AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“In that case, you can bring me a pastry.” He yawned. “And some yogurt unless you have other ideas on protein sources…”
“Thought your dick was exhausted.” Laughing, I squeezed him closer.
“I’m betting I’ll be miraculously healed by breakfast.”
“Sleep is pretty powerful stuff.”
“More like you.” He yawned again, voice slurring and slowing down. “You’re my favorite medicine.”
“Ditto. I care about you too. So much,” I whispered, only to be met with a patented Avery snore. Already asleep. I’d have to wait for my next chance to tell him. And show him. I let myself drift back off to thoughts of how to show Avery what he meant to me.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Avery
“Heard you had an eventful morning.” Liam looked up from the sewing machine he was using to repair a ripped dress. He’d balanced it on a rickety folding table and made an impressive sight, working the foot pedal and using both hands to guide the fabric, all while keeping a running conversation with me. “Parking lot arguments tend to get some notice.”
“Oh, that.” I groaned and stretched, moving aside the rack of costumes I’d been checking for damage. Naturally, gossip traveled fast on the set, especially any hint of drama. “Yeah. A new temp with an attitude. Malik settled him down.” The temp, a big dude with a bigger chip on his shoulder, hadn’t wanted to take orders from me about not bullying extras. “Malik’s good at that.”
I was not. I’d shouted back at the guy, meeting him ‘tude for bad ‘tude, which was the wrong call, and I knew it, but I lacked Malik’s gift for supervising and smoothing things over.
“Seems so.” Liam adjusted a row of pins on the dress. “You two make a great team.”
“We do.” I made a noise somewhere between frustration and affection. It was weird, being mad at myself for how I’d bungled the situation while being proud of Malik for how damn good he was even with asshole people.
“Reminds me of when my Andre and I met on the set of this musical…” Liam took on a faraway look as he continued his merry sewing. Watching him only added to my mixed-up mood. Could I sew with the prosthesis? Why would I want to? Worrying over stupid shit, I almost missed his implication, then coughed myself silly.
“Oh, we’re not…” Sputter. Sputter. Could I be more obvious?
“Didn’t mean to imply anything.” Liam paused the sewing to wave a hand, but his shrewd expression called me a liar. “But he sure does seem to like you.”
“I don’t want to hurt him,” I whispered, adding quickly, “as a friend. I don’t want to lose him.”
“Then don’t. People like him don’t come along every day.”
“I know.” I was about three seconds away from telling Liam everything. I wanted to. But Malik and I had an agreement this thing was private. Temporary. Felt like changing the rules to talk about it with someone else, even if I’d been the one to insist on the rules in the first place.
“You’re a good kid, Avery,” Liam said like I was sixteen, not twenty-five. And his paternal, fond-yet-frustrated tone made my chest hurt. “You’ll figure it out.”
“I’ll try.” I wasn’t sure I believed in myself as much as Liam did. And hell, I wasn’t sure there was a way everything worked out and no one got hurt, including me.
“Speaking of futures, you planning to make a career out of security?”
“I’m…not sure.” One second I was a kid who couldn’t figure out how not to lose the best friend I’d ever had, the next, I was forty years down the line, looking at a pension and part-time job as a mall security guard.
“Well, I’m slated for work on a sci-fi in LA soon. Huge costume undertaking. Andre’s on that production as well, which will be nice, being able to head to work together each morning. Any interest in joining me? I could use someone like you.”
“Someone like me?” What did Liam see that I didn’t? Or maybe more accurately, what did Liam see that I’d rather people not?
“With your eye and how you put people at ease handing out wardrobe.” Liam sounded so enthusiastic it took me a minute to absorb the compliment. Talent. He wanted me for my talents. “It’s a wonderful combo.”
“Thanks.” For absolutely no reason, my heart started hammering like the drumline at halftime. “I should…gotta check on the temps. Make sure no one else is getting in trouble.”
“You go do that.” Liam waved me away. “Thanks for the help today. See you at the wrap party in a couple of days?”
“Yeah.” God. Every time someone mentioned the upcoming last day of shooting and the accompanying party, my stomach twisted, rows of tight nautical knots I had no idea how to untangle. What if my next assignment wasn’t with Malik? What if it was? How the fuck was I supposed to go back to normal in LA when I had no idea what normal was anymore? Pausing by the door, I squished my eyes shut, trying to stop the avalanche of thoughts.
