Selene~
He certainly had some nerve.
He sent me that bold text just a night ago and now, he was acting like he didn't see me on the set. All to keep up appearances.
Because why would he want to be seen with me?
I stood in the corner of the set with my arms crossed, ready to shoot my scene as I watched him laugh with the director. They were going over a few things from the scene he just shot.
Cupcake.
He still used that name like it belonged to him.
I finally looked away. If he didn't want to acknowledge my presence in public then fine. I wasn't here to reopen old wounds, I was here to work, to fix what was left of my career. And if it was possible, to prove to everyone that I was more than the girl in that damn video.
But it stung. And I hated that it did.
"Selene, you're up," the assistant director interrupted my thoughts.
"Good luck."
I looked towards the owner of the voice, Christopher was smirking at me like he knew a secret that I didn't. I ignored him and walked onto the set. I was not nervous this time, I successfully delivered my lines when I was in a daze and I would do even better this time that I was fully conscious.
My scene was simple. I had no lines, all I had to do was sit under a tree and write, my expression was the main point this time.
I sat on the soothing grass, beneath these tree. My eyes were focused on the fake leather journal, and so were my fingers. The camera rolled.
And I froze.
Again.
My face went blank, my fingers couldn't move. I wasn't nervous, I knew I wasn't. I just couldn't move. I began to feel a rise in panic.
Not again. Please, not again.
"Cut," the director shouted. "Selene, are you okay? Do you need a minute?"
I couldn't answer.
"She does," his voice was calm, unbothered. He stepped into view and moved towards me. I tried to say that I was fine but my throat felt tight and the words were refusing to come out.
"I'll take her to get some air," he didn't wait for approval before he helped me to my feet and gently dragged me to the makeup trailer. I wanted to protest, I really did, but my legs moved on their own.
"You need my help," he said immediately after he closed the door behind him.
"How?"
I already knew. He wanted to do what he did the last time, except I didn't know what that was. And I wanted to know.
He groaned. "Look, do you want my help or not?"
"You dragged me off the set," I argued.
"You weren't particularly doing anything."
I scoffed. So he wanted to help me, and yet he wouldn't tell me exactly how he planned to help me.
And as much as I hated to admit it, I did need him, to do whatever he did yesterday. I couldn't do this, not on my own. I used to be so good at acting that I felt I didn't need to practice, but I was sorely mistaken. Right now, I was simply on par with a beginner.
I swallowed hard and glanced at him, he was staring at me as if waiting for me to make a decision. I needed him, no matter how much I hated the realization.
"Let's have a deal," I said and his eyes lit up.
"What deal?"
"You 'help' me everytime before I get on set until I manage to act on my own."
He raised a brow. "And what's in it for me?"
"I thought you wanted to help me."
"You said a deal, honey."
Honey? Again?
"Stop calling me that," I snapped.
He rolled his eyes. "You get my services for two things."
"And they are?"
"One, I get to call you honey and two, you let me take you out for dinner sometime."
I blinked. "Dinner?"
"Yeah," he said way too casually. "Your restaurant of choice. Don't worry, I'm flexible."
I stared at him. Dinner in a public place with my reputation was not such a great idea, and with his reputation, it was a worse idea. However, I was desperate at the moment and could really care less about anything other than nailing my performance.
"Whatever," I waved my hand to beckon him to come closer. "Now, help me."
He smiled and moved closer to me. His eyes turned a familiar amber color and once again, I was out of it.
I only recovered from my daze when the director yelled, "Cut" again.
It was another scene, probably my last scene for the day.
"That was perfect, Selene. Let's keep that energy going," the director gave me a thumbs up.
I didn't dare to look towards Christopher, I could already feel the cocky grin he was probably wearing. I was done with my scenes for the day but he still had a few to shoot. I was just going to slip out without him noticing.
Dinner, my foot.
But if I didn't honor my end of the deal, he could choose to not help me.
In my haste to sneak off the set without being seen, I didn't realize that Gladys was walking towards me and I almost hit her.
"Goodness gracious, child."
"Oh my God. I'm so sorry," I blurted.
Gladys steadied herself as she looked me up and down. "Running somewhere?"
"Just wrapping up early," I let out a dry chuckle.
"Hmm," she narrowed her eyes at me. "Why not stay a while? You could learn something by watching your colleagues."
Colleagues? They treated me like I didn't exist, I tried making small talk with them, just to be acquainted but no one gave me a second glance. They all wanted to stay away from the ticking time bomb and I didn't blame them.
"I don't think they'd want me here," I said.
"Christopher seems to want you here."
I coughed.
"Poor thing. Seems his affections are not reciprocated," she said a tad bit too dramatically.
"Please," I rolled my eyes. "I think he wants a lot of things."
Gladys gave me a look. "Sure, let's deflect."
"I really need to go," I told her, wanting to get away from whatever this conversation was as fast as possible.
"Sure, sure. Flee already," she muttered as she folded her arms.
I walked past her, bidding her farewell and putting on my face mask before leaving the set.
I had barely gone far before my phone vibrated against my pocket. I took it out from my bag and my screen lit up with a text from an unknown number.
The same unknown number from the previous night.
"Give me your address so I can send my driver to come pick you up, cupcake."
How annoying. Was my ghosting not enough indication that I didn't want to see him? And what was this? He didn't talk to me all day on set but the moment I leave, he texts me?
I stared at the message again and I felt my blood boil. He really had a way of getting under my skin.
I should've blocked him, I didn't know why I chose not to. Even right now, I still couldn't bring myself to block him. I just stared at the message, getting unnecessarily angry and wanting to throw my phone away when my phone buzzed again.
What now?
I opened the text, which was from an unknown number, but not Luca this time.
"Can you get home alone okay, honey?"
Did he think I was a child?
I chuckled before I even realized what I was doing. I typed back a reply quickly.
Me: "Lose my number."
And then I hit send.
I stared at my phone while walking, as if waiting for a reply. My phone buzzed again and I hurriedly opened the text.
"Wouldn't you want that?"
I smiled.
Smiled? Me?
Oh no, no, no, no.
I was in trouble.
The Uder I'd called rolled up beside the building. I got in, barely acknowledging the driver and kept my eyes on the streets. All I felt was tired.
As soon as I stepped into my apartment and locked the door behind me, I collapsed onto my bed. The apartment was too clean and void of life. I hated how empty it felt and for the first time in a long time, tears fell from my eyes.
I didn't sob or wail, they just fell out shamelessly.
It didn't take long for my phone to buzz up again. I glanced at it. Luca had sent me a video, I didn't save his number but I did have it memorized.
I didn't know why I did that. It was probably the same reason why I refused to block him.
I opened the video and my stomach dropped.
It was from that day at the shop, with Chad and I. From the angle, it didn't seem like the security cameras. Someone took this video.
But who? No one was in the shop when we did it, at least, I didn't see anyone.
"How did you get this?"
I sent it frantically. My heart hammered against my chest, I couldn't breathe and my vision was getting blurred out.
My phone buzzed again.
"So that was enough to get you to respond."
Luca, that son of a…