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But it doesn’t matter because I can’t resist watching him in action. He’s big and tall and broad. But when he moves, it’s with so much grace that I’m blown away. I’m reminded of the way his sinful, powerful body brought me pleasure in the past. Of those nights we had together tangled up in bed…
No, Hailey. Don’t think about that.
The past was when he lied to me. He told me he was single, but he had a child at the time. With another woman.
Or was I the other woman? Ugh!That thought sticks with me all day. And every time I run into him, my body betrays me. I try to cling to my anger, but I can’t turn off my attraction to him; it’s too strong. Why? Why do I want him so badly?
Our first encounter at the beginning of the day was awkward, and it got worse from there. At lunchtime, I practically eat on the run. I get my food and sit down when he comes sauntering into the room, his gaze landing on me. My stomach fills with butterflies as his tongue darts out to lick his lips, and I just know he’s going to approach me again. So I shovel down a bite and get the hell out of there, leaving half my meal untouched as I return to the set, eating the rest of my food on the way. I get a few curious looks from the cast and crew members, but I’m pretty sure no one knows I’m acting strangely in an attempt to avoid Jackson.
The problem is I’m too afraid to talk to him. I’ve held on to the memories of us for so long—cherishing those thoughts when I had nothing else to motivate me. I don’t want to tarnish them even more by confirming he really was seeing someone else and had a child with that person. It may be true, but I’m not ready to face that yet.
“Okay, I think we got it,” Luca announces at the end of the day.
We’re filming a scene at the climax of the movie, and it takes several attempts to get it just right. Days like these can be exhausting for everyone involved, and I’m no exception. I stand from my chair and stretch my arms over my head, looking forward to going home and taking advantage of my garden tub. It’s my favorite way to relax.
But all thoughts of relaxing are driven from my mind by the sight of Jackson heading my way. There’s a look of fierce determination on his face, and I gulp. Hard.
He’s going to force me to talk to him, and I just know it.
A group of extras walks by, blocking my view of him for a moment. Even more importantly, they blocked his view of me. So, I take advantage of the opportunity and duck down behind a piece of equipment off to the side. I wait three whole minutes before I peek out to see if Jackson is still around—he’s not.
I let out a relieved sigh and turn, only to almost collide with Audrey. She’s standing right behind me with her head tilted to the side and a grin on her face.
“And just what are you doing, might I ask?” There’s a playful lilt to her voice.
“Nothing.” Unfortunately, I answer too quickly to be believable. “Um… just checking out this set piece. It looked… funny.”You’re an idiot, Hailey.
“Uh-huh. And this has nothing to do with Jackson heading your way?”
“Jackson who?”
She chuckles. “For someone in show business, you’re a terrible liar.”
I sigh. “Well, I’m not anactor. I just don’t want to talk about it. It’s a long story. I’ll just say that Jackson and I have… a history. But that’sallit is: history.”
Audrey purses her lips, and I can tell she doesn’t believe me. “Whatever you say, Hailey. But I think you should know that Jackson’s an amazing catch, and you’d be a fool not to jump on that if you have the opportunity.”
“It’s complicated.”
“Okay.” Audrey holds up her hands and takes a step back. “I won’t push it. I just think you might want to consider talkingto the guy—that’s all.” She lifts her shoulders in a slight shrug. “Before someone else does.”
Talking to him is what I’ve avoided all day long, but Idofeel conflicted about it. I’m angry, and there’s no denying that. Being lied to all those years ago might have been a transgression of the past, but it feels like a fresh betrayal.
The strange thing is that I have a hard time fully believing it. It’s probably stupid to doubt it even for a moment, but seeing Jackson around the set today somehow makes it hard to believe that he’s the kind of person to lie to me. Maybe it has something to do with how I so desperately want to see him again.
Was it all just a fantasy? Built up in my mind?
But it’s not just my mind that remembers. My body remembers too, and that traitorous hussy trembles anytime he’s near. My knees go weak at the sound of his rich, baritone voice, even though I haven’t directly spoken to him yet.
That realization makes me feel like a coward, which I’m definitely not. Maybe I should just confront him and ask about his daughter? But then I better be prepared to receive an answer I might not like.
Even if what we shared in the past was only casual for him, that wasn’t what it was for me. It was important to me, and I know his answers to my questions might just break my heart more than my assumptions already have.
Four
JACKSON
What the hell is going on?
