40. Reese
Chapter 40
Reese
November 29th
Reese Sinclair’s Career Is Over—What Happened to the Heartland Heritage Star?
December 4th
Sinclair’s Silence: Is She Hiding from the Public Eye? Or in Rehab?
December 10th
Sinclair Was Once a Hollywood Darling, Now Just Troubled
“I can’t believe filming is over,” I say as Dante and I step onto the narrow path, the one we’ve walked a hundred times over the past few months. The redwoods loom around us, branches creaking in the cool night breeze. The forest floor is squishy and soft under my boots.
In the distance, I hear the distant murmur of the crew, the last few stragglers breaking down the set and setting up the wrap party down by the lake.
Soon, they’ll be gone too.
I inhale deeply, trying to etch this place into my memory. The thick fog ghosting through the trees each morning, the way the light filters through the branches in golden ribbons, the quiet hush of the woods.
And Dante.
“Come on, admit it,” he teases, bumping his shoulder lightly against mine. “You’ll miss our crack-of-dawn training sessions the most.”
“And you’ll miss me being your most well-behaved student,” I shoot back, grinning.
My leather costume hugs my curves, my pearl necklace with his ring through it hanging exactly where it is supposed to be, while his sheriff’s outfit makes him look unfairly handsome.
We did it.
Only two weeks after the original shoot with Felix was supposed to wrap. Mari was far more efficient than Felix ever was. After New Year’s, I’m diving into postproduction with Amara. It’ll be my first time seeing the editing magic happen so up close and personal.
“And is my star student going to give any indication about where we’re going?”
“You’ve taken me on so many adventures; I thought it was only fair to finally take you on one.” I wink at him. “Just keep your expectations low. Unlike you, my world isn’t glamorous.”
He side-eyes me. “Oh, sure. All you do is star in blockbuster movies, attend premieres in rented jewelry that requires bodyguards, and have fans worshiping the ground you walk on. How dull .”
It hasn’t quite felt that way lately.
“What you meant to say is all I do is memorize lines, go from set to set, shoot a minimum of two movies a year, and in between I visit my family or hang out with Cleo. In comparison to your adventures, I’m not that exciting.” I roll my eyes, fidgeting with the sleeve of my leather Robyn Hood costume.
Dante stops walking. I glance back at him, but his gaze is fixed on me, unreadable in the dim light.
“I think you’re very exciting,” he says, and it lands deep in my chest.
I clear my throat. “Can you walk a little quicker? I want to get this done before the wrap party starts.”
He slows his pace instead.
“I’m admiring the view,” he says, grinning.
“Of my behind? Bad, bad boy.”
“All those squats, Reese. Soon enough, you’ll be able to bench me with all that muscle.”
I throw my head back and laugh. Then, on impulse, I reach back and grab his hand. His palm is snug against mine, our fingers slotting together like they’ve done this a thousand times before.
The wardrobe and props tent looms ahead, its white canvas glowing softly in the twilight. A hush settles between us.
“This is a tradition I’ve been doing since I was eleven,” I tell him, squeezing his hand once before letting go. “And I wanted to share it with you.”
I undo the string on the tent flap, rushing us inside. The space is drenched in golden lighting and smells of worn leather and wood.
“The props tent? You know, the last time we were alone on set like this…” Dante’s voice trails off, his hand gliding along my lower back. “Are we recreating the armory moment?”
My muscles tense at his suggestion. We could. Later.
Instead, I shoot him an exaggerated, scandalized look. “Dante! I said I’ve been doing this since I was eleven!”
“Right, sorry. All my brain is thinking about is green leather and your ass.”
“Of course it is.” I twist my hands together, suddenly feeling shy about sharing my secret tradition.
“Come on, tell me what we’re doing here.”
“After every wrap, I take something small from set. A memento.”
His hands cup the sides of his face, feigning shock. “The pristine Reese Sinclair? A thief?”
“Not theft,” I protest. “More like borrowed memories.”
“So you return the items?”
“Absolutely not. They’re mine.”
He tsks, shaking his head. “And somehow this is not one of your biggest regrets? How does stealing rank below talking in class?”
“It’s not stealing!” I insist, swatting at him.
“Forget what I said about not having anything in common.” He laughs so casually I reach up to swat him again, but he grabs my wrist. Dang quick reflexes. “Hey, I don’t judge! What loot have you borrowed and plan on never returning?” He reaches into a wooden crate, pulling out the doll Robyn’s father gave her when she was a child.
I weave between the tables. “Let’s see, a vintage brooch from Heartland Heritage. Remember the scene where Elizabeth finds her grandmother’s jewelry box in the dusty attic? And an old brass key from Strings of Time that was supposed to unlock the mysterious music box. Oh, and my latest addition was this gorgeous cardigan from Love and Loathing .”
“You’re full of surprises.”
My fingers trail over props as I search, but my attention keeps drifting to Dante behind me, the quiet weight of his presence, the way he’s watching me. Then I spot it. The wooden dagger from when we ran through the forest, rehearsing until he was on top of me.
“This,” I whisper, voice unsteady. “This is perfect.”
“The dagger?” His fingers brush mine as he picks it up, sending a shiver down my spine.
I nod.
“Good choice,” he murmurs, turning it over in his hands.
A beat passes. The tent feels smaller. The hum of the distant wrap party starting up barely registers.
“I got to see so much of your world,” I say, forcing myself to sound normal. “I’m looking forward to coming to some of your fencing matches.”
“You want to come?” he asks, like he doesn’t quite believe it.
“If you want me there.”
“Of course.”
I swallow. “Okay, well, here you go,” I say, pushing the wooden prop into his hands.
He takes it, eyebrows waggling. “Me?”
“I don’t want to be the one to get caught.”
A slow grin tugs at his lips as he tucks the dagger into his jacket. “This makes us partners in crime.”
“Alright, partner. We should get to the wrap party,” I manage, though I don’t move. “Before someone comes.”
His gaze lingers before he leans down to kiss me. We’ve spent every night for the past five weeks together, and I don’t know how I’m going to go back to sleeping without him.
When he breaks the kiss, he says, “Now we can go. Before Mari comes and yells at us for stealing.”
“ The Dante Hastings, scared?”
“Around you? Terrified.”
As we leave the tent, my lips still tingling, I know I’ll be replaying this moment long after the night is over.
Everything I thought I wanted before this movie is still true—I want it to be successful. I want people to focus on my acting, to see me as more than a pretty face. I want to break out of the box they’ve shoved me into for years.
But the one thing I never predicted?
Falling for him.
And now, I don’t know how to want anything else.
Breaking through the tree line, we’re greeted by a massive bonfire that lights up the night sky. The lake stretches out beyond, its surface glittering with reflected flames and moonlight.
“Hey, it’s our favorite duo!” Marcus calls out, rushing over to hug me. “That final fight sequence is going to look incredible thanks to you two.”
The crew swarms around us, creating a comforting bubble of celebration. Tom from lighting reminisces about our early morning shoots, while Nina from props proudly recalls how we mastered her weapons.
When Dante’s arm brushes against mine, his warmth seeps through my leather costume, and I close my eyes to savor this perfect moment. Looking around at these familiar faces, I realize this is exactly the kind of on-set family I’ve always dreamt of finding, especially after those tense days dealing with Felix.
I savor all of it because I don’t want it to end.