Chapter 24
twenty-four
The look on Lizzy’s face has me cringing inside.
“Are you saying…” She starts slowly stalking toward me, punctuating every other word with each step. “You want me to pretend to be your girlfriend?”
I nervously scratch the back of my neck. “I wasn’t going to ask you right away. Honestly, I was kind of hoping to ease you into the idea?”
“Is that all this was? You coming here and apologizing just so you could talk me into being your fake girlfriend?”
Jesus. This isn’t going the way I planned. At. All.
“Fuck’s sake, Lizzy. Of course not! I meant every word I said. I am so sorry for hurting you. I wasn’t even going to bring it up, but…”
A multitude of emotions cross her face before she speaks again. “You should go. Like I said, I need some time to think.”
The sharp tone of her voice guts me. Here I am, caught between wanting to pull her back into my arms and respecting her need for space.
Her lips are still swollen from our kiss, her chest rising and falling rapidly beneath that paint-splattered apron that’s doing little to hide what’s hiding underneath.
“Okay,” I say softly, backing toward the door. “I’ll go.”
As much as every cell in my body is screaming at me to stay, to grab her and kiss her again. Make her understand that I’m not just here for some fake relationship—that I want something real with her—I know pushing now would only drive her further away.
Pausing at the door, I turn to look at her, letting my gaze rove over her once more.
Guarded eyes meet mine before they flick away. “Goodnight, Rowan.”
With a clipped nod, I slip out, closing the door behind me. Somehow the soft click sounds more final than if she’d slammed it in my face.
Back in the apartment, I grab another beer from the fridge and collapse onto the couch. My head falls back, and I close my eyes. The taste of her still lingers on my lips. Fuck, I’ve made a mess of things. Again.
I should have waited. Should have given her more time before even hinting at the fake relationship idea. Now she thinks everything I said was just manipulation to get her to go along with it.
Scrubbing a hand over my face, I groan aloud. “Fucking idiot.”
I drain half of my beer in one go, then reach for the script on the coffee table. Might as well be productive while I beat myself up over my spectacular failure at reconnecting with Lizzy.
For the next hour, I run through my lines. The words blur together after a while, my mind constantly drifting back to how Lizzy felt in my arms, the softness of her lips against mine, the little sound she made in the back of her throat when my tongue swept into her hot mouth.
Eventually, I give up trying to focus. Tossing the script aside, I throw the empty beer bottle in the trash and head to bed, stripping down to my boxers before sliding between the cool sheets.
Sleep doesn’t come easily. I toss and turn, replaying the night’s events over and over in my head.
The way she looked when I first walked in—wild and free and so goddamn beautiful it hurt.
The flash of vulnerability in her eyes when I told her about the movie.
The heat coursing through my veins when I kissed her for the first time in years.
Slowly, I drift off and I find myself back in the treehouse. Sunlight filters through the wooden slats, casting dappled patterns across Lizzy’s face as she laughs, her smile a ray of sunshine.
Despite how tired I was only hours before, I wake surprisingly refreshed. Memories of the previous night flash through my head. All I can do now is give Lizzy time to think about being my girlfriend.
Well, fake girlfriend, anyway. For now.
Dragging myself out of bed, I stumble to the bathroom and turn on the shower. Cranking the heat until steam billows around me, I think about how easily Lizzy melted against me before pushing me away. Some progress and a setback, all wrapped up into one bewildering moment.
I scrub shampoo through my hair, trying to focus on the day ahead instead of the taste of her lips.
Today’s scenes are going to be emotionally demanding—the first meeting between my teenaged character and his childhood friend after years apart.
Even though the scene isn’t the same as what went down between me and Lizzy, the irony isn’t lost on me.
Wrapping a towel around my waist, I wipe the condensation from the mirror. The guy staring back at me looks more rested than I feel, though there’s tension around his eyes that wasn’t there the day before.
I shake my head at my reflection.
Quickly dressing in a pair of old faded jeans and a Henley—I’ll change into wardrobe when I get to set—I head to the kitchen. The clock on the microwave reads 5:17 a.m. Plenty of time to grab something to eat before I have to head out.
As I whisk, I strain to hear any sounds coming from across the hall, but hear nothing. Lizzy’s probably still asleep.
The eggs sizzle when they hit the hot pan, and I throw in some cheese, stirring absently as I check my phone for any messages from Marcus or production. Nothing urgent, just a heads up that we’re starting with scene twenty-six today instead of twenty-four.
This is good news. It means I’ll only need to be there for a half-day. Maybe later I’ll go for a swim. According to Logan, Lakeside High’s pool is available for me to use. As fire captain, he has an extra key to the school.
I’ve always loved swimming. Whether it’s in the lake or a pool, it doesn’t matter. It’s always helped me to release tension and anxiety. Especially if there isn’t an option for sex. And last night has left plenty of residual tension flowing through my veins.
I wolf down my breakfast standing at the counter, washing it down with a large glass of orange juice before grabbing my keys, wallet, and script.
The hallway is quiet and dark as I pull the door shut behind me, my gaze lingering on the door across the hall before I force myself to head downstairs.
The early morning air is cool against my face as I climb into the car. Main Street is deserted this early, streetlights still glowing in the pre-dawn.
Needing some fresh air to clear my head, I roll down the windows.
As I drive, the sky begins to lighten, streaks of pink and gold stretching across the horizon. It reminds me of mornings at the lake when Lizzy, Logan, and I would sneak out at dawn to go fishing.
God, I’ve missed this place. Missed her. I didn’t realize how much until I came back. Until I was face to face with her again.
The set is already buzzing with activity when I arrive. Crew members hurry back and forth, carrying equipment, adjusting lights, and setting up for the first shot of the day.
“Morning, Rowan!” Marcus calls out as I head in his direction. “Ready for another big day?”
I force a smile, shoving thoughts of Lizzy to the back of my mind. “Always.”
The makeup trailer is my first stop. As I settle into the chair, Mia, the head makeup artist, clicks her tongue at the dark circles under my eyes.
“Rough night?” she asks, dabbing concealer over my skin.
“Something like that.”
She works her magic, transforming me from every day Rowan to camera-ready character Jake. By the time she’s done, I’ve managed to get my shit together.
When I step onto the set, my co-star, Alessandra, saunters up to me. She’s playing Eliza, the character inspired by Lizzy.
“Hey!” she says brightly. “I’ve been going over the scene. I was thinking maybe we could try something a little different with the second reunion moment?”
I nod, only half-listening as she explains her idea. We’ve worked together before, and it suddenly occurs to me how glad I am we’ve never slept together. Don’t get me wrong, she’s beautiful and extremely talented, but she does tend to have a temper.
“Rowan?” Alessandra pouts. “Are you even listening to me?”
“Sorry,” I mutter, shaking my head. “What were you saying?”
Before she can repeat herself, Marcus calls us to set. “Let’s get in position, people! We’re burning daylight!”
The scene takes place in a small-town café—a replica of Rise & Dine. Jake has just returned to his hometown after making it big in Hollywood. He’s back home to try to reconnect with his past, and unexpectedly runs into Eliza, his childhood best friend whom he left behind years ago.
As I take my position, I try to channel all the emotions I felt seeing Lizzy again at Sasha’s party. The shock. The longing. The regret. It’s not hard to tap into those feelings, especially after last night. They’re still raw, simmering just beneath the surface.
“Aaaannnd, action!”
The bell over the door jingles as I walk into the café. I scan the room, playing it casual, until my gaze lands on Alessandra, sitting in a corner booth with a book. Our eyes meet, and I freeze.
“Eliza?”
She looks up, shock registering on her face as she slowly closes her book. “Jake? What are you doing here?”
The scene unfolds, each line hitting a little too close to home. Then when Alessandra delivers her line—“You left without saying goodbye”—something inside me cracks.
“Cut!” Marcus calls. “That was good, but let’s do it again. Rowan, I need you to not look like a deer caught in headlights.”
Shifting back into actor mode, I narrow my focus.
We all manage to get through the next few hours unscathed. When Marcus tells me I’m good to go and that they won’t need me for the rest of the day, I don’t waste any time.
Forcing myself not to peel out of the parking lot, I head for the high school.
I could really use a good long swim right about now.