Chapter 13 Jack #2
It’s another forty minutes before I manage to get off the call, and by that point I’m limp with exhaustion.
My head is pounding, but inside I just feel…
numb. I want to lie down and sleep for a week.
My parents’ copious notes on my apparently lackluster performance circle round and round in my head.
It will be a miracle if I can get through a single line tomorrow.
Crushing bands of tension wrap themselves around my chest.
I know I should be grateful . It’s just hard when I sometimes feel like the disappointing product of an experiment, as if they were hoping that between them they’d create some sort of super-actor. But instead they ended up with me.
I look down at the phone in my hand and notice in a detached sort of way that my fingers are shaking.
A fleck of glitter on my phone case catches the light, and I stare at it for a moment then close my eyes, drawing in a shaky breath.
Cynthie’s face swims into focus behind my eyelids.
She’s wearing the smirk that stretched across her lips earlier.
Something breaks through the numbness then, something hot and bright.
Cynthie.
I push my parents’ voices aside, focus my attention instead on the chaotic little demon who is turning my life upside down. Tomorrow, I’ll get her back for what she pulled today. I lie down, my head hitting the pillow. It’s Cynthie I’m thinking of when I fall asleep.
THE NEXT MORNING, SCOTT AND I stand, poised outside the hair and makeup trailer. The muffled sound of conversation and laughter indicates that the group inside have no idea what’s about to happen.
I can almost visualize Arjun reaching carefully through the open window we have scoped out.
“What was that?” Liam’s voice rings with alarm, as the first domino falls.
There’s a crashing sound, a stifled expletive.
And then the screaming starts.
When the door to the trailer bursts open, and the four of them come tumbling out, I’m ready with my own camera. There’s even more shrieking than I had expected, and the sound is music to my ears. I let the laugh that’s been building up in my chest loose and press the shutter.
When the flash bursts, Cynthie comes to a screeching halt in front of me, her mouth hanging open. I watch the realization dawn in her eyes.
“Is it on me? Is it on me?” Liam’s voice is shrill, and he and Patty dance around on the spot while Hannah bats ineffectually at their clothing.
“Stop,” Cynthie wheezes, cutting through their panic. “It wasn’t real. It wasn’t… It was… him .” She points at me, venom in her words.
I don’t care; I’m too busy laughing. When I went to Pete in the prop department and explained the situation, he was only too happy to let us dig into their supplies. One extremely realistic, remote-controlled tarantula later, I knew we were in business.
“Wait… what?” Patty stares at me, wide-eyed.
“How?” Liam asks.
I look past them, and Arjun wanders nonchalantly round the side of the trailer, a grin on his face. He pulls a remote from his pocket and drops something to the floor. The spider skitters toward them, and even though they know it’s fake now, Liam and Patty jump back, cursing like sailors.
“You shouldn’t leave your windows open,” I say with a shrug. Arjun sends the spider running back toward him and scoops it up off the ground, waggling it in the air. In fairness, the thing is absolutely, horrifyingly realistic, all hair and legs.
I look down at the Polaroid of the four of them jumping around in a chaotic blur. “I think I’m going to frame this one.” I smirk. “Although, maybe Pete will want to pin it up in the props trailer? Just goes to show what good work those guys are doing.”
Cynthie takes a step toward me but I don’t budge, and suddenly she’s right there in my space.
God, it feels good to get back at her. The fury is pumping off her body and it’s doing something intoxicating to my bloodstream.
I think I’m drunk on sweet, sweet revenge, and I like it.
The bad taste that last night’s phone call from my parents left behind is gone now. I feel invincible.
Then, just when I think she’s about to start yelling, Cynthie does something totally unexpected: she lifts her hand and runs her fingertip lightly over the curve of my cheekbone.
And everything stops.
I exhale in surprise. She’s so close that the toes of her scuffed sneakers kiss my own.
My gaze drops to her mouth, and the moment stretches between us.
Time thickens and slows and her perfect pink lips part, drawing in a ragged breath.
I lift my gaze up to meet hers, and something flares in her eyes.
Cynthie takes a sharp step back, but then she steadies herself. “Sorry,” she says, her expression composed, her voice full of nothing but triumph as she holds up her finger, “just thought you’d want to know you missed a spot.” A fleck of gold glitter shimmers in the early morning light.
I can’t do anything but stare at her, while I still feel the ghost of her touch, hot on my cheek.
“I can’t believe you did that, Arjun.” Patty’s voice is a welcome distraction, interrupting us, as she glares daggers at the man in question.
Arjun’s smile only widens. He shrugs. “Maybe I’m not such a nice guy after all.”
There’s a beat of silence.
Liam lets out a little hoot, and I choke on a laugh. Even Cynthie looks amused.
Patty blinks, dazed, and I’m pretty sure my friend’s chances just increased exponentially.
I return my attention to Cynthie, my galloping heart mostly back under control. It’s just the rush of the prank, that’s all. The thrill of victory obviously feels a lot like being painfully turned-on.
“I told you that you’d regret messing with us.”
“To be fair, we didn’t know Scott and Arjun would get involved.” Cynthie crosses her arms. “We were only gunning for you.”
“I quite liked it,” Scott says now. “The glitter was a good touch. Clever.”
I shake my head, but Cynthie’s smile grows. “Thanks, Scott,” she says, pleased. “At first I thought water balloons, but then I realized glitter was so much more…”
“Evil?” I supply.
“But now we’re even, right?” Scott asks innocently. That sweet, summer child.
Cynthie and I both laugh like a pair of maniacs.
“Even?” I say, glaring at her. “You must be joking. She’s been pranking me since filming began.”
“We haven’t even started,” Cynthie hisses. “I won’t be satisfied until he’s face down in the dirt, weeping for his mother.”
I don’t even want to think about why the weird feelings of arousal intensify at this—that’s going to require the intervention of a qualified psychoanalyst.
“Bloody hell, Cyn.” Liam’s eyes widen.
“Very cool,” Patty whispers with a look of respect.
Hannah only chuckles fondly, as if her friend is being adorable.
My lip curls. “And I won’t be satisfied until you’re on your knees, begging me to stop.” The words come out in a low rumble.
I watch as Cynthie’s pupils are blown wide, two pools of black swallowing her green-gold irises, her breath catches, her teeth sink into her full bottom lip.
“ Good Lord ,” Liam murmurs. I tear my gaze away from the thorn in my side and see Liam fanning his hand in front of his face, while the others try (and fail) to stifle their laughter.
“That’s enough,” I snap, annoyed that my skin feels too tight for my body, and I have to resist the urge to run my finger around the edge of my collar.
“Yes, sir ,” Patty purrs.
“Whatever this is,” Liam stage-whispers, “I think it’s my kink.”
I let out a huff of annoyance.
“Did he just… growl?” Hannah asks, and her cheeks are pink too.
I choke on a reluctant laugh, clearing my throat. “All right, you perverts,” I say. “We’ll let you get back to your trailer. Don’t want to delay filming.” I glance over at Cynthie, just long enough to meet her eyes so she’ll know how unaffected I am. “See you on set.”
“Oh, yes. See you there,” Cynthie replies.
Somehow, she makes it sound like a threat.