AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Have some,” he said.
I gulped it down. “Thanks.”
“It’s weird for me too,” he said. “Us being, uh, married.”
That wasn’t what was distracting me, but the truth was too pathetic. I was scared of sucking, and it was making me suck.
“You know what helps me? Treating this as an escape hatch.” Eric sipped his own water and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. “Right now, I’m tired and dirty and I want to go crash. And, yeah, itisawkward working together. But when I’m Lock, I don’t feel that, at least not as much. Like when something bad happens and you check out in your head.”
That didn’t sound healthy, at least that last part, but I got what he was saying. Commit to the role. Quit worrying about Lacey and dive into Kate, only eighteen and saying goodbye to herself.
“Thank you,” I said. “I think that might help. But, do you really—”
“On your feet,” called Berg. Eric scrambled upright and helped me to stand. An assistant grabbed our waters and ducked out of the shot. Then we were rolling, stumbling out of the woods. Racing up to the mine and my windmilling stop. Eric dropped to his knees, swearing he’d save me. I looked down at him, then up at the sky, the sky I was seeing for the very last time. I’d never see it gray again, or lashed with lightning, or any way but this way ever again. My eyes swam with tears and I let them spill over. Eric started toward me, and I shook my head.
“No,” I croaked. “Go.”
“What? I can save you. I’ll go find—”
“You can’t.”
Eric lurched forward and I grabbed my sidearm. Fumbled it free of its holster and held it up to my temple.
“Go now,” I whispered. “Live a good life.”
“Kate, no. Please, no.”
“Run as far as you can, and there’s always a chance. A chance someone saved me, a chance I’m okay. You can picture me, think of me happy somewhere, but take one more step, and I swear it ends here. I’ll die right in front of you, and—”
“Kate!”
“Run.”
“No, Kate…”
I twitched my finger on the trigger. Eric flinched back. I met his gaze, steady, and my face turned to stone. Eric sobbed, then he screamed, then he spun on his heel. He fled down the beach and Berg roared outcut.
“That’s it, we got it!” He ran up and clapped both my shoulders at once. “That was glorious. Perfect. Where haveyoubeen all day?”
I sneaked a peek past him and Eric was winking, brushing grimy tear tracks from under his eyes. He shot me the thumbs-up and I smiled, relieved.
Maybe he wouldn’t divorce me today, at least.
CHAPTER 6
ERIC
Iwas cleaning up in my trailer when I heard them talking, low voices muffled through the thin wall. At first, I ignored them, then I heard my name. I shut off the water and held still to listen.
“You missed it as well, but she left by herself.”
“See, that’s even weirder than them not being cuddly. Some folks aren’t big on PDAs. And that scene today was pretty intense. I’d buy them keeping their distance so they wouldn’t break character, but separate limos… yeah. Pretty sus.”
I crept up to the window to see who was talking, but I could only see one of them, one of the sound techs. So we were hot gossip among the crew.
The tech scratched his nose. “You think it’s a stunt?
“Like, to hype up the movie?”
