Chapter Four : Head Lines and Heartbeats
865 Words
Mina woke to the violent vibration of her phone against the nightstand.
Groaning, she buried her face deeper into the pillow. The screen lit up again. And again. Twenty-seven missed calls from Sofia. Three from unknown numbers. Two from Adrian.
The moment she answered, Sofia exploded. “You kissed him?” “How are you yelling this early in the morning?” “Don’t dodge the question.” “I’m literally still asleep.”
“Mina.” “Fine. Yes.” “Oh my God.”
Mina sat upright immediately. Her stomach tightened. Sofia only sounded this panicked when something had gone terribly wrong. Or terribly public. With Adrian, those were usually the same thing.
Rubbing her eyes, Mina sighed. “What happened?” “There are pictures everywhere.” “What pictures?” “The rooftop kiss.” “…What?” “A drone photographer caught the whole thing.” “You’re joking.” “I wish I was.”
Mina grabbed her phone with trembling hands. The internet nearly blinded her. Photos. Videos. Headlines. Adrian Vale Finally Falls for Someone? The Kiss that Broke the Internet. Who Is the Mystery Girl Smiling at Adrian Vale?
Mina wanted to throw her phone against the wall. Instead, she groaned into her hands. “This is a nightmare.” “No,” Sofia corrected. “This is publicity gold.” “I hate celebrity culture.” “You’re dating celebrity culture.” “I’m fake dating celebrity culture.” “Girl… not after those pictures.”
Her phone buzzed again. Adrian.Her pulse betrayed her instantly. She stared at his name for two seconds too long before answering. His voice sounded rough and tired, like he hadn’t slept either.
“Tell me you saw the news.” “I hate your entire industry.” “That makes two of us.” “You have people flying drones over rooftops?” “Apparently privacy is considered offensive now.” “I look insane in these pictures.” “You look happy.” “That’s worse.”
Silence settled between them. Not awkward. Just heavy.Careful.
Mina could hear faint traffic through the speaker. She wondered if he was outside somewhere, already hiding from reporters.Then his voice softened. “Do you regret it?” “The kiss?” “Yes.” “…No.”
“You hesitated.” “Because I’m trying to think logically.” “And logically?”
She closed her eyes. The rooftop replayed instantly in her mind. His hand against her face. The way he looked at her afterward, as though he had forgotten cameras existed. As though he had forgotten how to breathe.
Her chest tightened painfully. “No,” she whispered again. Another pause.
Then, quieter this time: “Good.” “That sounded dangerous.” “It probably is.” “Adrian”
“We have interviews in two hours.”
“You ruined the moment.” “I’m an actor. It’s what I do.” “You’re annoying.” “You kissed me first.” “That is absolutely not true.” “There are photographs.” “You’re insufferable.” “And yet you answered my call immediately.”
Mina hung up before he could hear her smiling. The next few weeks became complete chaos. Every interview felt like an interrogation. Every camera searched for hidden touches. Fans analyzed every glance between them online like detectives solving a crime.
Even Evelyn looked slightly terrified by how invested the public had become. But the worst part was not the attention. It was how real everything suddenly felt. During an interview downtown, the host leaned forward eagerly.
“So, Mina, what surprised you most about Adrian?” “He talks less than people think.” Adrian snorted beside her. “That’s because you never let me finish a sentence.” “You speak in emotionally damaged riddles.” “That is incredibly specific.” “And accurate.”
The audience burst into laughter. The host grinned immediately. “See? This chemistry right here.” “There is no chemistry,” Adrian deadpanned.
Mina blinked at him slowly. “You literally kissed me on a rooftop.” “For publicity.” “You touched my face like you were in a war movie.” “That was also publicity.” “You’re a psychopath.” He smiled slightly. Mina hated how much she enjoyed being the reason for it.
Later that night, after attending an awards show neither of them wanted to be at, they escaped through a private parking exit, still dressed in formalwear. Adrian drove aimlessly through the city while Mina dramatically kicked off her heels.
“My feet are filing legal complaints.” “You lasted longer than I did.” “You’re wearing loafers.” “I suffered emotionally.” “That doesn’t count.” “It absolutely counts.” “You actors are exhausting.”
Fifteen minutes later, they sat in the car outside a tiny burger place, balancing greasy paper bags on their laps. Mina stared at him in disbelief.
“You seriously eat here?” “They have excellent fries.” “You’re one paparazzi photo away
- Writer
