Lights, Camera and Alden Richards ➣ AlDub/MaiChard

nine

JUNE 2016

Maine was in such a big, big trouble.

She was damned; she wished she just died rather than be in the situation she's in now. She remembers last night clearly: how there were so many people around her, pushing her to the ground; how loudly people screamed triggering questions to her; the feeling of Alden's hand gripping hers; the shutters and blinding lights from the cameras; the way Alden constantly reminded her to ignore everyone and just keep walking; how she held on his hand for her dear life; how she felt nothing but her weight and then someone's arms carrying her. It was clear; but everything after that? She wished she had a clue.

How she ended up on the couch of a stranger's house frightened her. She means, Alden would never take her home, right? She didn't know Alden, but she knew him enough to know that he would never do something like this. What did he do, anyway? Did he just let the security guards carry her? Did he just pay them and take her to her apartment but the guard was an asshole and decided to take her to his house instead? What did Alden Richards do?

What she was most terrified of was Kim's reaction about this. They probably know, right? That she fainted and Alden just gave her away? Because there were so many cameras, it was impossible for everyone not to know. Right?

Maine sat up. She was still wearing the shoes and clothes she had on last night. And she felt bad for sleeping with her shoes on because the couch she slept at looked luxurious, nobody's shoes—not even anybody's toe—was allowed to touch it. The house itself looked glamorous; she hasn't even seen everything. 

She looked around. There were no photographs pinned on the clean, white walls not framed pictures on top of the fabulous dressers and desks. The place was so neat, like everything was in its perfect place. The person who lived here must be so organized then, Maine thought.

Maine was startled when she heard footsteps and a phone ringing. She immediately (but gently) dropped herself on the couch and pretended to be asleep.

The person must have answered the phone because the obnoxious ringing stopped.

"Hey, Jen. How nice of you to call back ten and a half hours after I tried to call you nineteen times last night," the person said.

It was Alden.

Maine froze. She wanted to open her eyes and see for herself because there was no way in hell that Alden Richards would take her to his empire.

"Shut up, Jen. Don't pretend that you don't know what happened," he said and the sound of footsteps were coming closer to Maine was. "I carried her home obviously. Hindi ko naman alam ang address niya. If I had known, iniwan ko siguro siya sa tapat ng gate niya."

Maine almost frowned upon hearing this.

"I know," he sighed. "Wala akong number ng kahit kanino sa team niya—kahit nga number niya wala sakin. Not that I'm planning to ask for it."

Maine's nose was itchy.

"I just need her manager's number," Alden said. "Yes, Jen, just in case something like this happens again."

Alden was close to her, Maine knew that.

"And next time, 'wag kang mag-assume na  kukulitin lang kita. Kailan pa kita kinulit? And really, Jen? You ignored nineteen calls from the person you work for? Gusto mo bang mawalan ng trabaho?"

Maine hoped he didn't mean that.

"I'm serious, kailan pa ako nagjoke?" he asked. "Shut up, Jen. Now call her manager or any of her minions. I want her out of my house in the next hour. Yes... No.... She's asleep.... Saan pa? Sa couch, of course."