trust me, Jenna, when you’re stuck wondering what if, it’ll be too late for us.”
“You don’t understand! There are things you don’t know about me.”
His arms swing in the air. “Then tell me! Make me understand.”
“No! You’ll turn around and walk away. You’ll see me differently. You’ll—”
“Will you stop telling me how you think I’ll react and give me the benefit of the doubt? Fuck! If I haven’t proven myself to you in the last two months, then what have you learned about me at all? Do you realize what you’re doing right now?”
I shake my head.
“You’re treating me like one of your paintings. I’m human and I have feelings, Jenna. You can’t just stuff me into a fucking cardboard box in the hope that everything will be fine. I’m here, standing in front of you, asking you to give us a shot, asking you to tell me everything and trust in me. But you just keep pulling away and shoving me aside.”
I shake my head fiercely, tears begin to trickle down. “I have another side of me, a darker side. You wouldn’t understand.”
“Everyone has a dark side. Everyone has secrets. Everyone suffers from something. You think in the past couple of months I didn’t know you were keeping something from me? I know there’s something you struggle with, but I waited and I was patient for a long time. I’m not going to judge you. I’m not going to walk away. The moment you realize I’m not going anywhere, no matter what happened in your past, the better it’ll be for us to just get over this hump.”
I laugh. “That’s just the thing, Logan. It’s not a past issue.” I walk up to Liam, and our bodies almost touch. My head bends back so I can look him square in the eyes. “My issue, my dark side, my problems . . . they’re present. They’re now. They are front and center.”
“I’m not going to give up on what we have over whatever you’re dealing with. We can take care of it together.”
“I know you’ll give up.”
“I’m tired of this. None of this makes sense to me. Stop this bouncing back and forth and just tell me. If you don’t tell me everything, and I mean everything that’s going on with you, the feelings you have for me—everything—I’ll walk. Right now. And as fucked-up as I’ll be over it, I can’t keep doing this. I can’t keep playing these guessing games with you.”
“I won’t tell you . . .”
Liam laughs, his shoulders deflating. He looks me straight in the eyes, long and hard, and then turns on his boots, treading away.
“I’ll show you,” I yell out.
He stops, his back still facing me. I quickly go after him and walk around to stand before him, meeting his gaze. “Fine, Logan. I’ll give you everything you want to know. All of it. The way I feel for you. My issues. But I can’t just say it. It’s better if I show you. Meet me here tomorrow at eight in the morning.”
“I have to work.”
“Do you want to know?”
He nods. “Then call out sick or something. Meet me here at eight in the morning, and I’ll take you where we need to go. By the end of tomorrow, you’ll have all of your answers. And if you want me afterward,” I choke back on the words, “then at least you’ll know the truth.”
“Cut!” the director yells out. My chest is still heaving from that scene. I wet my lips and look up at Liam. He’s smiling at me from ear to ear. “You did awesome,” he encouraged.
The director lightly jogs over. “Natalia, that was perfect. Both of you, it was great on the first take! Let’s move on to the next scene.”
Liam rubs his hands together. “It’s a kissing scene.” He wiggles his brow. I laugh, my nerves easing a bit.
Julian
I PULL MY hoodie midway down my forehead and adjust the strap of the gym bag on my shoulder. Nerves settling in, I grip the handle of the door. I breathe in, hesitation swallowing me up and it causes me not to step foot in there. The last time I left this place was five years ago,
“You don’t understand! There are things you don’t know about me.”
His arms swing in the air. “Then tell me! Make me understand.”
“No! You’ll turn around and walk away. You’ll see me differently. You’ll—”
“Will you stop telling me how you think I’ll react and give me the benefit of the doubt? Fuck! If I haven’t proven myself to you in the last two months, then what have you learned about me at all? Do you realize what you’re doing right now?”
I shake my head.
“You’re treating me like one of your paintings. I’m human and I have feelings, Jenna. You can’t just stuff me into a fucking cardboard box in the hope that everything will be fine. I’m here, standing in front of you, asking you to give us a shot, asking you to tell me everything and trust in me. But you just keep pulling away and shoving me aside.”
I shake my head fiercely, tears begin to trickle down. “I have another side of me, a darker side. You wouldn’t understand.”
“Everyone has a dark side. Everyone has secrets. Everyone suffers from something. You think in the past couple of months I didn’t know you were keeping something from me? I know there’s something you struggle with, but I waited and I was patient for a long time. I’m not going to judge you. I’m not going to walk away. The moment you realize I’m not going anywhere, no matter what happened in your past, the better it’ll be for us to just get over this hump.”
I laugh. “That’s just the thing, Logan. It’s not a past issue.” I walk up to Liam, and our bodies almost touch. My head bends back so I can look him square in the eyes. “My issue, my dark side, my problems . . . they’re present. They’re now. They are front and center.”
“I’m not going to give up on what we have over whatever you’re dealing with. We can take care of it together.”
“I know you’ll give up.”
“I’m tired of this. None of this makes sense to me. Stop this bouncing back and forth and just tell me. If you don’t tell me everything, and I mean everything that’s going on with you, the feelings you have for me—everything—I’ll walk. Right now. And as fucked-up as I’ll be over it, I can’t keep doing this. I can’t keep playing these guessing games with you.”
“I won’t tell you . . .”
Liam laughs, his shoulders deflating. He looks me straight in the eyes, long and hard, and then turns on his boots, treading away.
“I’ll show you,” I yell out.
He stops, his back still facing me. I quickly go after him and walk around to stand before him, meeting his gaze. “Fine, Logan. I’ll give you everything you want to know. All of it. The way I feel for you. My issues. But I can’t just say it. It’s better if I show you. Meet me here tomorrow at eight in the morning.”
“I have to work.”
“Do you want to know?”
He nods. “Then call out sick or something. Meet me here at eight in the morning, and I’ll take you where we need to go. By the end of tomorrow, you’ll have all of your answers. And if you want me afterward,” I choke back on the words, “then at least you’ll know the truth.”
“Cut!” the director yells out. My chest is still heaving from that scene. I wet my lips and look up at Liam. He’s smiling at me from ear to ear. “You did awesome,” he encouraged.
The director lightly jogs over. “Natalia, that was perfect. Both of you, it was great on the first take! Let’s move on to the next scene.”
Liam rubs his hands together. “It’s a kissing scene.” He wiggles his brow. I laugh, my nerves easing a bit.
Julian
I PULL MY hoodie midway down my forehead and adjust the strap of the gym bag on my shoulder. Nerves settling in, I grip the handle of the door. I breathe in, hesitation swallowing me up and it causes me not to step foot in there. The last time I left this place was five years ago,
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