James hastily turned and was quite surprised to see Nadine there. They have just been talking on the phone about half an hour ago.
"What are you doing here?" He asked her. Nadine noted he's still angry.
"You worried me." She told him. "Are you okay?"
"I should be the one asking you." James said with a tired sighed. He went closer to Nadine and engulfed her in a hug. He kissed her forehead and asked, "Are you okay?"
---
About an hour ago he had been on the phone with Nadine's mom. He had wondered why she was calling him--not that it was unusual. He assumed that she thought Nadine was still with him and thought nothing of it.
But he knew at once something was wrong when he heard Tita My's voice.
"Hello, James. Is Nadine with you? Is she okay?" She had asked him at once.
"Her shoot finished about an hour ago." He had answered her. "Is everything alright?"
And Tita My had told him that Nadine had been targeted by bashers again. She didn't say exactly what the bashers said but James knew it must have been something really bad. Nadine's family usually don't let themselves be affected by online trolls.
Tita My had said that she had already talked to Nadine and Nadine had reassured her that she was okay. But she wanted to be sure, because Nadine has always been the tough, strong and independent woman she tries to be in front of her family. It was really only with James that she showed her vulnerable side.
James has promised Tita My that he would talk to Nadine and James felt a little warm to hear Tita My's voice sounding relieved with his reassurance. It still felt somewhat surreal that Nadine's family trust him so much.
Before he called Nadine, he had tried to check Twitter to know what exactly is happening and he had seen Chantal's tweet at once. He'd already understood but called his sister anyway. And Chantal had told him all about the rape, cancer and suicide jokes.
He called Nadine next, and he was quite surprised that his hand was shaking.
How dare they? How could they?
"Nadine" he had said when she answered, only to be cut off by her at once.
"James, love, I'm okay." She said. "Please don't worry."
"They--how could they?" His voice was hoarse, almost a whisper. He could hear his own fury.
There was so much James wanted to say but at the same time, he didn't know what to say exactly or where to start. He was just so angry. So disgusted that anyone can joke about those things and against Nadine.
They don't even know her. They don't know what she is to the people around her. They don't know anything--
"James! Tawag ka na sa set!" He barely heard Caryl called. He was still fuming.
"Love. I'm okay, I promise. Go na. I can hear Ate Ca calling you."
James was quiet for a while, he was just overwhelmed with everything he's feeling right now--angry, disgusted, worried, and even sad.
How could anyone wish that to anyone? To Nadine?
"I love you." Nadine said in the other line.
"I love you, too." He just say after a pause and let her end the call.
He had just returned to his seat as the crew are adjusting the set when Nadine arrived.
-----
"I told you, I'm okay." Nadine said, giving him a small smile.
James frowned. "I want you to be okay, but don't just say that cause that's what I wanna hear. Are you really okay?" He told her.
Nadine let out a little laugh this time.
"Oo nga. I'm fine. I was a little hurt earlier but now I'm okay." She said.
"How can they even..." He trailed off, he really was at a loss for words. He was just so disgusted.
"They probably don't know what they're saying. I don't think they really mean it. I don't think they really understand what they're saying." Nadine said quietly.
"Your mom was very worried." He told her.
"Yeah. That's what really bothered me more than anything." She told him. "But I'm really fine."
James looked at her closely as if trying to see if she was being honest. Nadine laughed.
"I really am! Ang kulit mo!" She said, shaking her head at him. That had calmed James down.
James pulled her to him once more and just hugged her. It was Nadine who gently pulled away after a moment. She smiled at him and leaned in to give him a chaste kiss on the lips. There were a lot of people around them--probably watching, but neither cared at the moment.
"How can I not be okay when you love me this much?" Nadine said softly, bringing her hand up to his face and caressing his cheeks.
James closed his eyes at her touch. Those stupid bashers really know nothing. They don't know her warmth, they don't know her heart, they don't know her worth.
"I want you to be okay, too." She told him.
James sighed. He just can't deny her anything, even things like this.
For the third time he pulled her to him and embraced her, leaning his head on hers. Nadine had returned his embrace, putting her arms around his middle leaning her head on his chest.
"Stay like this for a while and I'll be okay." He told her.
END
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