Bonus #4: What a Relief

♥♥                              

Me: Bonuses should be a nice relief from the main story, with minimal conflicts and angst to complement an angsty main story.

Also, me writing this chapter: (⚆_⚆)

Lol, enjoy and again, thank you, thank you, thank you, for reading and voting for ‘Bound to My Wicked Stepbrother’.

♥♥

"Cut!"

The director's voice rings clearly in the room, permitting me to slip from Marko's wet arms.

He reaches for me, but he lets go when I fake a wobble on the slippery tiles.

"You have been avoiding me, Alba."

"It's in your head."

I utter with a smile as my gaze turns away from his near-naked frame.

"Oh, so you haven't blocked my number?"

"I do not have your number; how can I block a number I do not have?"

I respond with a smile before waving to Janine, who begins to rush over with my robe.

I have blocked his number. It was easier than watching the phone over the break just to see if it would ring.

It is pathetic of me, but if I wanted to reach someone who blocked me, I'd try using another's phone, so...that is what I waited on instead.

It is as if there was no point in blocking him because, in the end, I still waited for his call, and in the end.... nothing rang that had him on the other side.

"Magnolia told me what happened…about Bridgette. Can we talk?"

"Talk? About what, your ex-fiancée? Shouldn’t you talk to a therapist about that?"

His frown is telling.

It is as if he is mere moments from losing his patience.

"What do you mean ‘talk about what’?"

He repeats, so I sigh.

"Marko, we have what? Eleven, maybe twelve episodes left until the production ends, and then we go our separate ways. Is there really a need for conversation?"

My attention turns to Janine as the warmth of my gown wraps around my wet shoulders; I had not even realised that I was shivering.

After greeting Marko as a show of politeness, she turns to me.

"It’s quitting time; wanna get some drinks?"

"Can't Rhett's been pestering me to rock climb with him and... you have to be at peak condition for it; otherwise, you might break something."

"Wait, rock climbing... as in actually climbing a mountain?"

"Or a hill; I doubt I am fit enough to climb a mountain."

I answer as I guide her motion away from Marko and towards our trailer.

**

“I didn’t cancel-.”

A beeping sound alerts me that the driver on the other end of the line has hung up the call.

What the hell is going on? That’s the third cab driver to cancel on me with the same excuse.

My step into the parking lot answers my questions.

"You have some nerve..."

I utter as soon as Marko comes into view; I hate how sexy he looks in the brown trench coat that gives him the vibe of a hard-boiled detective who knows how to put his handcuffs to good use.

"You sent away my cab?"

"I can drive you."

"I don't want you to, Marko."

"I did not compare you two."

"Bullshit."

His loud inhale shows that he is trying to be patient with this.

"Okay, I did. But you are not her replacement, Alba. I'll admit that the similarities of your looks drew me, but the more I got to know you, the more I saw the differences and-"

"Why did you break up with her?"

"It..."

"Wow, you are about to say, ‘it’s complicated’, aren’t you?"

A bitter laugh finds my throat at his silence.

"Christ, okay... I will not help you deal with your unresolved issues. We are both adults, so let’s end this by saying the s*x was a mistake, and it will not happen again."

I utter with finality before reaching for my phone to dial what I pray will be my last cab.

"You aren't listening to me."

He utters with a harshness that I have never heard from him; then again, he did maintain distance from the people on set, so no one actually knows his true temper.

"You aren't saying anything worth listening to. You expect me to stand here and listen to you comparing me to your ex."

"There are no similarities between you two! That is why I am drawn to you."

"For how long? How long must I brand my act to avoid 'similarities'? What if we use the same hair products, or one day, I switch my perfume, and it resembles hers? Do you even understand why I am upset?"

He doesn't answer; it’s like talking to a wall.

How deflating.

"Anyway,"

I begin with a sigh.

"There are a few episodes left. Let's just forget this whole thing, and when the production is done, let's part ways.”

The wind billows my hair stubbornly across my face, so I tuck the loose strands behind my ear before walking past him—it doesn’t look like he has more to say anyway.

"Are you angry at the fact that I compared you two? Yes, you drew my attention that way, but in the end, you have it, so what is the big deal?"

The big deal?

"The big... hah. I just..."

Breath finds my lungs.

He is right; what is the big deal? Why am I upset?

Is it that I realised the difference in our statuses? Just entering Magnolia's house made me feel as if my apartment was a broom closet.

What am I supposed to do when I meet his ex-fiancée in case they still run in the same circle? She must be from his social standing.

How am I ever to dream of standing next to him if all I have going for me is that I am 'different' from her: especially when he cannot even discuss their breakup?

I am overreacting, but I never realised another could make me feel this small...or maybe-

Oh shit!

We aren't dating or anything! Why am I acting as if we were?

Why am I demanding more from him when I am only good enough for a quick f*ck in some dingy trailer.

Oh god...this is embarrassing.

For a f*ck-friend, I am making a big deal over nothing.

Ah...sh*t...

How? How did I get so ahead of myself?

Tears sting my eyes, but I swallow their bitterness and disguise it with a smile instead.

"You are right, Marko. I am overreacting. Uh...goodnight?”

"What the hell? What is the problem?"

"Nothing! Truly, this is on me."

I respond, trying my best to pacify his raised voice, but I can feel my lips wobble, so I pull my scarf over half my face to hide any vulnerability peeking through.

"Look, Marko; I don’t think I want to be your friend or to associate with you outside the production. You haven't done anything wrong, but I just...feel like shit around you."

“You feel lite shit around me?”

I shouldn’t have said that, but I have a feeling that nothing can be explained at the moment.

“Goodnight, Marko.”

I say instead of answering his rhetorical question.

“Are you also f*cking Rhett?”

“What?”

“Are you f*cking, Rhett?”

“Why would you even ask me that?”

“It took us less than three full conversations for you to spread your legs for me, and you have been clinging to him of late, so are you f*cking him? Is that why I make you feel like sh*t?”

“Hah…so, this is…the real ‘Marko’.”

I scoff.

“What a relief.”

I thought I was missing out.