Zayn was at Rina’s first run on set, at one corner of the stage, watching closely as Rina acted a scene for the third time. For some reason, the director had decided to start with the middle of the script, running it up to the beginning, and then down tlo the end. It opened with the scene where Zico and Rina found that they were in love with each other, finally giving their love a chance, much to the hatred of Mandy, who was now the second female lead.
The scene played out in a cozy bedroom setting, with Rina walking in with Zico at the end of a long stroll. The plan was to get a bottle of water from his house and then move to hers. But their emotions got the best of them, the sexual tension in the room heightening. The director had asked that the scene be re-acted a thousand times because there wasn’t enough chemistry, and Zayn was beginning to lose his patience.
His hands folded into fists by his side, as he glared at Zico’s hands wrapped around Rina’s waist. He could see the resolution in her eyes, that she planned on getting it right at that moment. They read out the script expertly with enough emotions in their eyes, with Rina’s lips parting slightly and her eyes getting hazy the way they always did when she was with him, pressed against a wall. Zico’s hands moved to the side of her face as he murmured, “Shhh. Don’t move. I want to try something.”
Zayn thought he would be able to take it, that it was just mere acting that would be over with in a minute. But as Zico closed in, Zayn shook his head and yelled, “Cut!” even though he didn’t have a right to do that. Hell, he didn’t care about his position in there as long as he didn’t have to watch that scene. It was down right disturbing, not to mention the fact that he was trying all he could not to throw a fist in Zico’s face.
Rina arched her brows as she whipped her head around to look at him. “What are you doing?” she mouthed, her eyes widening in surprise. “Stay back.”
But Zayn paid no mind to her as he stepped forward. No one dared to hold him back, not even the director whose eyes darted around, wondering what was going on and trying to decipher how to handle the situation. “Let’s take a break,” he announced when he discovered that Zayn had no plans to step back. “We will reconvene in ten.”
A few people stepped aside, but most of them stayed back to watch a little drama between Rina, Zayn and Zico. They looked with heightened gazes and pursed lips, patiently waiting. But Zayn just walked to the stage, gave Zico a look before taking Rina’s wrist and pulling her lightly yet firmly in the direction of her dressing room. She followed him without complaint, because she wanted him to do that. Not stop the acting, of course. But it was the first time in a while he was doing as much as touch her, and she had missed that for so long that it felt like she was finally breathing in air.
“Zayn,” Rina murmured as they got in. He closed the door behind her and leaned against it.
“I know I wasn’t supposed to do that, but it was… I guess I just needed to talk to you.”‘
“About?” She leaned against the huge steel hanger, with a smile playing on her lips. She knew it was just an excuse to get her out of the scene with Zico. He probably felt jealous and protective seeing her about kissing someone, but found it difficult to express himself.
“The defamation case,” he murmured right on the spot, even though Rina had saw his eyes wander. “You will need to appear in court as a witness so you might need to make time to talk to the lawyer in charge so you can get prepped for your testimony.”
“Hmmm.” Rina wasn’t buying it. “You could have told me that after the scene, Zayn. And we are going back home together. Couldn’t you have waited till then?”
“I didn’t want to forget,” he said sharply. “Why are you grilling me about it?”
She smiled and shook her head. “Never mind. But I have a scene to get back to so we an be done with this and get home. I am already exhausted from how long we’ve had to go through one scene over and over again.”
Patting him gently on the shoulder, Rina walked around him and headed to the door. Purposely, she slowed down her steps, counting to ten in her head before twisting the knob.
“One more thing,” he said, stopping her. “During the scene, the last one, you seemed…quite into it. What were you thinking about during that moment, because I am sure as hell that it wasn’t Zico. It was the only reason I didn’t hit him square in the face, minus the fact that I have such immaculate self-control.”
Rina resisted the urge to chuckle as she turned around, looking into his eyes. “I was thinking about you, Zayn,” she said, deciding not to mince words anymore. After the misunderstanding they’d had with Finn’s manipulation, she had told herself that she would be real with her feelings and every single thing that happened, no matter the consequence. It didn’t matter if it led to Zayn staying away from her to avoid it growing any further. He was already doing it anyway.
“What?” Zayn couldn’t believe what he had just heard. Of course, his pulse had raced at the answer he’d known was coming, but he hadn’t been able to tell what it would be.
“Zayn,” Rina sighed. “I was thinking about you out there. I have been thinking about you all week, about the fact that you’ve barely touched me, that you sleep in your mansion rather than the villa, that I barely see you unless when necessary.”
“Rina…”
“I am… I have fallen in love with you, Zayn.”