Midnight went home after a long tiring day at work, ever since the news of her affair broke out, she keeps on getting more sponsorship opportunities but she wouldn’t be lying if her mind was constantly fogged up with his memories- the soft look in his eyes, behind the usual blizzard in his eyes was a lonely, cold and dark tempest. She remembers that look from the very red carpet, when they were standing on the balcony.
Although he didn’t say a single word, his eyes were telling volumes- the vulnerability in those few seconds of eye contact only to be seen yesterday again. At first, Midnight believed that he made her heart race because he was an attractive person but when he actually lets go of everything that he has been trying to hold on, when he let the mask fall- even though it was very rare, those were the moments that made her heart stand still. She was sitting on the table with her knees crouched up on the chair and her chin on her legs, lost in thought. She couldn’t believe that a part of her wanted to blend their lips together…how she wanted to take away the pain, the loneliness away. But he pulled back too fast, like always.
He confuses her.
He tests her.
He makes her curious about him.
He pulls her in only to push her away.
He hurts her.
But at the same time, he makes her feel things, she didn’t know she could ever feel.
Sam puts the plate of freshly made pancakes in front of her and chicken salad, breaking her out of her lost world. She quickly starts nibbling on her food while Sam was thinking how to break the news to her about the early release of the premier set by the director. She would be angry he knew; something has been off with her mood since yesterday, specifically after meeting with Cavanaigh. Maybe he should have accompanied her.
“When is the stupid premier where I will have to pose as a heartbreaker?” She asks, the ridiculousness of the whole thing visible in her voice.
Sam takes a seat next to hers, “It has been shifted earlier, three days from now.”
“Good.”
“Good?”
“The sooner, the better.” She whispers in a viscous voice.
Midnight’s family kept on calling and checking on how she was feeling. She hates making them worried, she hates lying to her fans but the thing she hates the most is how much he had consumed her mind. After eating, she was going through her social media page, looking at the comment sections which were filled with many sweet and supportive comments from her fans until she saw one very disturbing comment. Her face turned pale just after reading it which doesn’t go unnoticed by Sam who takes her phone to see it too.
The comment was posted by someone with an anonymous profile and it read, ‘You better keep your distance from my Xavier and stop playing with his heart. I am watching your every move, so you better stop using him for promoting yourself.’ Her fans obviously tried to defend Midnight but in vain, the person didn’t reply anything. Whoever it was, the sole purpose of this person was just to threaten her in the comment section.
“Ignore this, okay?” Sam says, before switching off her phone, “They are just trying to irk up a reaction from you. Don’t give them that pleasure.”
She nodded her head but obviously the comment had left her disturbed a little. But the comment didn’t stop there it seemed. When she did a live, asking for her fans to book their tickets for the premier, the comment appeared there as well, the same warning being repeated.
The evening of the premier came sooner than expected and she was on her way to the event in her limousine. She had put behind the comment thing and was focused on enjoying the event. She had chosen to wear a black jumpsuit with red heels with smokey eyes and nude lipstick. Her dark hair was tied up in a high ponytail. She steps outside the limo when they reach as Sam stays with a few bodyguards away from her as she poses for the pictures. And then her director came who she greeted with a friendly hug, posing for the pictures with him as well.
“I will be waiting for you.” The director says, taking his leave.
Then the most anticipated guest of the evening arrived; Xavier Cavanaugh with his entire film crew. She walked off to the sidelines standing with Sam and the rest of her film crew chatting with them. Caleb was trying to flirt with her again, showering her with compliments to which she just gave him a smile. That didn’t go unnoticed by Xavier whose eyes kept on roaming over her direction- she truly looked breathtaking in that jumpsuit. Midnight finally turned her head to look at him and found him already staring at her.
Her heart flutters when she notices him just staring at her in the middle of his pictures being clicked. She looks away when Caleb leaned to whisper something in her ear and she cracks another smile in response. Xavier hands curl into a fist when watching those two together. He motions to the director of Midnight’s movie to pose with them.
They stood together as a group and somehow Midnight ended up between Caleb and Xavier. The fans started screaming loudly when seeing them together, they even started chanting both of their names. Having no choice they decided to pose together as a couple as well.
“You seem to be quite enjoying his company.” Xavier whispers to Midnight.
She keeps the smile on her face as she looks back at him, “Well, enjoying a person’s company is a two way road. Something which is quite difficult for you, I am sure.”
He glared at her and she glared right back but then he started drawing circles on her waist with his thumb which made her flustered- her cheeks immediately flushed.
“Are you okay, Miss Midnight?” He asks, whispering right in her ear giving her butterflies when his lips brushed against her ear, briefly. Midnight clasps her thighs together ignoring the heated feeling she was getting between her legs.
“I am fine.” She lies, ignoring him.
“See you later then.” He says surprising her further by placing a lingering kiss on her cheek, her heart drops at that very minute.
During the whole premier of the movie, both of them couldn’t focus on the movie. Midnight was thinking about the kiss and Xavier was cursing himself for kissing her- so much for keeping his distance. But she looked so lovely that he couldn’t help it, his lips were on her cheek before he could himself process what he was doing.
After the movie was over it was time for the actors to meet their fans and then do an interview. But Sam could see that Midnight was already feeling too tired and wanted to go home after meeting her fans. She wasn’t ready to face those ridiculous questions yet, she already knows no one would care about the movie or her role…she doesn’t want to ruin it for her other crew members.
She steps out of the theatre hall with Sam and a few security guards walking towards her fans. Her fans welcome her with open arms as she waves back at them giggling and the happiness was visible in her eyes. She walks to the edge of the line as the fan gives her notebook to sign as Midnight patiently signs it thanking her fan for coming all the way. Then she moves on to the next person.
“You’re so pretty.” The fans exclaimed excitedly.
“Aww, thank you. You’re really pretty too.” Midnight says, signing her notebook. “You look familiar, you came to the trailer launch too, right?”
“Yes, you remember me?” The girl asks, surprised.
“Of course, I remember you.” Midnight says, “Thank you for coming again to support me. It means the world to me.”
The girl looked like she was about to cry as she nodded her head. Midnight gives her a sweet smile before asking her if she wants a hug and the girl says yes. Midnight pulls her into a warm hug, rubbing her back. “Aww, don’t cry sweetheart. It’s okay.”
Midnight was on the verge of breaking down too but she kept her composure, she didn’t want to make her fans cry more. She pulls back, wiping her tears and giving her hands a gentle squeeze. And like that she tried to sign as many notebooks, diaries, talking to them, thanking them and soon it was almost time for her to go home. But Midnight wanted to finish the line so Sam decided to go and inform the director while she signed the remaining ones.
The last person was a teenager and kind of looked upset, not too eager. Midnight noticed that and assumed that it was probably because she had to wait for so long. She tries to stay cheerful though, hoping to improve her mood too.
“I am sorry,” Midnight says with a small smile, “you must be tired after standing here for so long.”
The teenager passes her a picture asking her to sign it. “It’s okay, but can you answer one question honestly? I might forgive you for making me wait.”
Midnight nods, “Go ahead.” while signing it.
“Are you and Xavier really a thing?”
Not this question.
“I am sorry, honey but I cannot answer that.” Midnight says handing her the picture.
Everything else after that happened way too quickly…one minute she was handing her autograph back and the next she was bleeding because of the cut on the side of her wrist. The security quickly pulled a pale Midnight back while the scene turned chaotic. Sam quickly ran up to them scolding her bodyguards and pulling Midnight back to the building.
*******
As soon as the news reached Xavier’s ears he ran to the building as well trying to look for her. When he sees Sam stepping inside from the French balcony while talking to someone on the phone. He steps inside the balcony and sees her standing there looking lonely and sad. Her shoulders were slumped and her head was bowed down.
At that moment, looking at her like that, Xavier felt his chest tightening and then she turned around to look at him as a single tear drop made its way down her cheek. Without waiting and without any hesitation, Xavier saunters off in her direction pulling her into a hug. He lets out a relieved sigh when he pulls back and sees her staring right back at him- she is injured but she is right in front of him at least.
“Xavier?” She whispers and the realisation of the situation dawns upon him. He quickly pulls him back but then his eyes fall on her bandaged wrist and his face falls. He gently holds that hand looking at it…not concealing his worry. “I am okay now.”
“Midnight.” He breathes before looking back into her eyes. “You don’t have to pretend.”
She gulps before asking, “What about you then, Xavier?”
He blinks at her in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“You pretend that you don’t care,” she sighs, “but somehow you’re the first one to show concern if I am in harm’s way. But then you pull back as if scared to show me that you care for me.”
Xavier stares at her in silence for a minute. How did she figure him out? In this little time? He shakes his head, “It’s just my moral duty as someone who is your senior and is looking out for you.”
She frowns at him and he looks away from her. “She wasn’t one of your fans…she was mine which is why this is my responsibility and I am just looking out for you as your senior. There is nothing more to this. And none of this would have happened if you had denied those rumours straight away.”
“Excuse me?” She asks, her voice shaking lightly.
Xavier still refused to face her directly and the little quiver in her voice didn’t go unnoticed by him. He clenches his hands into a fist in his pockets before turning to look at her eyes. The mixture of pain and guilt was visible in her eyes. And he wanted to take it away, to erase that pain…to wrap his arms around her and hold her right there until he could absorb every single inch of her pain. “You heard me, Midnight. This night could have gone without any incidents if only you had denied and told the truth.”
She blinks at him trying to understand the underlies of his statement. “You’re a jerk.”
“If telling the truth makes me a jerk then so be it.” He says, in a cold and firm tone. “Why do you belittle yourself so much? You can be famous just by working hard?”
Midnight scoffs bitterly, “Oh really? By working hard? Easy for you to say Mr Cavanaugh. I come from a middle-class family without any connections whatsoever…and I have poured my blood, sweat and tears into this- into every single opportunity I have gotten. Yet here I am. Yes, I am selfish for my dreams, for my ambitions and for what I want. So if being with you gives me the attention that I want- I will take it.”
“Even if it means you will injure yourself in the method? Come on Midnight, it’s not that worth it. You could have been more gravely injured tonight? Don’t you understand this?”
“Why do you care?” She asks him, gritting her teeth.
“Because you got hurt because of me.” He half-shouts, “And I won’t be able to live with that fact.”
He steps closer to her and brushes the side of her cheek with his thumb, making her shudder. The tempest in his eyes was gone and recovered with concern.
“Hey, I will just get a cool scar, that’s all.” Midnight tries to lighten the situation. Xavier cracks the slightest hint of a smile but the concern in his eyes still remains. “It’s not your fault Xavier…I am fine, look at me.”
“I am.”
Her heart clenches in a painful grip. ‘Why is he so insistent on blaming himself for something he didn’t even do?’ Midnight thinks before stepping even closer to him and takes hold of his hand squeezing it gently.
“I am okay, Xavier. None of this is your fault.”
He lets out a sigh before resting his head on her shoulder and Midnight freezes in her position for a few seconds. Xavier has always looked so composed and collected yet here he is…breaking apart, far from the person he always tries to look like.
Hesitantly she wraps her free arm around him, patting his back and she feels him stiffen for a few seconds before relaxing. After a few seconds, he wraps his free arm around her pulling her closer to him, embracing her completely.
“Xavier.” She whispers and closes her eyes, letting herself relax against him too, getting lost in his scent. “What have you gone through to think that things that are beyond your control are your fault?”
“But what if they are? What if I am a demon hiding under the skin of a human? What if I hurt you somehow?”
His grip on her tightens.
“You won’t.” She says, “I know that you won’t.”
“How can you be so confident?” He says, with a bittersweet chuckle. Then he pulls back to look her straight in the eyes. “How, Midnight?”
She lets out a sigh before taking an intrusive step towards him and collides her mouth on his in a brief kiss. Xavier freezes and his eyes widen in surprise as Midnight pulls back, unable to meet his eyes.
But Xavier pulls her chin up kissing her once again and Midnight immediately melts in his arms. The way his mouth was moving against hers in a slow tempting motion sets butterflies in her stomach. She shudders when she feels his tongue briefly meeting hers. But then he pulls back to abruptly, “No more lies, Midnight. It’s not going to happen anymore. I am going to tell everyone the truth.”
“And what’s the truth?”
“That you and I are impossible.”
With that he saunters off, leaving Midnight frustrated and confused as always.