“I know,” Sam squeals, clapping his hands together in pure, unfiltered joy. “Look how good you guys look! Mostly thanks to me, but also thanks to your own natural beauty, of course.”
Sam’s phone is open to a celebrity gossip blog, and splashed all across the home page is a series of photos from the ice rink. They’re taken from far enough away that I know they weren’t shot by someone on set, but thanks to the wonders of technology, zooming in shows all the close-up details. The two of us laughing. Grayson holding me up and preventing me from falling.
Grayson and me lip-locked like we might never again come up for air.
“I had a feeling about the two of you, in here acting all snippy andThe Hating Game.” Sam reaches for the lipstick and goes back to attending to my face.
Which works out well because I am now speechless and my mouth is hanging wide open.
“Blot,” he instructs, handing me a tissue and taking back his phone.
I do as he says.
Amanda gives my shoulders a slight squeeze. “Is there actually something going on with you two? If not, it’s no big deal. Pieces like this come out all the time, especially when two hot people are filming anything remotely romantic.”
I meet her eyes in the mirror and give her a grateful smile. “I don’t know what’s going on with us, honestly. But I definitely wasn’t planning on having whatever it is splashed across the internet for the world to see.”
Sam frowns, swiping at a smudge near my eye. “I’m sorry, love. I just assumed with all the chemistry and the way things have been going with filming that something good must have happened between you two.”
“It did. I just don’t really know what it is yet, youknow?” I want to reach for Sam’s phone again, to read through every word accompanying the multiple photos from the day that changed everything. But I know myself well enough to realize that no good can come from me obsessing about some pictures and shoddy reporting posted on a blog. Especially not when we have extra scenes to shoot today to make up for my sick day.
As soon as I get the all-clear from Sam and Amanda, I push out of the trailer and into the cold morning air. I immediately take in a giant breath, hoping it will help clear some of the fog from my brain. My chest feels like a swarm of bees have taken up residence there. I don’t love having my personal business splashed around and speculated about, that’s for sure. It’s always been a part of my life, but one I’ve never gotten used to. I also don’t know how I feel about the masses speculating about Grayson and me being in some kind of relationship. Because for once they aren’t totally off-base: we are insomething. Even if we don’t know exactly what that means just yet. Even if the thought is somewhat terrifying.
I see him for the first time in wardrobe, when I’m on the way out and he’s coming in. He stops me just outside the doorway, his hands automatically finding a place on my hips.
“Good morning.” He places a kiss on the top of my head because my face is already perfectly made up and he knows better than to mess with Sam’s work.
“Have you seen the blog post?” I don’t mean for it to come out accusatory, but given the sharp look of surprise in his eyes, it definitely doesn’t come out as a casual question.
His brow furrows. “I try to avoid that stuff as much as possible. Why?”
I shrug and tuck my hands into the front pocket of his hoodie. “Someone took photos of us during our ice-skating shoot. At least half the internet assumes we’re a couple.”
“Is that it? That happens to me at least once every time I’m shooting with a new costar. Kevin will be thrilled; he loves this shit.” He chuckles, and rather than making me smile like it normally does, it stings. As if he’s somehow likening our whatever-this-is-ship to ones he’s shared with countless other costars.
I pull my hands from his pocket and shove them into my own. “Yeah. Totally. It’s no big deal.” I turn to walk toward set, but he loops his hand around my arm and gently tugs me back.
“Does it bother you, having people speculate?”
I shuffle my feet, staring at the ground so I don’t have to look at him. “No. At least, I don’t think so. I know it comes with the territory.”
He takes my chin in his hand, tilting my gaze up to meet his, a smirk tugging on his lips. “Does it bother you because you want it to be true?”
I roll my eyes and scoff at the same time, which is really an impressive feat, if I do say so myself. “You wish, West.”
He crowds closer into my space, his arm wrapping around the small of my back, bringing our hips together. “Do you want to be my girlfriend, Emmy?”
Sighing loudly, I turn my head away from him as he nuzzles into my neck. “I’m not dignifying that with an answer.”
“That means yes,” he murmurs into my skin.
The door to the wardrobe trailer bursts open, and we jump apart like we aren’t two consenting adults who are totally allowed to have the hots for each other.
“I’ll see you on set,” I mutter underneath my breath, turning and walking away as fast as my frozen legs will carry me.
“We’re not done with this conversation,” he calls from behind me, loud enough for the entire cast and crew and town of Pine Springs to hear.
“You are the actual worst,” I shout back over my shoulder.
