Ezra’s POV.

“Can I stay here?” I asked, cutting to the chase.

“What?”

“C-Can I stay here, even if it’s only until tomorrow?”

I scratched my nape and averted my gaze in embarrassment. They exchanged glances before returning their attention to me.

“We’re seven men inside, miss,” said the fierce-looking man.

I was engrossed in twitter and examined them one by one. I think they are good people so I will thicken my face. I have no other place to go.

“Well, uh… It’s okay! I mean, I need a place to stay for now because as you can see, I’m soaking wet because of the weather. So please!” I desperately begged.

Let me in, please! I have consumed all my remaining pride. I have nothing left of my dignity.

“Come inside,” he agreed. I sighed in relief and smiled.

“Thank you!”

They made me sit on the sofa. I looked around every corner of their house. It’s spacious and the interior design is jaw dropping. In fairness, the house is also clean.

They sat in front of me while the guy whom I talked to earlier excused himself to heat some water for my bath.

“May I know your name, Ms. beautiful?” the melodious tone of the question of one of them to me.

Not judging him but he already seems like a playboy to me at first sight. I eyed him thoroughly. He’s handsome and a hottie, but I think he’s the type of jerk that should be avoided or else girls will end up crying their tears out because of him dumping them.

“Shut up, Axle,” a cold restraint of one of them. The Axle he called just laughed and shrugged his shoulders.

“I’m Ezra Jin Medina,” I introduced myself.

“Axle Corpuz by the way, no way, highway. Don’t forget my name.” The man who asked my name earlier introduced himself and winked at me.

“I’m Clarence Samson,” said one and stretched out his hand to me. I accepted it and we shook hands.

Based on my opinion, I think he is the youngest among them. Although he doesn’t really look young, he has a baby face.

“Jeremy Mariano at your service,” said one who also looks like a womanizer.

“Joaquin Sison,” introduction of the good boy and silent type.

“Iñigo Salazar, present!” joke of the fierce-looking man when he returned. I barely laughed.

“Xavier Vergara,” said the one opposite me with a smile.

Everyone in the vicinity turned and looked over at the remaining one of them who hadn’t yet introduced himself. The cold type.

“Hyde,” he said sparingly.

I winced because of how boring he is. Among the seven men, he was the only one snobbish. He must be an introvert.

When the hot water Iñigo boiled, which I think is his name if I’m not mistaken, I headed to the bathroom and showered immediately..

While taking a bath, I memorized their names so that I wouldn’t be confused if I called them. I don’t think they are planning to do anything bad to me. I don’t know why I feel comfortable staying here as well, but still, I can’t let my guards down.

After I dressed up, I immediately came out of the bathroom. I went back to the living room but they were no longer there. I walked around the whole house to look for them. I almost got lost along the way, but then I found them in the dining room. They glanced at my direction when they noticed me standing behind them.

“Sit down. Have breakfast, too,” Clarence offered me a seat.

My forehead furrowed slightly in astonishment as I peeked at the clock hanging on the wall. It’s only four o’clock in the morning.

“Isn’t it too early to eat breakfast?”

“We can’t go back to sleep when we wake up,” Joaquin replied. I bowed my head at the guilt I felt.

“Sorry,” I apologized out of shame.

“You don’t have to be sorry. It wasn’t your fault,” Axle clarified. “Come here. Sit down.”

He motioned me to sit on the chair next to him. I could do nothing but just sit there. We were enveloped in silence for a few minutes. It’s awkward because I’m the only woman here. I’m not used to being surrounded by men.

“Are the seven of you the only one living here?” I broke the deafening silence. “I mean, don’t you have anyone else with you? Even your parents?”

“Yes,” Iñigo replied.

“Why? Where are your parents?” I asked more in curiosity.

“At our house.”

My eyebrows met in confusion. “Huh? I don’t get it. Isn’t this your house–”

I was unable to continue what I was about to ask when Joaquin decided to speak up to explain it to me.

“This is our house as well. Our parents wanted us to be independent, so they bought a house for us without them.”

“So, you all aren’t brothers?” I ejaculated in shock.

“Who said we are? We’re not,” Hyde replied coldly.

“But we treat each other like we share each other’s blood,” Jeremy added.

I nodded. I thought at first that they were brothers because they somehow look alike but now it’s clear that they are not.

“Ezra, right?” Xavier talked to me. “Do you mind if I ask you what you were doing in the middle of the street when the rain was pouring? I mean, why were you outside? Did your car stop in front of our house? Or did your tires become flat?”

“The truth is…” I paused for a second. “I ran away.”

“Why?” they asked, interested to know except for Hyde.

“My wedding is about to take place tomorrow…” I mentioned along with the series of deep sighs. “I mean, an arranged marriage for our company. I don’t want to get married because apart from the fact that I don’t love the person I’m going to marry, I also don’t want to because I don’t think I’m ready to settle down yet. That’s why I ran away. I don’t want the marriage to proceed. Then, while I was driving, it rained hard and my car happened to run out of gas near your house, so this is where I ended up going. I sincerely apologize that I disturbed your sleep earlier. I just can’t find any place to spend the night.”

“Don’t think about it, Ezra. We understand, and you can stay here as long as you want,” Jeremy’s generous offer.

I smiled at him in gratitude. “Thank you.”

“But won’t your parents look for you?” Iñigo suddenly asked me with a hint of fear on his face.

My smile faded in an instant. Concern immediately led me and occupied my whole-being. I hope Kiana won’t speak a word to my parents or else the two of us will be at the peak of danger.

“They will search for me,” I stated, knowing for a fact they will. “I’m sure of it. So, I should be able to find a permanent place to hide tomorrow–”

“No.” Hyde cut my words short. “You better stay here…”

Ezra’s POV.

I WAS making my bed when I was halted by the abrupt vibration of my phone. Kiana’s calling me again. I grabbed my phone from the bedside table and answered her call.

“Hello, Kiana?”

“Ezra…” Her voice trembled, which alarmed me. “We have a problem.”

A shiver rose up in my chest all of a sudden. I had a hunch of ​​what she was going to say, but I didn’t want to jump to conclusions. Hence, I listened to her for more information and confirmation.

“W-What do you mean?” I asked, stuttering in twitter.

“Your mother is beginning to search for you, just as we predicted. I’m certain she won’t stop until she finds you. She’ll prolly do everything to get you back home.”

I could feel her distress. I’m hoping she didn’t say anything.

“Kiana, did you perhaps tell Mom?”

Oh, gosh! Please, say no!

“Of course not! What would be the point of telling them? We’ll be screwed!”

I breathed a sigh of relief because of her answer. Thank goodness she kept her mouth shut because otherwise we’re doomed. Mommy is a difficult opponent. She won’t go easy to anyone who betrays her.

“I’m sorry. I only asked to be assured.”

“Anyway, where are you? Have you found a hotel or a place to stay in?” She changed the subject. I swallowed hard because of her unanticipated question.

I bit my lower lip. “Yes, I did find a place to stay…”

“Really? I’m glad to hear you’re safe! So, how’s your new place?”

“Kiana, I know you wouldn’t believe me, but…”

“What?”

“Uh… Oh my God! How will I explain this?” I ended up panicking.

I don’t know how to tell her the truth, but I don’t want to keep it from her either.

“Oh, come on, Ezra! You're making me die in curiosity! Spill the beans!”

“I’m living with seven men…”

For several minutes, the other line was silent. I can only imagine how she reacted when she learned the news.

“Wait, what?! What nonsense are you spewing? You are what?!”

“I’m living with seven men under the same roof.”

“Bitch, are you serious?! What on earth are you thinking?! You mean you’re surrounded by seven men in a house where you're the the only woman?!” Kiana exclaimed hysterically.

“You’re right.” I nodded, as if she could see me in person.

“I won’t ask how that happened, but did they do anything to you?! Did they threaten you?! Tell me right away so that I can sue them!”

I sighed and rolled my eyes. “Stop overreacting, Kiana. I know you're worried about me, but loosen up. They did not harm me in any way. In fact, they were nice.”

“Or pretending to be nice…”

“No, I swear, they were kind to me. They let me into their home and fed me. They even agreed to let me stay as long as I wanted.”

“Aren’t you letting your guard down, Ezra? Why did they allow you to stay? Come to think of it, you’re a complete stranger to them. I don’t think I’d let a stranger of the opposite gender stay in my house unless I planned to do something bad to him, right? You never know if their true intention was to help or harm you.”

“I told them I had gotten out of the arranged marriage,” I explained. “They asked if my parents would locate me, and I said yes. Knowing Mom, she will do anything for the company, even if it means torturing her own daughter to death. So they insisted on allowing me to stay for an extended period of time.”

“Fine, you won. I will believe you because you said so. But the question is…”

I laughed to myself. I have a feeling I know what she will ask next.

“Are they good-looking?”

Shoot! I knew she would ask. Kiana loves handsome men; in fact, she’s obsessed with them. It’s her type. It doesn’t matter if he has bad fashion sense, bad habits, or a red flag, as long as he has good looks.

“The truth is… they are! They looked like works of art. They have a perfect build of body, an amicable lifestyle, snow-white skin, a bad boy aura, and an unrealistic appearance!” I described how the seven boys are.

When Kiana squealed with romantic delight, I moved my phone away from my ears. I could go deaf as a result of her in no time.

“Don’t make me envious, Ezra! Don’t take everything. Keep one for me. Oh, I wish I could pay you a visit!”

“Don’t!” I reprimanded her. “If they put a tail on you, Mom will find out where I’m hiding. She has eyes everywhere. I don’t want to endanger your life or the lives of the seven men who showed me kindness.”

“I understand the situation. Introduce them to me when you come back and everything is settled. I’ll end the call now. Mom has arrived to pick me up. I’ll try to call you later if I get the chance to sneak out. I miss you!” she said her goodbyes before hanging up the phone.

I exited the guest room after cleaning up. I spotted seven of them playing XBox in the living room. They paused for a moment when they noticed me.

“Do you need anything, Ezra?” Iñigo asked me.

I shook my head and smiled. “Please don’t mind me. Continue playing your game. I’d like to watch.”

They continued to play, as I have said. I just sat there watching and observing them one by one. I was blown away by Hyde’s performance. He was excellent with guns and super fast!

Unbeknownst to me, I was staring at him like a fool. When I heard him speak, I immediately sat up straight and turned away.

“Stop staring at me.”

Did he catch me? How humiliating!

From then on, I didn’t look at him again. I only watched the others six play.

They finished playing when the clock struck noon. To my surprise, none of them moved to prepare the meal or cook the rice.

“Uh… What’s for lunch?” I asked, brazen because my stomach aches from hunger. “It’s past noon, aren’t you hungry yet?”

“Let’s just order, or open the cans and noodles over there, Ezra.” Jeremy pointed his finger to the kitchen cabinet. My brow furrowed in astonishment.

“You don’t know how to cook?”

They exchanged glances before shaking their heads in response. I was dumbfounded. What do they eat on a daily basis? Don’t tell me they stick to canned food and noodles? Or do they only consume fast food? That’s harmful to their health.

“I’ll cook.”

They agreed with me by nodding. I turned away from them and went straight to the kitchen counter. I opened the refrigerator and began to plan a meal. The refrigerator was full of stock. It’s a shame they don’t cook.

I gathered the ingredients and started preparing the adobo. When it was done, I set it on the dining table. They just stood there watching me as I served the food and plates.

“Let’s eat!”

They sat down in the dining room one by one. We looked like a family eating together at one long table.

“It smells great!” Clarence praised, sniffing the aroma of the dish. I released a smile. His cheerfulness is contagious.

We began to eat. I was about to ask them what it tasted like, but I didn’t have to because I knew the answer as soon as I laid my eyes on them. The seven were hungry, and I couldn’t keep track of how much rice they had spooned.

They asked a few things about me while we were eating, and so did I to them. I discovered that they were the same age, with the exception of Joaquin, who was a year older and Clarence, who was the youngest in terms of birth month. They are two years older than me.

“I’m full,” Jeremy said, rubbing his tummy.

When we finished eating, the seven of them stood up and returned to the living room to play. I was perplexed. I was the one who cooked our meal, but will I also clean and wash the dishes? I see.

I blew some air. I don’t wash a single plate in the house, but I’d be more tolerant of this than being a doll there and marrying the man I don’t love.

Raiko Tan, the son of Mom and Dad’s business partner, with whom I was arranged to marry. He was good-looking, wealthy, and popular. I’ve met him a few times and could say that he was pleasant, but I didn’t like or love him. I considered him as a brother because I’m an only child.

Then, one day, he confessed his feelings for me, but I turned him down and explained that I only see him as a brother, not a man. He became enraged and insane. I saw him get angry once, and I’ll never forget it! He was strange. He was terrifying! He shouted at me and physically abused me. He kept forcing me to marry him.

So, that’s how my impression of him changed. He apologized, and I accepted his apology, but I refused to marry him ever since. I didn’t want to, and I never will.

“How long are you going to stay in the kitchen? You have finished washing the dishes, and the water is overflowing.” I awoke from trancing when I heard Hyde's voice from behind me.

I shifted my gaze to the sink. My eyes widened when I saw the plates and spoons were clean and shining. I immediately turned off the faucet.

“S-Sorry, I didn’t notice,” I apologized, embarrassed by my obscurity.

Why is he so icy? Doesn’t he realize that being a snob reduces his attractiveness?

I followed him into the living room after he turned his back on me. I saw those six playing XBox once more. Seriously, they don’t even take a break!

“Join us, Ezra!” Clarence called to me.

I scratched my nape. “I don’t know how to play XBox.”

“I’ll teach you…”

Ezra’s POV.

“I’ll teach you…”

Their attention was drawn to Hyde when he interrupted, while I averted my gaze. Why is he offering to teach me when I never asked for his help?

“What?!” he hissed at his friends.

The six laughed out loud, shaking their heads before returning to their game.

“Come over here.”

My eyes were fixated on Hyde. His face was expressionless, and I couldn’t tell what was on his mind. He’s been confusing me lately with his mixed signals. I’m not sure if he’s being mean to me or if that’s just how he is.

I pointed a finger to myself. “Are you talking to me?”

“Who else do you think I’m talking to?” He sounded irritated.

I hate to think his tone was implying that I was stupid. I rolled my eyes and scowled. Because I had no choice but to obey him, I didn’t ask any more questions, fearing that he would start blowing fire at me later.

What a grumpy man!

He taught me how to play the game that the boys play. It was simple, so I picked it up fast. At first, I only killed a few monsters in the game. But, eventually, I caught up to them and even outscored them. I have more kills and points than them, who, as far as I know, are skilled players.

“How come you’re excellent, Ezra?” Clarence appraised.

“Wow, Ezra! I didn’t know you’re a fast learner!” Axle exclaimed in awe. “Then, can you learn to love me?”

I laughed at his silliness while Hyde glared at him.

“Come on! I’m just kidding. I’ll back out, Ezra. The boss is mad. I don’t want to die yet,” Axle mused.

“Game is over. We’ve been defeated by a lady, dude!” Iñigo grunted, disappointed.

“Hey, losing to me is not a big deal.” I tried to lift their spirits.

I approached the six. They looked like heaven and earth fell down on them because of their expressions. Their shoulders are flat, their heads are facing the floor, and their voices are weak. I don’t think they have ever lost to anyone, especially a woman like me, so they are upset. I thought of a way to erase their losses.

“Guys!” I grabbed their attention and clapped twice.

They turned to look at me but their reactions didn’t change. It was the same, except for Hyde who has his own world.

“I’ll make a snack. Let’s have a movie marathon.”

Their mood suddenly brightened because of my suggestion so my smile widened.

“Deal!” They simultaneously agreed.

Hyde looked at me like he wanted to talk to me, but I ignored his existence and walked past him. Then, I cooked in the kitchen.

“What are we going to watch?” Clarence asked.

“The usual, dude,” Jeremy and Axle joked.

“Find a decent show. We’re watching with a lady,” Joaquin reminded them.

I heard them talking as they were looking for something to watch later. When I finished cooking, I headed back to the living room immediately. I found out that the CD has been on.

“What genre did you choose?” I asked them then placed the snack in front of us.

“Romance is the genre of the movie we picked,” Clarence answered.

“Would it be fine with you, guys? You might get bored if that’s what we are going to watch.”

Because it would be unfair to them if I was content with what I'd be watching while they were bored. I’m a fan of romance when it comes to movies, but I’m fine with action films as well. Besides, I like guns and bullets. Holding a real one will make me feel like I’m cool.

Jeremy shook his head. “No, it’s okay, Ezra. Don’t worry.”

“Are you sure?” I asked more.

“Yes, we promise, we won’t be bored,” Iñigo assured me.

I could do nothing but sit on the floor and start watching. When we were in the courtship part, the surroundings became quiet. I would have been exhilarated by the movie I was watching but I didn’t expect I would be more stunned by the sight when I glanced at them one by one.

Is this real? I can’t believe what my eyes are seeing. I must be dreaming. There’s no way they are thrilled watching a romantic movie.

Oh, please!

Clarence and Jeremy threw a pillow to each other, while Iñigo and Axle smiled a little, trying hard not to show their enthrall. On the other hand, Joaquin, Xavier, and Hyde remained silent and serious. As usual. I didn’t even see Hyde flash a smile. I only get bored with the thought. As if he knows how to smile.

I continued to watch. Each time the scene was romantic, I tightened my grip to the pillow that I was hugging. I don’t want to scream my lungs out. I have to save my face at least. I’ve had enough embarrassing myself.

When we finished watching, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing. A while ago they were screeching and being hyper in thrill, now they are acting serious again. I patted their shoulders to tease them.

After wrapping up, we went back to our own respective quarter. Their house is bulky so there are a lot of vacant rooms. They let me use the most commodious guest room.

Even before I could enter my room, I was startled when someone grabbed my arm. Out of shock, I hit the one who held me with my fist. I covered my mouth when I found out it was Hyde.

“Oh, God, Hyde! You startled me! Why did you show up out of nowhere? Oh, no! I’m sorry!” I apologized while checking to see if he had a bruise on his face.

“I just want to know if you—” He covered his face and massaged the bridge of his nose, unable to continue speaking.

Is he embarrassed?

My eyebrows met while waiting for what he would say next. I’m confused by what he’s up to. I can’t seem to understand him.

“I mean, you had fun tonight, right?” he asked, and then averted his eyes.

I nodded in surprise. “Uh… yes. Thanks to you and to the others.”

“Well, then… You can take a rest now. Good night.”

He spoke as fast as the flash that I could barely repeat. He didn’t look me in the eye either.

I stared at him, dumbfounded, until he could enter his room. I entered my room next and closed the door after. I leaned there for a moment and reminisced about the scene he put us in earlier.

Seriously? What’s wrong with him?

I thought he was going to say something important. I didn’t notice myself smiling when I remembered how frustrated he was while asking me if I enjoyed bonding with them.

He’s weird, but I’m starting to think he’s cute.