Chapter 25 - Asher
“Ready?” Brooks called from just over Gideon’s shoulder.
I set my jaw and nodded. “Ready.”
“Action.”
One foot at a time, I assured myself. As I climbed the ladder, I was pleasantly surprised at how remarkably stable it felt.
I guessed that was the whole point of the stabilizer that had been affixed to the top of it, but still, I was relieved.
It wasn't as shaky as ladders I'd used in the past, which was reassuring, calming. I could feel the tension in my shoulders and deep in my gut, but when the ladder didn’t wobble even a little, the anxiety and fear receded a bit.
Once I hit the fourth rung, Jake stepped in and braced the ladder from below, hands on either side.
I took slow, steadying breaths as I climbed, trying hard to look as normal as possible as I made my way to the roof.
Once I’d made it to the roof line, my stomach did its own sort of wobble, a wave of nausea bubbling up inside.
You can do this. You can. It’s just a few more feet. I wanted to look down at Micah, who was standing just off-camera, but I knew better. Instead, I kept my gaze focused on my target and kept moving steadily.
Once I was high enough to touch the roof, I pressed my palms to it briefly, letting the heat from the asphalt shingles ground me.
Another deep breath, and I climbed the last few rungs to get myself onto the roof.
Even though I was off the ladder and successfully on the roof itself, I still had to continue to fight the urge to look down, knowing it’d make me dizzy and panicky.
I made my way to the trusses carefully, watching my step, and pulled out my measuring tape. It didn’t take long for me to get the dimensions I needed and jot them in the tiny notepad I’d brought with me.
I did glance down once I’d gotten the measurements, to check in with Brooks that he’d gotten what he needed. He nodded and gave me a thumbs-up, letting me know I was clear to climb down.
I descended carefully, gaze straight ahead until I reached the pavement with my sneakers. The moment my shoe touched the ground, I let out a sigh of relief. The adrenaline flooding my system made my hands shake, and mercifully, Brooks called cut a moment after I was clear of the ladder.
“That was great,” he offered. “No need to get any other angles. We can use B-roll for the rest, if we need it.”
“Thanks,” I murmured.
“Here you go.” Jake unclipped me from the safety harness and I was free.
Stay calm for thirty more seconds, I told myself.
“I’m just going to go get some water.” Hands still shaking, legs feeling like jelly, I hurried into the production trailer and the moment the door closed behind me, I collapsed into a chair and let out a long, relieved breath.
I rested my head against the wall, eyes closed, letting my heart rate slow to a steady, even pace.
As I let my body relax, the door opened and a gust of warm air crossed through the space. I opened my eyes and glanced over to see Micah standing in the doorway, beaming brightly.
“You did it,” he said softly when I met his gaze.
I lifted my head and nodded. “I did it.”
“I’m so proud of you. I knew you’d do great. Brooks is really happy with the footage Gideon got, and that means Max and Jake can focus on the next disaster for a while.”
My brow furrowed. “Next disaster?”
“Plumbing leak,” he said with a half-shrug. A beat passed before Micah came closer, standing over me. His proximity raised goose bumps on my skin and I suppressed a shiver. “Come here,” he murmured, hand reaching for me.
I let him pull me up and against him, moving my hands to rest on his shoulders. “I’m here. Now what?”
“I’m really proud of you. I think your bravery deserves a reward.” He leaned in and kissed me, a gentle press of his lips against mine, before sliding his tongue into my mouth.
Moving my hands into his hair, I held him firmly to me.
His grip tightened on my waist and my heart pounded in anticipation as our kiss became more intense.
Micah let out a soft groan before encroaching on my space, guiding me clear of the chair I'd been sitting in, until I had my back pressed against the trailer wall.
He moved one hand to rest next to my head while he moved the other under the hem of my shirt, drawing a little moan from me at his touch.
Micah broke the kiss and gently nudged my jaw with his nose.
I tipped my head back and away from him in response, giving him access to my neck and throat.
As I did, I dropped one hand to his side and held him close.
He planted open-mouthed kisses under my jaw, the scratch of his stubble lighting me up, my cock thickening in response.
“Fuck.” I sucked in a breath as the hand on my waist dropped to tease at my waistband, my hips rocking toward him of their own accord.
Micah responded in kind, grinding his hips against mine and groaning softly in my ear, his breath hot on my neck.
“Please,” I murmured, not sure what I was asking for, but moving my hips forward again.
A second later, the door to the trailer swung open.
“Guys, I—” Kieran said as he entered the trailer.
We tore apart, breathing hard as we adjusted our clothes and hair. The door closed with a bang, trapping the three of us inside together.
“Well, that’s… not what I was expecting,” Kieran said before rubbing a hand over his face.
“It’s not—” I started.
“We were just—” Micah spoke at the same time I did.
Kieran chuckled softly and shook his head. “Look, I don’t give a fuck. But you’re lucky it wasn’t someone else.”
My face heated as my mind raced for a response, but all I could think was, He’s right. We were lucky it wasn’t someone else. Max or Jake, for example. Neither of them would have any issues with us not being straight, of course, but hooking up in the work trailer was probably a step too far.
“Sorry,” Micah murmured. “I guess we got carried away.”
“Yeah,” Kieran said dryly. “Those roof trusses get me hard every time.”
“Did you need something?” Micah’s tone was impatient.
Kieran smirked. “I was asked to find you, Micah. Max needs you on set.”
He nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah. I’ll be right there. You can go ahead without me.”
With a shake of his head, Kieran laughed quietly again. “I don’t know if that’s the best idea.”
“Fair.” Micah turned to me. “Later?”
I swallowed and nodded, mortified we’d been caught. As Micah left the trailer, Kieran lingered behind and shook his head, still grinning at me.
“I thought you were straight,” he said, cocking an eyebrow. Before I could respond, he stepped out of the trailer and let the door close behind him.
Once they were gone, I leaned over, palms on my upper thighs, and took a few slow, steadying breaths. You’re fine. Everything is fine. Kieran won’t tell anyone.
As that raced through my mind, I paused to consider it.
Did I really care if Kieran outed me? And what did out mean for me, exactly?
What was my sexuality? I took a shaky breath and decided I didn’t need to put a label to it right away.
What I did need to do was get my shit together and get back to work, and figure out my personal stuff later.