharp pain shot up her left ankle. Shit, that hurt—but okay, feeling pain is okay.

She also felt a huge, warm hand squeeze hers. Does anything hurt?

Gabe… The fragile timbre of her voice sounded so foreign, she paused to wonder if it was really she who spoke. She called his name out again, and, like a dream, he appeared.

His face. Fi was certain she hadn’t seen this look on him before. Thick brows pulled together, highlighting a pair of puffy eyes that seemed to be welling up with tears. The corners of his lips were drawn up in a smile, but she saw his lower lip quiver before he bit down on it. His five o’clock shadow and unkempt hair made him look like he hadn’t slept all night.

Good morning, mahal ko.

Good morning, hyungnim, she replied. My ankle. Is it broken?

It’s only a sprain, thankfully, he offered, his free hand smoothing down her hair. It’ll be fine in a few weeks.

Okay.

I’m so glad you’re awake. Gabriel’s voice trembled too, she realized. You’ve been asleep more than ten hours—I’d been thinking of calling a nurse to ask if that was normal.

Ten hours, damn. The last time she’d been able to get that much sleep, she was in Manila, unemployed and living with her mom in her childhood home. Returning to her post as road manager for East Genesis Project meant giving up on continuous hours of sleep…and she wasn’t going to miss that if it meant waking up in a hospital room anyway.

Steven and Minchan. And Yukwon oppa—how are they?

They’re all doing well. You can see them when you’re feeling better.

I want to sit up.

Without letting go of her hand, Gabriel undocked a remote control device from the side of the bed. He pressed a button, and the upper part of the bed rose in a slow, steady motion. Soon, Fi was sitting up and able to see the rest of her very bare, very white hospital room.

Is that better?

Yeah.

He showed her the remote control and quickly taught her how to use it, in case he wasn’t around. But where will you go, she almost asked. Of course, she couldn’t expect Gabriel to stay here all day. He had work to do, too.

Did AmEnt release a statement yet?

The question made him frown. Could you do me a favor, Fi?

What is it?

"Could you please—please—not think about work…at least for the next 24 hours?"

She pouted. I’m sorry.

Don’t be sorry. I get that this is second nature to you. But right now, I just want you to rest easy and let me take care of things. His thumb brushed the apple of her cheek. Of you.

Okay.

Yaksokhae? He pulled his hand back and raised his pinky finger. With a faint smile, she locked her pinky around his and shifted her wrist forward so that their thumbs touched. Promise sealed.

Yaksokhae.

Leaning in, Gabriel pressed a lingering kiss on her brow. I am so happy you’re alive, he murmured and, firmly but carefully, gathered her in his arms.

. . . . .

Later, before visiting hours were due to be over that evening, Gabriel helped Fi out of her bed so they could pay Minchan a visit. At the time of the accident, the youngest member of EG Project was sitting at the back of the van and had his seatbelt on, which saved him from more serious injuries.

Gabriel hung back by the door of the hospital suite while Minchan and Fi hugged and talked and hugged some more. He caught a bit of the conversation and realized Minchan blamed himself for the accident for some reason. It immediately reminded Gabriel of Yihwan and his survivor’s guilt, having been home sick when the accident happened. Worse, Yihwan had been on the phone with the gang at the time of the crash.

Yihwan had heard everything, and the thought still made Gabriel queasy.

A distraction presented itself when Minchan’s mother