Steal

Her face froze and then she parted her lips and nothing came out.

A PA fed her lines.

She still said nothing.

“Cut!” Jaymeson yelled.

I let out a sigh and tossed the headset back onto the chair. What the hell was her problem now? She forgot how to memorize her lines?

“Angelica, love.” Jaymeson crooked his finger. “A minute?”

She ducked her head and walked over to him.

He cupped her face with his hands and spoke softly. Tears filled her eyes and then she was running off set like he’d just told her she was fired.

“Take ten.” He said in an irritated voice as he approached me and gave his head a small shake. “She’s not in the zone, man.”

“She’ll get there.” Hell, I hoped she got there.

Jay ran a hand over the back of his buzzed hair, messing up the longer pieces in front as they fell across his forehead and smacked against the snake tattoo on his neck. “She better.”

His eyes locked on mine.

“No.” I shook my head. “Whatever shit you’re about to say, no, I won’t do it.”

He lifted his hands innocently. “Maybe if you just… if you could just talk to her.”

“I’m an agent, not an acting coach.”

“You’d be the shittiest acting coach alive.” He chuckled and kicked some of the sand with his leather sandals. “You know she shows up unhappy, she leaves unhappy, Zane made her laugh. Why can’t you make her laugh?”

“Maybe because I don’t owe her any reason to.”

“Hell, man.” He blew out a breath between his lips. “Could you try? Because I need her on her game. I’m doing this as a favor. I had hundreds of girls audition for this role, but you begged me to give it to her.”

Yeah, I’d done that. In a moment of weakness, I’d done that. Because I knew it was her only chance and because I wasn’t a complete monster.

Until I’d seen her again and decided against any sort of future reconciliation.

“We’re already off schedule,” Jay added, twisting the knife further. “She needs to be better or she’s fired.”

And there it was.

“We’re two days in.” The guy made a point. “She’s easily replaced.”

“What the hell do you want me to do? Smile? Cheer her up? Tell her how awesome she is?”

Jay cracked a smile. “Right, sure, but maybe not in such a high-pitched screechy valley girl voice. You knew her once man, knew her weaknesses, strengths, play to the ones that are going to make sure she brings it for the camera or she’s done.”

I felt myself pale.

He frowned and took a step closer. “What the hell are you so afraid of?”

I jerked my head up and whispered hoarsely. “Her.”

“Cheer up.” He slapped me on the shoulder. “You’ve got at least seventy pounds on her. Doubt she’s eaten bread in five years, and I know you run a fast mile.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

He hesitated for a minute, dropped his hand by his side, and chewed on his bottom lip. “I know.”

“I can’t get close to her again.”

“I’m not asking you to sleep with her, Will. I’m asking you to have a little human decency and give her confidence. How you do that, is up to you.” He walked off.

Leaving me staring after him.

I gulped.

Kicked the sand until it flew into one of the PA’s faces and then stomped after her.

It didn’t take long.

She’d gone over the bluff and was sitting with her chin on her knees, her arms hugging her legs. She looked broken.

Sad.

So damn sad.

I took a deep breath, prayed for patience, something I was lacking when it came to her, and approached.

“I don’t forget lines.” She released her knees and leaned back on her hands, tilting her face toward the sun. “I never have.”

It was on the tip of my tongue to say something about how drugs affect brain cells.

“It’s your first job back, Ang. What made you think it would be easy?”

“You!” A smile parted her lips enough for me to catch a flash of white teeth. “I believe your exact words were, nobody will take you but Jaymeson, but at least it’s an easy part.”

I cringed. Yeah, I’d said that. Out loud.

“It’s not the part that you’re struggling with.” I knelt down next to her. “You’re literally playing yourself.”

Her attention snapped to me. “What makes you think that I’m such an easy person to play?”

I had nothing.

“What makes you think that I wasn’t acting then?”

“How am I to know you aren’t acting now?” I countered.

“I’m not that girl.” She looked away. “I don’t think I was ever that girl. I don’t recognize her anymore, and stepping into a role that reminds me of all the shit I did to people who didn’t deserve — well.” She shrugged.

“I think we’re way past a re-write.” I said jokingly.

She smiled again. “If only… right?”

Our eyes locked.

And once again I found myself drowning in the depths of her eyes. I held my breath, then jumped in face first and calmly said. “You are one of the most talented actresses I know. I just need you to know it. Because it’s not enough that it’s on paper, it’s not enough that your agent knows it, you have to show the world. And if you can’t do that — if you aren’t ready, then I need to know.”

Her shoulders straightened. “You really think so?”

Shit. The way she was looking at me.

All frail vulnerability wrapped up in one shiny package that said “open.”

“I do.” It wasn’t a lie. God, I wished I had the ability to lie to her face, to tell her I didn’t feel the current between us, as strong and swift as the ocean, as loud as the crashing waves against the sand.

It would always exist.

And I would always deny its existence.

I had no choice.

I FINALLY UNDERSTOOD what prison would be like.

By way of my agent.

After his pep talk where I imagined kissing him about a million times before he gave me a pat on my shoulder and helped me to my feet, he walked me back to set and watched each scene.

When I was done and Lincoln asked if I wanted to go out with the rest of the cast for drinks, Will stepped in. “She can’t.”

Did I call him a babysitter earlier?

The man was like a parent.

A prison guard.

A hot one.

One that oozed sexuality with a swagger that refused to go away every time he walked in any direction. Hell, the guy was going to be eighty years old and still turning heads when he walked into restaurants.

“I should have gone,” I said once Lincoln walked off with Dani and Jay. “It’s good for the cast to bond.”

“He’s your brother. You’ve had your time.” Will shrugged.

I clenched my teeth and followed him to the parking lot, but instead of going to his shiny car, he walked right past it.

Shit, he was going to make me walk back to the beach house again, wasn’t he?

“Come on,” he called over his shoulder. “Keep up.”

“You’re twice my size!” I yelled in a struggle to keep up with him in the flip-flops I’d packed into my bag that morning. “Hey, wait up!”

If anything the bastard picked up his pace until he reached the sidewalk then stopped.

My flip-flop got stuck on the sidewalk sending me into his arms. I braced myself on both of his biceps. My fingers tingled with the need to squeeze and swoon into his embrace.

Instead, I shoved away and crossed my arms. “So? What now?”

He licked his lips, drawing my attention to his mouth. I licked mine in response. Like an idiot.

“You did good today, Ang.” He held out his hand.

I narrowed my eyes. “Is this a trick?”

“No.” He smirked. “This is a hand. You take it in yours, see?” He demonstrated by lacing our fingers together. A shiver erupted down my right arm, goose bumps popped up.