The crowd pressed in, but I barely noticed. I shoved past it all — past a flurry of hands and shoulders, dodged a cluster of reporters, weaving through the chaos with a single-mindedness that felt like survival.
Every step I took was for her.
By the time I reached her, I was breathless, my shirt clinging with sweat, heart pounding like a drum in my ears. She looked up, startled but glowing, and when I finally caught her gaze, the world shrank to that single moment between us.
I dropped the polite smiles and half-hearted words and just pulled her into me. Her warmth pressed against my chest, grounding me. “I’m here,” I murmured against her hair, voice rough and low.
She squeezed me tight like she was holding on to both me and herself. For a few seconds, the noise of the crowd, the flashing bulbs, the wild celebration didn’t exist.
“Ansel,” she whimpered, her voice catching on my name. Ipulled back just enough to cup her face in my hands, brushing a tear off of her cheek with the pad of my thumb. “You were—” Her breath hitched. “—youareincredible.”
I caught her gaze, dark and shining with everything she couldn’t say. Her voice cracked again, fragile and raw, and it hit me harder than any praise from the crowd ever could.
“I — Juniper — I was nothing until you showed up.” My thumb traced the line of her jaw, slow, reverent. She shook her head fiercely. “Yes. You made mefeelagain — made me remember who I am underneath all that noise.”
The world kept roaring around us, but in that moment, we were suspended — two broken pieces finding something whole in the middle of the chaos.
She swallowed hard, eyes flickering down, and when she looked back up, there was that fierce spark — the one that had hooked me from day one. “I think… you saved me too,” she whispered, voice steady now but soft like a secret meant only for us.
I leaned in, forehead resting against hers, breathing her in. “Do you think Pooh Bear ever took a lover?” I asked, my own words wavering.
She laughed, and the sound was the purest ecstasy around. Her fingers curled into the dress shirt, clinging to me like a raft in the ocean. “You’re an idiot,” she managed, but her eyes crinkled with a smile.
EPILOGUE
10 MONTHS LATER
She trailed behind me by several steps, gently teasing about the drive, the secrets, and now, the shirt I was wearing.
I wouldn’t have had life any different from this.
‘The Way We Move’ took off. Instant blockbuster hit, even with the small budget.
So much of a hit that… I’d been asked about reprising my role as Eryk Moonstrider for a limited streaming series.
I tried to tell the director that I’d think about it but… Juniper practically had me at knifepoint —demandingthat I agree. The script was still in the works, but there was a brief flicker of excitement that lived inside of me, thinking about returning to the ‘Battle for the Cosmos’world again.
Especially with Eryk’s biggest fan on my team. I’d told the director that theonlyway I’d do it was if I could hire someone to serve as Eryk’s “character integrity coordinator”.
Yes, they let me.
Yes, it’s my girlfriend.
Juniper’s fingers brushed lightly against my arm as Ipulled the bandana from my pocket, a wide grin spreading across my face. “Blindfold time,” I said, voice low and teasing.
“Oh, hell no, cowboy. I’m not putting that on,” she shot back, her brow furrowed but her lips twitching with amusement.
“It’s just for a second, kid. Promise.”
She mumbled something that sounded like “creepy old man,” then closed her eyes, her breath soft and steady against my chest as I tucked her hand into the crook of my arm.
The dusty wooden floorboards creaked under our steps, the warehouse smelling faintly of old paper and fresh paint. I led her inside, the soft glow of late afternoon sun filtering through the tall windows, catching dust motes that danced lazily in the air.
I led her a few more steps into the building before we stopped and I removed the blindfold. “What the hell?” She turned a few times, taking in the space around her. “What is this place?”
“Oh, just a little pet project of mine.” I shrugged, feigning ignorance. “Thought I could pick your brain about some things.”
“Okay…” She turned to meet my gaze again, waiting for me to go on.
