𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐎𝐌 | ⁿⁱᶜʰᵒˡᵃˢ ᶜʰᵃᵛᵉᶻ

19 | golden success

As the interview ended, I stood to leave, my mind still buzzing from the unexpected intensity of our conversation. Just as I turned toward the exit, I felt a familiar presence behind me.

"Perla, wait!" Nicholas called, quickening his pace to catch up with me. I turned slowly, crossing my arms defensively. "What do you want, Chavez?" I asked, trying to keep my tone neutral. I didn't want him to see how much his presence affected me.

"I just want to talk," he said, a hint of urgency in his voice. He ran a hand through his hair, looking a little concerned. "Please."

I sighed, glancing around to see if anyone else was nearby. The set was relatively quiet now, most crew members busy packing up
"Fine," I relented, my voice sharper than I intended. "But make it quick."

Nicholas led the way to a quieter corner of the set, where we could speak without interruptions. As soon as we were out of earshot, he turned to face me, his expression serious.

"I know things have been... tense between us," he began, his voice lower. "But I need to know what the fuck your problem is."

"My problem?" I scoffed, shaking my head. ''I get it- you hate me and honestly I really couldn't care less but talking behind my back in that way is just low ... even for you'' I was surprised at how much my voice shook, betraying my irritation.

He ran a hand down his face, confusion showing. "What?''

"The premiere." I interrupted, my eyes narrowing. "I heard you talking backstage about me."

Nicholas stepped closer, his eyes searching mine. "I didn't mean to hurt you, Perla. Can't we just move past this?"

Part of me wanted to accept his apology, but another part couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal. "You did not hurt me, Chavez. But you don't just get to say sorry and expect everything to be fine.''

As I wanted to walk away, I felt his hand gripping my arm spinning me around.

''Perla. I respect you as an actress. And as an person. Yes- we don't like each other but that does not mean we have to fight all the fucking time!'', he responded in defense. His soft hand still resting on my arm.

"Let's just focus on the movie," I finally said, my voice softer.

Nicholas sighed, a hint of disappointment washing over his features. "Fine."

I nodded, wanting to say something more but knowing I couldn't.

''You are not difficult, Perla. I don't mean what I said back then.'', was the last thing he said before he disappeared, walking out that door.

Once home, I slipped into an oversized sweater and sweatpants. Without thinking, I reached for my phone and opened TikTok. But the very first post on my foryou page was an edit of Nicholas and me. I watched, slightly stunned, as clips from our interview played out in slow motion, each glance and smile highlighted like it meant something more.

I couldn't help but scoff a little. The fans had no idea what was actually going on between us, how our "tension" was more genuine annoyance than some romantic shit.

But even as I tried to laugh it off, another video started playing, and then another. Each one was more intense than the last. I opened the comments, and they were just as wild:

"Yeah he wasn't acting"

"She's pretending she doesn't care, but you can see it in her eyes."

"My roman empire"

"WE NEED MORE OF THEM"

I almost laughed. If only they knew.
I rolled my eyes at myself, brushing off the ridiculous thoughts of me and Nicholas being more than costars.

After the premiere, I'd been too busy, mentally distancing myself from social media. So when I finally opened instagram, the notifications nearly overwhelmed me. Thousands of new followers, tags, mentions, it was like nothing I'd ever seen before.

It hit me then. Our movie wasn't just doing well... it was a massive success. Fans were obsessing over every scene, analyzing every interaction between us, and building entire stories around moments.

Seeing all of this was surreal. I'd put my heart into the role, sure, but I hadn't expected this level of response. The fans were eating up every detail, demanding more, creating theories, and even shipping Nicholas and me as a couple real life.

And I hated to admit it, but all the excitement made me feel something inside me. The tension I'd felt with Nicholas, the annoyance, the bickering it all made sense now in a way I hadn't considered before. Maybe the fans saw something I didn't want to see myself, something I'd buried under irritation and stubbornness.

I put my phone down, a little too forcefully. I needed a break from it, to clear my head and remember that this was just a movie.

But my mind wouldn't stop thinking about him. The way he looked at me today. The way he reached for my arm. My heart and my mind are at war.

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