“Let’s just leave them to work it out between themselves,” said Trev to Neil as he led him back out into the living room.

“He’s locked her in with him. He can’t do that,” Neil argued, agitation in his posture.

“I know, but they’re talking now. Maybe they’ll come to an understanding if we just give them some privacy.”

I wasn’t so sure about that, especially considering Leanne and Callum already had a heart-to-heart earlier and it hadn’t achieved much. Although saying that, I hadn’t been privy to the entire exchange. Anything could’ve been said after I stopped listening, and anything could’ve happened while they were out tonight.

James wished me goodnight while Paul gathered the Belgian girls and led them to the door, explaining that the ‘party’ was over. Not that it had been much of a party. They didn’t seem too happy about being dismissed, but they didn’t make a fuss either. Neil went to his own room and I glanced at Trev.

“Looks like I’m bedding down on the couch tonight.”

He frowned. “Why?”

I gestured toward the bedrooms. “My room is occupied.”

He scratched at the day-old stubble on his chin. “Ah, right.” He went quiet, thinking on it a minute, then said, “You can take my bed.”

I wasn’t surprised by the offer, but I shrugged it off nonetheless, even though I was exhausted. Now that I had a belly full of pizza I was so ready to go back to sleep.

“Don’t worry about it. The couch will be fine. Plus, I already got a few hours while you lot were out. You need to sleep more than I do.”

Trev strode across the room and took my hand, pulling me up from the couch. “Take my bed, Reya. I haven’t even slept in it yet so you don’t have to worry about my man-germs,” he teased. “Plus, I’ll just kip in Callum’s until he decides to come back.”

I didn’t protest, mainly because he was right. He hadn’t slept in the bed. Technically, it wasn’t even his yet. Because yes, although I wasn’t concerned about ‘man-germs’, I was concerned about his scent on the sheets. That wasn’t something I felt equipped to handle.

When we entered the bedroom, Trev pulled back the duvet and gestured for me to get in. I rolled my eyes at his mothering and climbed under, not bothered to take my clothes off. They were lounge clothes that could basically double as PJs anyway.

Trev got into Callum’s bed and flicked off the lamp, plunging the room into darkness. I didn’t immediately relax, too aware of my breathing and the fact that Trev was literally only a few feet away. My memories from that night we spent together were still in my head, twisting me up inside. It was funny how clearly you could see things you were blind to in the past when you took the time to look back.

Back then I thought I was being loyal. I thought I was being there for him and he was taking me for granted. But maybe he had more going on than I could have possibly imagined. Maybe he was suffering in a way no one else could see.

“Trev,” I whispered in the darkened room.

“Yeah?” he answered, his voice sleepy.

“Can I ask a personal question?”

“Go for it,” he went on, a little more alert.

It took me a few moments to get the words out. “Are you taking medication now?”

He hesitated for a second, then said, “Yes.”

“Is it the same stuff as before?”

His response was subdued. “No, it’s not the same.”

“Oh. That’s . . . that’s good.”

Another silence fell.

“Why do you ask?” he questioned, curious.

“I was just thinking of that night you spent in my flat, and the morning after when I found your pills,” I answered and heard him exhale. I knew he was remembering. The tension was so thick in the room you could almost see the events of the entire night splashed across the dark ceiling.

“I wish I knew then what I know now,” he said sadly.

“What do you know now?”

“Lots of stuff.”

“Such as?”

Another deep exhale. “I know that change takes time. I know that though it can help, money doesn’t fix things. And I know that fame can be a chain around your ankles when you thought it would be a golden ticket to never-ending parties.”

I laughed softly at that. “Well, they do say that parties are depressing when they never come to an end.”

I could hear the smile in his voice when he asked, “Who are ‘they’?”

“Okay, they don’t say it. I say it, because it’s true.”

“That’s because you hate parties,” said Trev.

“I don’t hate parties,” I corrected him. “I hate parties with more than sixteen people, remember? It’s an exact science.”

“Ah yes,” Trev chuckled, the sound hitting me right in the pit of my stomach. “The sixteen-person rule, I remember now. You were always so specific about that number.”

“Any more and you can’t have an interesting conversation. It just becomes a bunch of people standing around and nodding about mundane things they can’t really hear anyway because the music’s too loud.”

“You know, I never understood why you hate loud music. You’re a musician. You’re supposed to love it.”

“Loud music doesn’t make it good music. Sometimes the best songs are the quiet ones.”

There was a short silence before Trev said, “Remember that song you used to sing where you whispered the last few lines? Always gave me chills.”

His words set a simmer low in my stomach. I knew exactly which song he was talking about. “Open Up,” I said, my voice soft.

“Yeah, that one. You still sing it?”

“Sometimes.”

“You should sing it on Wednesday at your gig,” he murmured quietly. “I’d love to hear it again.”

“I might.”

“I’ll live in hope,” he said, somewhat wistfully.

I didn’t speak, feeling tense, because there was something about our hushed conversation that felt too intimate.

“Okay, well, I suppose we should get some shut-eye, otherwise we’ll be up all night,” said Trev stiffly. So many of our conversations these days felt like a minefield. They veered from personal, to friendly, back to personal, to way too close and then to awkward.

“Goodnight,” I whispered and turned over, tugging the duvet tight around me.

“Night, Reya.”

* * *

When I blinked my eyes open the next morning it was to an almighty ruckus. Light filtered in through the curtains and I glanced across the room to see Trev was still asleep in Callum’s bed. He shifted in place, cracked one eye open and asked tiredly, “What the hell are they doing out there?”

“I think it’s the film crew. They must be setting up to record inside the apartment.”

“Great,” Trev grunted, grabbing a pillow and pulling it over his head to block out the noise. It sounded like someone was drilling, and I was fairly certain they didn’t have permission to do that since the apartment was only a rental. Worried, I sat up, ran my fingers through my knotted, sleep-mussed hair and went to investigate.

An argument erupted as I padded down the hallway and arrived in the kitchen where Neil was reprimanding one of the camera crew. “You can’t make any permanent alterations to the fixtures. Now we’re going to have to pay for those holes you just drilled in the wall.”

“I’m sorry,” said the cameraman, who was young and looking very pale right then. “I didn’t know.”

Glancing around the apartment, there was lots of activity going on, with other members of the crew milling about. I almost laughed when I saw Callum sleeping like a baby on the couch, earplugs in to block out the noise. I wondered how long his battle of wills with Leanne had gone on for last night.

Seeing there was nothing I could really do about the noise, I went to my room and found Leanne and Paul sitting on her bed talking.

“I’m sorry. I hope I’m not interrupting. I just need to grab a few things and then I’ll be out of your hair,” I said, deciding to go out for the day and do some exploring while I had the chance.

“You’re fine. Stay,” said Leanne. “I’m so sorry about last night. You didn’t even get to sleep in your bed.”

I waved away her apology. “Don’t worry about it. Trev volunteered his and he slept in Callum’s.”

“Ever the gentleman is our Trevor,” said Paul with a grin.

I didn’t indulge his teasing and focused my attention on Leanne. “Did you and Callum manage to patch things up?”

There must’ve been something in my gaze that made her feel vulnerable because she looked away. “Yeah, we, um, made friends.”

“For as long as that lasts,” Paul added ruefully, and Leanne nudged him in the side. “Ow, that hurt.”

“You were asking for it,” Leanne threw back then looked at me. “We must seem like such drama queens to you. It’s just that . . . well,” she paused, seeming embarrassed before she continued, “Cal tried to kiss me while we were out last night. I knocked him back and he invited those girls home because he was angry. I shouldn’t have given him a reaction, but what can you do?”

“I don’t think you’re a drama queen. I’ve been through it all before, remember?”

She nodded. “Right. Well, I just wanted to make sure you don’t hate me for locking you out of your own room.”

I waved her away. “Like I said, it’s fine. I’m just glad you two had a chance to sort things out.”

“Got any plans for the day?” Paul asked, gazing up at me from his spot on Leanne’s bed.

“I’m gonna try being a tourist on for size,” I answered. “Seems like there’s no sense in sticking around here.”

“Can I come? I definitely need an excuse to get out of this apartment,” asked Leanne.

“Sure. I’m just going to take a quick shower and then we can go.”

In the end Paul decided to tag along with us. Trev was in the kitchen eating a bowl of cereal as we were leaving. He seemed a bit disappointed that we didn’t invite him along, but I needed the distance. I was still digesting a lot of stuff.

The three of us did the whole tourist circuit around the city, and I got to know Leanne and Paul better away from the chaos of the impending filming. I liked them a lot, and by the end of the day our threesome had found a nice, comfortable rhythm.

Thankfully I got to spend the night in my own bed, and unlike the previous day, everyone was tucked up early. I guessed they all knew where their priorities lay. They had a full day of filming ahead and they needed to be fresh.

I was climbing the back stairs of an old, musty apartment building the following morning with Neil when I started to realise just how demanding this job was. Being a PA for these five wasn’t all ordering lattes and arranging meetings over the phone. It was stunt permits, non-liability waivers, clearing streets and ensuring medics were on site should any injuries occur. I’d been up since the crack of dawn helping Neil.

When we stepped out onto the rooftop, I saw just how many people were involved in making the show. In my mind, it was simply the director and the film crew, but there were so many other professionals milling about, all with jobs to do.

Trev stood by the far corner of the roof talking to the director, Barry, while he limbered up and stretched. You’d think he’d be decked out in athletic gear, but instead he wore a hoodie, a pair of loose-fitting jeans and Nikes. In this get-up he reminded me so much of the boy I first met in a dark, crowded nightclub, the one who was full of smiles and easy charm.

He caught my eye and gestured for me to come over. I closed the distance between us and shot Barry a polite smile.

“I want you to meet an old friend of mine. This is Reya. She’s filling in for Jo while we shoot.”

“Nice to meet you, Reya,” said Barry, reaching out to shake my hand. His expression was polite but businesslike. He looked like a man with a long string of tasks to complete—slightly harried. “I hope you’re quick on your feet, otherwise this lot’ll run rings around you.”

“Oh, I’m aware,” I replied with a laugh.

“Anyway, I better be off. I need to go talk to Callum.”

When he was gone I turned to Trev. “That sounds serious.”

“Not really. Somebody always needs to talk to Cal. It’s like the sun rising in the morning,” he joked, then continued more seriously. “Used to be they had to talk to me as well.”

I smiled at him. “But not anymore because you’re a grown-up now?”

He winked. “I’ll never be a real grown-up and we both know it, but let’s keep that our little secret, yeah?”

Something came over me with his wink and I folded my arms to keep from doing anything ridiculous—like swooning.

“Our little secret.” I nodded.

“So how’d your day go with Leanne and Paul?” he asked, fluttering his eyelashes when he said Paul’s name. I pinched him lightly on the arm, knowing he was teasing me for my crush. It wasn’t really a crush. At least, it wasn’t anymore. Now that I’d spent time with him I knew all I felt for Paul was friendship. I still admired him, because after all, he was extremely talented, but now he felt more like a little brother than anything else.

“It went fine. I had fun. Is this a camera?” I asked, poking at the contraption hooked up to the neckline of his hoodie. I guessed it was for all those first-person shots they used in the show.

“Hmm, why so thin on the details?” Trev asked back, ignoring my question. “Did you and Paul have a romantic smooch by the riverside or something?” He wasn’t letting up.

I narrowed my gaze, refusing to let him get to me. “Why? Are you jealous?”

Trev walked around me, or should I say prowled. There was intensity to his movements, even though his eyes were smiling. I shifted, my back brushing the wall at the edge of the building as he penned me in. He tilted his head, his attention moving over my features when he finally answered, “Maybe.”

My stomach flipped and our gazes held until Leanne interrupted us. “Hey, you two. Neil’s handing out bottles of water if you want some.”

Trev finally dragged his eyes away from mine. “Nah, I’m good.”

“I’ll go get one,” I said, needing an escape. I felt Trev watch me as I walked away and like always, his attention had me questioning myself. What was I doing here? I mean, what was I really doing here? No matter how much I convinced myself it was all for the music and the travel, I had to admit that a part of it was to do with Trev. I’d be ninety and still asking how high whenever he said jump. It was an unwelcome thought.

A couple of minutes later the filming began in earnest. All eyes were on the stars as they huddled together, discussing the logistics of what they were about to do. Callum spoke directly to the camera, but I couldn’t hear what he said. I moved closer, trying to hear better, but then they all formed a line with Trev at the head of it. The cameras followed as he stepped up onto the edge of the roof, and my pulse sped up like it always did.

I’d witnessed him do this countless times before, but my reaction never changed. My hands still grew clammy and my throat still clogged up. My entire body buzzed with adrenaline.

I guessed that was why freerunning held such an allure for people. The excitement. The fear.

There was a perverse sort of attraction in all of us to those who took chances, risked their lives to do what they loved. They faced fears far bigger than anything we might ever encounter.

My stomach fluttered in anticipation when Trev spread his arms out wide, and then just dropped. Without thinking I ran to the edge of the building, peering down. A small part of me imagined he’d jumped to his death, even though another part knew this was all calculated. The others followed suit and by the time I reached the edge all five of them had jumped. I looked down and saw a connecting roof lower down, a drop of about ten or twelve feet.

There was a cameraman with a handheld capturing the group until they leapt to the next roof. My eyes scanned the distance and I saw at least five other roofs with waiting crewmembers. There were narrow gaps between the buildings and a shiver ran through me as I watched the group jump through the air like it was nothing. My attention was mostly on Trev though, the sure, steady movement of his legs, the strong, muscular line of his shoulders as he made each giant leap.

“Pretty amazing, isn’t it?” came a heavily accented voice from behind me and I startled.

I glanced over my shoulder, and there on the wall sat a young dark-skinned guy. He looked about seventeen or eighteen, and he wore a green T-shirt that said Boo-yah.

“It’s incredible,” I replied, looking back out into the distance. They’d reached the end of their run, all gathered on the last rooftop. Even though I’d been on tenterhooks, I knew this was an easy stunt. Roof hopping was something they did every day as teenagers. Over the course of the filming they’d build up to bigger and bigger risks, upping the theatrics each time.

“Do you work for the show?” asked the young guy, and I returned my attention to him.

“Yes, do you?”

He shook his head. “I’m just a fan. Don’t tell anyone but I snuck up here. When I heard the guys were filming in the city I had to come see for myself.”

“Ah, well, your secret’s safe with me,” I said and smiled. I didn’t know why, but there was something about him that I warmed to.

“So, what’s your job?”

I climbed up onto the wall to sit next to him. “Me? I’m just an assistant, and a temp at that.”

“Damn, hoped you might be someone important,” he joked. “Thought I might be able to sweet-talk my way into a part.”

“You do parkour?” I asked, impressed. My eyes traced his fit, athletic form and I knew he was telling the truth. He carried himself just like Trev and the others.

“I try. Got the cuts, bruises and broken bones to show for it.”

I laughed. “Where are you from? You don’t sound Belgian.”

“South Africa, Johannesburg. Been living here for two years now with my mum and sisters.”

“Trevor always wanted to visit South Africa. It’s on his bucket list,” I said wistfully, and my companion’s brows jumped high.

“Trevor Cross?” he asked, saying the name in the same way you might say ‘Brad Pitt’ or ‘Sylvester Stallone.’ Sometimes I forgot just how famous my friend had become.

I nodded. “The one and only.”

He chuckled and shook his head. “Man, he’d stand out like a sore thumb in Joburg. No offence or anything.” He paused to eye me. “You, not so much, but still a little a bit.”

“Glad my tan has some uses,” I grinned. “What’s your name?”

“Isaac Hegebe.”

I smiled, thinking it cute how he offered both his first and last names like that. “Well, it’s nice to meet you Isaac Hegebe. I’m Reya Cabrera,” I said and held out my hand.

“Nice to meet you, too. You think they’re gonna come back up here? I’d love to get some autographs.”

“I don’t think so,” I answered, and saw his disappointment. I chewed on my lip, deciding if I should invite him to my gig. That way he’d be able to meet Trev. “Are you busy later? I’m playing a show down at L’Archiduc and Trev will be there. I could introduce you.”

His eyes lit up. “Are you serious? Man, that would make my day, no, my year.”

I grinned, his excitement infectious. “My gig starts at nine. Try get there around eight thirty, yeah?”

“I wouldn’t miss it,” he declared. “And you said you were only an assistant. Hidden depths.”

I laughed at that. “We’ve all got them. See you later, Isaac.”