Between Frames

Chapter 1

Acting can be both exhausting and confusing at times, especially if you or your co-star delivers a strong performance. When you’re forced to act out feelings, sometimes they bleed off-screen. At least, that’s what happened to her. It was so stupid. Falling in love with your co-star.

Someone could ask: “So what?”

It happens constantly in this business; nothing new.

In her case, though, the feelings were unrequited.

She and Luke got along fine. Luke was friendly and sociable and quickly became the life of the cast.

But the real issue was her own reaction.

Luke had a girlfriend. Rina kept her distance from this super-friendly side of his, even before she understood her feelings. It was simply safer that way. Later, when she’d already fallen in love, this precaution became her buffer zone—the line separating her role from her life.

She’d always been a bit reserved. She wasn’t shy or anything like that; rather, she simply disliked pretending unless it was work-related. If she didn’t like something, her displeasure was always visible in her eyes, and more often than not, she didn’t even try to hide it.

This trait became her trump card in hiding her true feelings when she and Luke met.

Everything would have worked if their on-screen couple hadn’t become popular. Fans made TikToks, fan pages, and analyzed interviews for any sign of a real connection.

The producers noticed and paired them together more often in interviews. Rina’s coolness only fueled fans. She and Luke appeared to be the perfect opposites: the sunny, curly-haired guy and the perpetually disgruntled brunette.

“So,” the female journalist began during their latest interview, “the chemistry between you two on screen is simply incredible... What about in real life? Are you close?” she asked, the answer to which always terrified Rina.

Luke leaned over so his shoulder touched Rina’s. After waiting five seconds, she realized he wasn’t moving away, a habit of his that, in her situation, was more irritating than endearing.

He was tactile. He touched her casually: a brush of shoulders, a hand on her waist as they walked, as if always protecting her from something. There was nothing reprehensible about it.

She sensed no romantic or sexual undertones in these touches, so she let it be and accepted this trait.

“Um... We’re all really close... The whole cast... I can’t even call it work; it’s just fun.” Rina tried to deflect the question, but her ploy failed.

“Of course... But you two seem especially close. And I’m not the only one who thinks so. Your on-screen couple is breaking all popularity records,” the journalist replied.

Luke’s knee accidentally brushed against Rina’s under the table. She looked at him with an unreadable gaze, yet hoped for his help, and he, thank goodness, noticed the pleading in her eyes. She hated these interviews, especially when it came to their relationship. He, of course, couldn’t know the real reason why it made her so nervous, but he always did try to help her out.

He moved closer, throwing his arm over the back of her chair. Rina felt a soothing warmth from his hand on her shoulder—a comfort she both craved and dreaded. She braced herself, caught between a yearning for more and the pain of knowing that hope was pointless. The touch was completely unnoticed by anyone else in the studio. Only she felt both comforted and disappointed at once.

“We are close indeed,” Luke said, shifting the journalist’s attention from her to himself. “But only from a professional standpoint. Although I think we could safely be called friends.” He smiled politely, and Rina’s heart skipped a beat.

“Friends...”

They weren’t even close to that status. In the few months they’d known each other, they’d barely had a couple of normal conversations, unless it was about work. Rina was still uncertain—any intimacy had stunned her as much as it confused her. Aside from a flurry of incomprehensible touches, she hadn’t interacted with him in those months—except, of course, for the time spent on camera.

She knew it was her own fault. She’d kept her distance at all costs, avoiding being alone with him, and even small talk felt like a mortal sin.

Any interaction between them was like torture to her, every smile, every kind word. And those jokes of his...

Rina swallowed.

“Of course we’re friends...” she smiled, hoping it sounded sincere enough.

Yes, they were friends... Probably... Maybe because nothing more could have happened between them, and that status was the closest thing to defining their relationship, since “just colleagues” didn’t sound very appealing to fans.

“He has a girlfriend...” she reminded herself.

She’d never found it difficult to be friends with men. She didn’t believe in the claim that friendship between a man and a woman didn’t exist. She had a couple of close male friends herself. Nevertheless, she certainly didn’t believe in a friendship between her and Luke.

Meanwhile, his hand on her shoulder continued to trace idle patterns. It sent shivers down her spine, but she reminded herself it was just a silly habit of his, and a way to calm her down.

The interviewer’s gaze darted from her to Luke. Rina caught the skepticism. Anxiety spiked; she felt like a hypocrite. But she wasn’t lying—at least, not entirely. They might not have been friends, but what the journalist was hinting at didn’t exist between them either. Relief flickered, then guilt—so it was more of a half-truth.

“There seems to be some mystery here...” the reporter smiled.

Luke’s hand trembled on her shoulder. His jaw clenched slightly, and he moved a little closer to her. Rina wouldn’t have even noticed it if she hadn’t been watching him for over eight months. His entire body language screamed that he was getting angry, yet he continued to smile politely.

He leaned forward, partially shielding her from the reporter’s gaze. As if trying to protect Rina from her attention.

Rina took a deep breath and smiled wider.

“Maybe we’re just good at acting.” She glanced at him fleetingly.

The journalist laughed, even though the joke was frankly bad. Truth be told, Rina wasn’t even trying to be funny.

“Well... Whatever it is, your on-screen chemistry is undeniable. Fans are going crazy making edits of you on TikTok. The most popular ones have over five million views,” the journalist giggled.

Luke rolled his eyes.

“Oh yeah, I’ve seen a couple... It seems a bit ridiculous to me,” he said, rubbing his temple.

Rina could see he was uncomfortable, too. It was obvious he hated all this fuss with the fans. There was no need to be a fortune teller to figure that out.

His hand moved from her shoulder to her neck. His fingertips traced gentle, absentminded circles along the edge of her hair. The sensation sent goosebumps across her skin—each touch sharp with both longing and restraint. She chuckled quietly to herself, trying to mask how deeply each touch affected her, uncertain whether he sensed her reaction at all.

Her breathing quickened.

If anyone had noticed, the edits would have multiplied even more. But no one had noticed. Never. At least not something so intimate. Even though he did it all the time. She wasn’t getting her hopes up because of that. She would always be greatly sobered by the occasional glimpse of him after another long day of filming, hugging and kissing his girlfriend when she came to visit him on set. At times like that, she tried to disappear from sight as quickly as possible, or better yet, disappear entirely from the face of this damn planet.

Meanwhile, his fingers continue to trace mysterious patterns on her neck, and she does her best to pretend she isn’t really noticing it. Although he did it unconsciously, Rina, along with a slight irritation, actually felt a certain comfort, and hoped he did too.

He moved even closer, and she found herself practically pressed against his side.

“Well, I watch them all…” Rina said, simply to distract herself. She wasn’t lying, though. “I even comment on them sometimes…”

Luke raised his eyebrows in surprise at her confession.

“You watch those videos?” “He couldn’t suppress a glimmer of surprise. It was truly strange and at odds with his preconceived notions of her.

She was often grumpy, but never seriously complained. She was hardworking but never showed a particular interest in anything. Though here she was, claiming that she had watched every fan video of them on-screen and continues to watch them.

He himself had watched just a couple of those. People discussed their every casual glance or touch, speculating about their possible off-camera relationship.

The journalist girl laughed.

“So, you’re a shipper too?” she asked, smiling at her.

Rina smiled, too, though she struggled to keep it genuine. His fingers on her neck sent electricity through her skin, and her breathing quickened slightly.

“I...” she swallowed before continuing, “I just think it’s kind of fascinating... how meticulously people analyze our every interaction onscreen... and off...” She emphasized the last sentence, glancing sideways at Luke, who showed no sign of stopping his insinuations against her skin.

Luke didn’t react. His fingers continued to lazily but methodically trace circles across her skin. He merely smirked slightly at the irony in her words. Here she was talking about fans analyzing their every move, hoping to find confirmation for the theory of their secret affair, while he, fearlessly, continued these somewhat intimate touches against her skin, taking advantage of a convenient angle where no one could see.

“And I find it rather ridiculous... Seeing something that isn’t there...” he said, smiling softly.

They were still sitting too close. So close that she could feel his warmth against her side, and the steady beat of his heart, while her own felt like it was about to leap out of her chest.

But that was actually a good thing – it further confirmed her theory that none of this meant anything to him, and that she shouldn’t attach any particular significance to his behavior.

“I think it’s not bad,” she blurted out breathily, trying not to focus on his closeness. “I guess it’s just a way for fans to show their love.” Rina smiled, hoping it didn’t sound too nervous.

The reporter nodded at her statement, agreeing, and turned her head toward Luke.

“Maybe it bothers you a bit, Luke?” she asked. “I mean, we all know you’re in a relationship...”

The question was quite frank, and Rina frowned, glancing sideways at Luke, trying to anticipate his reaction. But she didn’t need to. The question clearly caught him off guard, though a warm smile continued to play across his face.

She could tell by the hand that froze around her neck at the mention of his girlfriend. However, he merely shrugged nonchalantly.

“Not at all... Fans are fans. They ship everyone if they even stand next to each other for a split second...” He glanced at Rina, and for a moment, awkwardness flickered in his eyes, quickly hidden behind a broad smile.

Rina looked away, pursing her lips.

“What did I even expect?” she thought to herself.

“Besides, my girlfriend is often present on set... And she understands that it’s all just work...” As soon as he said this, the touch on her neck resumed.

Rina gasped slightly in surprise and shot him an offended look. And, naturally, he was the only one who noticed her reaction, but he didn’t even think to stop.

***

When the interview finally ended, and everyone began to disperse, Rina quickly slipped out into the hallway. Her breathing was still a little rapid, and she needed time to compose herself. Not that this was a problem. She knew how to pull herself together and, when necessary, even maintain composure by being cool-headed. It was just harder than usual right now.

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes and leaning her back against the nearest wall. She wasn’t cut out for this—she had never wanted love, never dreamed of getting married or becoming a mother. Perhaps that was why the universe had decided to punish her this way? By not only falling in love, but falling in love with someone who not only didn’t reciprocate her feelings, but also wasn’t available.

It was simply unfair.

She sighed wearily. In the empty hallway, her sigh echoed off the walls so loud that she flinched and shuddered and opened her eyes out of the sudden. The first thing she saw was a vending machine.

She immediately approached it, deciding that without a can of soda, the day would be even more miserable. But that presented problems as well.

At first, the machine refused to accept her crumpled bill. She smoothed it out several times before, after at least seven attempts, the infernal thing finally accepted it.

But the problems didn’t end there. The can of Coke was stuck halfway between the holder and the glass.

Rina whined in frustration. She grabbed the machine with both hands and shook it.

“Why do you hate me so much?” she whined, as if he could really answer her.

***

Luke, who had been watching her for some time, smirked. He was, frankly, impressed by her determination to get that ill-fated can of cola.

He could barely contain his laughter when she started talking to the machine. He chuckled and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

Her irritation grew with each passing second, and he could even admit to himself that he found it rather endearing.

“You know the machine won’t answer you, right?” he asked with a smile, betraying his presence.

She flinched in surprise and literally froze, albeit only for a second.

“You’ll never know unless you try,” she said quietly but confidently, not turning to face him, merely giving him a quick, displeased glance.

Luke pushed himself away from the wall and came closer, smiling carelessly.

“You’re wasting your time. These machines are always playing hard to get.” He stopped next to her.

Close enough for her to smell his cologne. Something woody and musky, but not overpowering. His eyes danced with amusement.

She finally turned around, looking at him from under her black lashes. She wasn’t short, quite the opposite, in fact. But she was still forced to look up at him, as he, in turn, stood over six feet tall.

He paused for a second, enjoying their eye contact, but then his smile widened. He truly was one of those people who, they say, light up a room when they walk into it.

She frowned in response, sighing, and turned back to the vending machine.

Finally, she kicked it in irritation, and it did the trick. The can of Coke finally fell.

“Oh. God, yes! Thank you!” she exclaimed, as if she’d won the lottery, at the very least.

Luke raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“Wow, you can be cruel,” he whistled. “Although sometimes violence really is the answer.”

He leaned against the machine, stroking it with his palm, as if he genuinely pitied it.

“You know, you could have just asked... I would’ve helped... You shouldn’t have attacked the poor thing.” He made a pitiful face.

Rina just rolled her eyes. She opened a can of Coke and took a sip.

“You have to stop this, you know?” she said seriously. There was a metallic note in her voice.

Luke’s smile faltered.

“Stop what?” He tried to feign ignorance, but even his excellent acting skills couldn’t help him out here.

Luke knew what she was talking about. He’d been touching her all day again, and even now his fingers literally itched to touch her shoulder, or her arm, or her hair. It had simply become a bad habit he didn’t want to break.

“You know what,” she replied. Her brown eyes met his with unwavering calm. “There were cameras everywhere, and fans are discussing our every move... Don’t tease them. Although I think the producers would be thrilled.”

He felt a pang of guilt instantly. He knew she was right.

“I’m not doing it on purpose, okay?” He rubbed his neck awkwardly. “It’s just a habit. I’ve always been very touchy.”

“Then direct your touch towards someone else,” she said, trying to tone it down a bit, but it didn’t seem to help.

She was just tired. Filming the last couple of months had been pure hell, and her heart ached nonstop, sometimes so much that she even considered seeing a cardiologist.

And it happened every time he got close.

Even though they didn’t talk much, he followed her practically like a shadow during filming. His fingers always confidently, if subtly, finding her waist or her shoulders or her arm. And sometimes he would simply disappear unnoticed, and for the next few minutes she would see him kissing and hugging Carrie.

But now, when she saw his reaction to her harsh words, she immediately regretted saying them. Whatever she felt, she didn’t want to make him feel bad. She truly hadn’t intended to be rude to him.

He grimaced as if he’d eaten a sour lemon, feeling like a hypocrite.

“You don’t understand... It’s not that simple,” he said, quieter than usual, running his fingers through his black curls.

She stared at his guilty expression for a long moment, unsure how to respond. He seemed so sweet to her now that she had no desire to be rude to him again, even though it would have been the most logical thing to do.

“I’ll go for a walk; the hotel isn’t far...” She said after a half-minute of silence, and then, truly, she left, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

He merely watched her go, frowning. Guilt, disappointment, and a strange desire to catch up with her warred within him. However, he didn’t move for quite some time.