Trapped in Your Hands

CHAPTER 11: Mine Alone, No Matter the World

I tried to ignore it. I really did.

I told myself it was just acting, just a job. But no matter how many times I repeated that in my head, my heart had its own thoughts.

Every time I scrolled through social media, there it was—clips, edits, fan theories. The chemistry! The tension! The perfect couple! Everyone was raving about them, saying they looked so good together, that they should date in real life. Some even said they must already be dating.

I gripped my phone so tight my knuckles turned white.

I knew it wasn’t real. I knew she was just acting. I knew she was mine.

But then I saw the behind-the-scenes clips—her laughing with him, her adjusting his collar, him whispering something into her ear that made her giggle. And worst of all, the intimate scenes in the drama. The way he held her. The way she looked at him. The way their lips brushed so close, so many times.

I threw my phone onto the bed, face burning.

I was jealous.

I was actually jealous.

It made no sense. I wasn’t the kind of person to overthink. I wasn’t insecure about our relationship. I trusted her.

But watching her on screen, watching her in someone else’s arms—I hated it.

I curled up on the bed, burying my face into her pillow. It still smelled like her. That faint, elegant scent of her perfume, mixed with something uniquely her.

Why did I have to fall for an actress?

Why did I have to share her with the whole world?

My phone buzzed.

I ignored it at first, but when it buzzed again, I sighed and grabbed it.

Jiejie: 【Little babe, are you asleep?】

I stared at the message for a few seconds before typing back.

Me: 【Not yet.】

Jiejie: 【Are you mad at me?】

I froze.

How did she—?

Me: 【Why would I be mad?】

A few seconds passed before she replied.

Jiejie: 【I saw your likes on Ins.】

My heart stopped.

Crap.

I had been scrolling through all those fan posts, my emotions running wild, and I must have accidentally liked a few of them.

Me: 【…It’s nothing. Just reading.】

Jiejie: 【Just reading, huh?】

Jiejie: 【Then why does my little babe look so unhappy?】

My lips pressed together. I didn’t want to admit it. It felt childish.

But before I could come up with a reply, my phone buzzed again.

A call.

I hesitated for a moment before answering.

“Little babe,” her voice came through the speaker, soft and warm, like she was smiling. “Tell me honestly. Are you jealous?”

I sucked in a breath.

“No,” I lied, but my voice wavered.

She chuckled. “You’re such a bad liar.”

I bit my lip, turning onto my side, hugging her pillow tighter. “...It’s just a little uncomfortable.”

“Mmm,” she hummed, like she understood. “I was waiting to see when you’d say something.”

I frowned. “You knew I’d feel this way?”

“Of course.” She sounded so certain. “My little babe is always so calm, but when it comes to me, you overthink everything.”

I pouted. “I don’t overthink.”

She laughed softly. “Alright, alright. You don’t overthink.”

A comfortable silence filled the space between us. Even through the phone, I could picture her so clearly—her knowing smirk, her half-lidded eyes, her expression full of amusement and love.

“I don’t like watching you kiss someone else,” I finally admitted in a whisper.

She sighed, her voice suddenly more serious. “I know. And I’m sorry.”

I blinked, surprised. “Why are you apologizing? It’s your job.”

“Because I don’t want my little babe to be unhappy.”

My heart squeezed painfully.

“Listen to me,” she said gently, “No matter what the world sees, no matter what they believe, at the end of the day—you’re the one I come home to. You’re the one I hold, the one I kiss goodnight. Only you.”

I closed my eyes, breathing in her scent from the pillow, feeling the warmth of her words sink into my heart.

“Are you still jealous?” she asked playfully.

I huffed. “A little.”

She chuckled. “Then I guess I’ll have to make it up to you when I get home.”

My cheeks burned. “…How?”

“Hm, maybe I’ll have to kiss my little babe so much that she forgets anyone else exists.”

My breath hitched. “Jiejie—”

“Sleep, little babe.” Her voice was laced with amusement, but also tenderness. “I’ll see you soon.”

I didn’t reply right away.

But as I lay there, her voice lingering in my ears, my heart—once heavy with jealousy—felt lighter, warmer.

Because true love wasn’t about never feeling jealous. It was about knowing, deep in my bones, that no matter what, I was the only one she truly loved.

And that was enough.