"Really? You're the one who baked this, Cashmere?" 

Cashmere managed a small smile as she watched Grey's reaction. His face looked surprised. "Yeah. What's your verdict?" 

An amazed and satisfied smile appeared on his handsome face. "Wow. It's good, Cashmere. Like really really good. It's fluffy and moist and the flavors are well-balanced." 

Cashmere felt like her heart just did a cartwheel inside her chest. Her cheeks flushed. "Thank you, Grey. I'm glad you liked it."

"I really like it, Cashmere," he delightfully said as he took another bite of his blueberry muffin. "Your brother's right. You're so good at this."

Cashmere's smile faded when she looked at Grey's face. "Uh, you have crumbs on your lips, Grey."

"Oh." Grey licked his lips with his tongue. 

And Cashmere almost choked on her own saliva as he watched him do that. 

"Cashmere, you okay?" 

Cashmere cleared her throat. "Uh, yeah…" 

"Sadly, Blue and Indigo won't be eating this cake today."

"And why's that?" Cashmere's brows furrowed in confusion. 

"Well, Indigo doesn't eat strawberries." 

"Really?" 

"That guy hates strawberries, Cashmere," Red said as he already started eating the slices of cake on his plate. "Meanwhile, your brother can't have sweets today because we're performing for a house party tomorrow."

Red grinned at me. "I'll just eat their part, Cashmere."

"Well, there's still Grey."

"Oh, Grey's not here with us," Red casually said as he popped the strawberry topping on his mouth. 

Cashmere's brows furrowed. "You just told me you're with the band."

Her cousin raised his eyebrows. "I didn't exactly tell you we're complete."

The excitement Cashmere had been feeling earlier suddenly disappeared. "So, Grey's not here?" 

"I just told you, haven't I?" 

Cashmere pursed her lips. "Did you know the reason why he didn't come with you guys?" she tried to ask in her most casual tone. 

Red shrugged. "He said he had to deal with something important today. Who knows what is it? Maybe it has something to do with a girl…" 

Her lips parted. "A girl? Who's girl are toy talking about, Red?" 

As far as she knows, Grey doesn't have a girlfriend. She also doesn't have an idea what kind of girl he likes. Her brother and his friends were secretive when it came to that topic. 

Red stopped from eating his slice of cake. He then looked at Cashmere with a serious face. "Why do you sound so curious, Cashmere?" 

Cashmere panicked with the kind of look her cousin was giving her. She felt like Red was trying to read her expression. "I'm not curious. I'm just asking. Is it bad to ask things about your bandmates?" she answered defensively, frowning at him. 

One of his eyebrows rose at her. 

"But come to think of it, I just realized that you seemed so interested when it comes to Grey." Her cousin's eyes slanted at her. "Admit it to me, Cashmere? Do you have a crush on Grey?" 

Cashmere's eyes widened. She then shook her head vehemently. "Of course not!" she denied, almost shouting at her cousin. "I don't have a crush on Grey, Red," she said as she rolled her eyes at him. "I don't know where you get the idea but I don't have a crush on him, okay?" 

"Fine. If that's what you say, Cashmere," Red said, shrugging his shoulders. 

She rolled her eyes at him before putting the remaining cake on the refrigerator. 

"Where are you going, Cashmere?" Red asked her. 

She frowned at him. "To my room, where else?" 

She left her cousin in the kitchen and went upstairs to her room. 

“Shucks!” Cashmere said as she sat down on the edge of her bed. Her hands flew to her chest. Her heart was pounding loudly. 

"Did Red believe my lies?" 

She bit her lower lip. What if Red told her brother about his hunch? Or worse, Grey? 

Relax, Cash, she tried to calm herself. You already denied it to Red, right? 

Cashmere took a deep breath and calmed herself. It won't bring her any good if she continues to be paranoid. But then panic engulfed her system again when she realized something. 

She didn't have her phone with her. She left it in the kitchen. 

Damn! Red's still there! I hope he doesn't notice my phone.

Cashmere put Grey's picture on her phone's lock screen and wallpaper. That's why she never allowed anyone to touch her phone. Only her best friend Irani. 

Cashmere left her room and hurriedly went down to the kitchen. But her cousin Red was no longer there when she got there. There was no sign of him. 

 Cashmere went to the kitchen counter where she left her phone. She heaved a sigh of relief when she saw her phone in the same spot she left it. 

 “Darn. Looks like Red didn't notice it. I bet he's too preoccupied with the cake.”

“What is it that Red didn't notice, Cashmere?”

Her phone almost slipped into her hand when she heard that familiar masculine voice. 

Cashmere turned around. She was welcomed by the handsome face of Grey. "Grey! You're here," she uttered, surprised. "I thought you're not here. Red said you didn't come with them."

Grey smiled. "Well, I'm here. I just arrived late." 

"Red said you met with someone important first," I said before I could stop my mouth. 

Shiz, Cashmere. You should seriously shut your mouth! 

Cashmere couldn't understand herself. Before, she could easily control herself in front of Grey. But now, she was having a hard time behaving in front of him. 

"Oh, that," Grey answered, smiling. "It was my mother. She made a surprise visit to my condo earlier."

"Oh…" Cashmere managed a smile. 

"Well, I heard you earlier. You were hiding something from Red?" The corner of his lips curled up. "Am I right, Cashmere?" 

“Huh? Uh...” Cashmere immediately put her phone in her pocket. "It's just that I baked a strawberry cake and cupcakes earlier, I was relieved that Red didn't see it." Cashmere pursed her lips. "You know that guy, he'd surely ask for some."

Thank God that despite her pounding heart, she was able to manage an answer.