Chapter 14
BERNADETTE
He was the last person I wanted to see. Fucking Sebastian.
Of course it was him. Of course he found me at my absolute lowest point, crying like a child who’d been bullied on the playground. Clearly, I had pissed off the universe in some way. All because I tried to keep an innocent woman from falling to her death.
My bad.
“Bernadette, what’s going on?”
As if he didn’t know. As if he didn’t orchestrate the bullying. He wanted me broken.
“Go away,” I managed, my voice coming out thick and raw.
But he didn’t. Instead, he moved closer, slowly, like he was approaching a skittish animal. He dropped that cocky swagger and the smirk that seemed permanently attached to his face.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, and his voice was gentler than I’d ever heard it.
“You,” I said simply, because it was true and I was too tired to lie. “You’re what’s wrong.”
He found a rock near mine and sat down, close enough that I could see the concern in those blue eyes. He looked genuinely worried. But was it for me or for his own ass? Was he worried I was going to tattle and he’d get in trouble?
The thought certainly crossed my mind, but I was not that girl. I could handle my shit.
“You’re not the first girl I’ve made cry,” he said.
I rolled my eyes.
“Usually the crying doesn’t happen until after a couple dates, though. Talk to me. What’s going on?”
“Will you please just leave me alone? I don’t want to talk to you. I don’t think you’re funny. You’re a jerk and the very last person I need right now.”
I didn’t want to be vulnerable in front of him.
Didn’t want to show him any more weakness than he’d already witnessed.
I always considered myself tough. I had to be, working in a male-dominated field.
And working for my father left zero room for weakness.
I was constantly proving myself. I didn’t cry.
I didn’t break down. I certainly didn’t let men see me fall apart.
But he’d already caught me. And I was so tired of holding it together.
I was exhausted. My head hurt. Basically, I was calling uncle. Mercy. Whatever. They could stone me if they wanted to. I was too damn tired to care.
“I’m a pretty funny guy,” he said.
I couldn’t even find the energy to roll my eyes a second time.
“Seriously, I am. If you gave me a chance, you would see I’m not the dipshit asshole you think I am.”
That was some serious audacity. “I’m supposed to give you a chance? You! Really? You’ve been a dick from the get-go.”
“No, I haven’t. You’ve had some preconceived ideas about who I am. I’ve tried to be nice several times and you just keep shutting me down.”
“Whatever,” I said. “I don’t care. Get me some water and you might be able to redeem yourself.”
He narrowed his eyes at me in confusion. “You want me to fetch you some water?”
“No, I want you to call off your guard dogs so I can get my own damn water.”
“What are you talking about?” he asked, sounding exasperated.
“I can’t even get a bottle of water,” I said, the words sounding pathetic. “Cookie won’t let me have one. Says food and beverages are for crew only.”
He had the audacity to chuckle. I felt anger flash hot through my misery.
“Get. Away. From. Me. Now.”
He waved my command away like an annoying gnat. “Sorry. That’s probably my fault. I was venting to Cookie about you earlier and she’s really protective of me, like an aunt.”
“Haha, dehydration and heat stroke are so funny.”
“I’m just saying that’s probably why Cookie denied you water.
She’s usually a sweetheart.” Sebastian shrugged.
“Man, your company really dropped the ball. They sent you out here with no place to stay and no accommodations for meals and basic necessities. Maybe save some of that venom for them instead of blaming my crew.”
“Your crew hates me,” I pouted. He’d already seen me bawling, no need to act like I had any dignity left. “I know I’m not one of them. I know they think I’m the enemy. But I’m just trying to keep people safe. That’s all I’ve ever been trying to do.”
“No,” he snapped. “You’re just trying to cover your company’s ass. You don’t care about people. You care about money. About not having to pay out on the policy.”
The accusation stung because it was exactly what my father wanted. But it wasn’t what I wanted.
“That’s not true,” I said, meeting his eyes.
“I want both things. Yes, I want to protect my company from unnecessary payouts. But I also genuinely want everyone to be safe. At the end of the day, our goals are the same, Sebastian. We both want this shoot to go smoothly, with no injuries and no delays. We’re on the same side, even if it doesn’t feel like it. ”
He opened his mouth, then closed it. He couldn’t argue with that, and we both knew it.
I took a shaky breath. “Let me tell you what my dad told me when I started working for him. Every safety rule in the book was written in blood.”
“Shit,” Sebastian said. “That’s dramatic.”
“Yes, and that’s my point. This is a big deal.
These rules exist because someone got hurt.
Someone died. Someone’s life was ruined because people got careless or cut corners or decided that creativity was more important than caution.
Why do you think there’s a caution on coffee cups now?
Because some yahoo seemed to forget hot coffee was hot and sued and won.
All of the rules are established for a reason. ”
“No one has been hurt on a shoot for as long as I can remember,” he said, but his tone was less defensive now. More contemplative, like he was actually trying to remember when someone had been hurt.
“Because people followed the rules,” I said, leaning forward.
“Don’t you see? This is the problem. The rules work so well, with no injuries or accidents, that everyone forgets why the rules exist in the first place.
They think they’re unnecessary. They think safety protocols are just bureaucratic nonsense.
Then they get sloppy. And they’re forced to relearn all those lessons the hard way.
Broken bones. Third-degree burns. A family without a father.
A daughter who’ll never be home for Christmas. ”
I was thinking of actual cases I had reviewed. It was dark. Macabre. But it was my life. They were all claims I had processed. Lives that had been destroyed because someone thought rules didn’t apply to them.
“You are fucking intense right now,” Sebastian said. I braced myself for the insult. The disgust at someone being such a downer. I was used to it. I wasn’t the life of the party—not that I attended a lot of parties. “And it’s turning me the fuck on.”
I rolled my eyes and shook my head, even though I felt a warm and fuzzy feeling spreading through my body. I was secretly flattered. And I hated that I was flattered. He was just saying stupid shit. There was no way he was turned on by anything about me.
I knew when I was being screwed with. He wasn’t the first guy to mess with the nerd. Throughout high school and college, I lived in fear I was going to be Carrie-d. That kept me from dating anyone until after I graduated, and even then, I was very selective.
“I’m being serious,” I said.
“So am I.”
“Do I need to write this all down on my tits to get you to pay attention?” I asked. “To get you to understand that there is real danger?”
He shrugged, that playful glint returning to his eyes. “Only one way to find out.”
I sighed, but it was more for show. His charm was surprisingly infectious. “Are you hearing anything I’ve said?”
“I’m hearing you,” he said with a wink. “I’m vibing on you, getting lost in your eyes.”
“Are you ever serious?”
“Not really,” he admitted. “But if it’s any consolation, I came out here looking for you because I wanted your opinion on the next shooting spot. There’s a lagoon we want to use, but the edge looks a little slippery. I wanted to check with you first. Make sure it’s safe.”
I stared at him. “You’re asking for my input? Voluntarily?”
“Don’t make me regret it.” But he was smiling, and it wasn’t the cocky model smile. It was something more genuine. “Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up and you can tell me all the ways I’m about to kill someone with this lagoon.”
He stood and offered me his hand. I looked at it for a moment and tried to determine if the gesture of peace was real. I wasn’t really in a position to deny it. I needed water. I needed an ally—even if it was only an ally of convenience. He pulled me up easily.
I knew I looked a mess but there was nothing I could do about it.
“Ready?” he asked.
“As I’ll ever be.”
We walked back through the trees, but instead of going toward the lagoon, he led me to the craft services tent. I braced myself for another confrontation with that woman. But Sebastian walked in ahead of me, all confidence and charm.
“Cookie, my favorite lady,” he said, flashing that smile. “Can you hook us up with some water and food? We’ve got a hungry insurance rep here.”
Cookie looked at me, then back at Sebastian. “Of course, honey. What do you need?”
“Two waters to start. And a couple of those turkey wraps if you’ve got them. Can you believe her company sent her out here with nothing?”
She pulled out two bottles of water from the cooler without hesitation—the same cooler she’d barred me from earlier. Sebastian took them both, handed one to me, and I nearly cried again from the sheer relief of it.
I twisted off the cap and drank. The water was cold and perfect, and I didn’t care that I probably looked desperate as I gulped down half the bottle in one go.
“Easy,” Sebastian said. “You’ll make yourself sick.”
I forced myself to slow down, taking smaller sips even though I wanted to drain the entire thing. Cookie appeared with two turkey wraps on paper plates. Sebastian took both, handed one to me, and kept the other for himself.
“Thanks, Cookie. You’re the best.”
“Anything for you, Sebastian.” She gave me one more look—less hostile than before, but not exactly friendly—and went back to organizing supplies.
“Can you eat and walk?” he asked. “Everyone is already down there.”
“Yeah.”
I was ravenous. And thirsty. I took a bite of my wrap. It was simple—turkey, lettuce, some kind of spread—but it tasted like the best thing I’d ever eaten. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until that very moment.
“Better?” Sebastian asked.
“Much.” I took another bite, then another sip of water. “Thank you.”
I could feel my body starting to recover, the water rehydrating me and the food giving me energy. My headache was still there, but it wasn’t as intense.
We walked toward the lagoon. I could hear the crew working, all of them talking with each other. My stomach tightened with anxiety. They all still hated me. That hadn’t changed.
We stepped into what was very clearly paradise on earth.
Sebastian raised his hand. “Hey! Everyone! Can I get your attention for a second?”
The crew stopped what they were doing and turned to look at us. I wanted to disappear into the sand.
“Look,” Sebastian said, his voice carrying across the lagoon.
“I know this morning was rough. And I know I didn’t help matters.
But I want to make something clear. Ms. Simmons is here to help us.
Yes, she’s a giant pain in the ass, but it’s because she’s trying to keep everyone safe and make sure we pull this off without any disasters.
We’re all working toward the same goal here.
So let’s be polite and show her that we’re not complete savages. Got it?”
There was a moment of silence. Then, slowly, people started nodding. A few even looked a little sheepish.
“Good,” Sebastian said. “Now let’s make some magic before we lose the light.”
The crew went back to work, and I stood there, stunned.
He’d stuck up for me. He actually used his authority to protect me instead of weaponizing it against me. I hadn’t thought he was capable of it.
“Thank you,” I said quietly.
He shrugged. “Can’t have my insurance rep dying of dehydration. That would definitely void the policy, right?”
I almost smiled. “Actually, no.”
“That’s cold blooded,” he said, then gestured toward the lagoon. “Tell me about this death trap I’ve found. Ruin the magic for me.”
I shot him a sour look, but there was no real anger in it. I walked to the edge of the water and started my assessment. The lagoon was breathtaking. It looked like something from a fantasy.
But I could also see the potential hazards. Did I dare point them out or just hope everyone could practice basic common sense?
I had a job to do. I couldn’t worry about making friends. If they hated me, they hated me. Nothing I could do about it.
I pointed out a few things, but instead of Sebastian being a jerk about it, he actually seemed to be listening. We weren’t suddenly best friends. But the dynamic between us had changed. We weren’t enemies anymore.
Maybe the next two weeks wouldn’t be total hell after all.
Maybe I could actually find some joy paradise.