“I’ve got news,” Carson said. “Jacob Wolfe’s officially locked in for the other lead.”
The confirmation made it real, shifting buzz into something official and solid. His stomach flipped, nerves sparking at the thought of standing across from him, of having to hold his own in the same room. For a moment, the idea thrilled and unsettled him in equal measure.
“Okay,” Liam said, swallowing around the lump in his throat, forcing his voice steady.
“For your part,” Carson went on, “there are three of you left in the running. The producers want to see who has the best chemistry with Wolfe before they make the call.”
Liam’s pulse kicked up a notch.Chemistry read. The phrase echoed in his head like a challenge.
“Next Friday,” Carson added. “You and Wolfe will rehearse together. It’s everything. Whoever clicks gets the role.”
Liam leaned back against the cushions, his breath leaving him slowly. Three actors competing for one role. The deciding factor wasn’t charm, polish, or how cleanly he could hit his marks.It was connection, something you couldn’t fake no matter how hard you tried.
He thought about Jacob, a man Liam had grown up watching in dark theaters and glowing living rooms. His face had been everywhere, impossible to escape—framed on magazine covers and flickering across countless screens. The idea of standing in front of that storm, matching it beat for beat, made his chest tighten. It was terrifying, yes, but God—wasn’t that exactly the kind of risk he’d been waiting for?
Liam’s gaze fell to the script waiting on the table. He pulled it close, fingertips skimming the edges of the pages like they were alive. “Alright,” he said aloud, voice firm for Carson’s benefit. “I’ll be ready.”
Carson chuckled. “That’s the spirit. This could change everything.”
When the call ended, Liam rose and crossed to the window. The city stretched wide below, the late sunlight turning every building gold. He pressed a hand to the glass and felt the heat of the day still clinging there. He let the weight of it all sink in—fear, excitement, and the drive that had never let him stand still for long. A slow smile curved across his lips, the kind that came when certainty ran deeper than nerves.
This was just the beginning.
***
Friday arrived bright and early, sunlight cutting across the city like it had been waiting for him. The hum of traffic rose from the street while birds chirped from the trees, city and nature overlapping in the morning air.
Liam moved through his morning routine with practiced ease—cool water startling his senses awake, his body loosening as hestretched, and the first sip of coffee grounding him with its dark, familiar bite.
Nerves flickered beneath his skin, restless but familiar. He’d spent his whole career learning to ride that current, to bend it until it steadied him instead of splintering him apart. This time was no different—just sharper, louder, carrying more weight than usual. His ability was never in doubt; he knew he could do this.
By mid-morning, he arrived at the studio. The heavy glass doors reflected the blinding sun, the cool air inside a relief from the heat outside. He passed the usual hum of crew setting up lights and cameras, scripts rustling, and distant murmurs of people preparing.
Today was the chemistry read, with Jacob at the center of it all. Three actors, one after another, stepping into the room to see if the spark would catch. Producers and directors would be watching, weighing every look, every pause, and every breath. It wasn’t just about knowing the lines—it was about whether the air between them could crackle in a way no one could force.
Liam waited his turn in a quiet corner, script folded between his hands though he barely looked at it anymore. The lines were there, etched into him. Every so often he caught himself whispering pieces under his breath, feeling the character settle deeper, heavier, like it belonged to him already.
The first two actors had gone before him, half an hour each that felt like a lifetime. Then came his name, pulling him to his feet. Heat rushed through him, the thought of proving he belonged across from Jacob tightening every nerve. This was it—the moment everything hinged on.
The rehearsal room was cool, the faint smell of old wood lingering in the air. Ellen, the director, gave him a nod as he entered. “Welcome, Liam.”
“Good to see you,” he said, steady on the outside.
The door whispered closed behind him, and suddenly it was quieter than seemed possible. The light in the room was soft and diffused, giving the moment an oddly intimate feel.
Jacob stood at the center, script loose in his hand, his gaze lifting to meet Liam’s. The look hit with such force that for a second Liam forgot to breathe. Presence radiated off him—not loud or showy, but the kind that bent the air around him without effort, as if gravity itself leaned his way.
He was taller than Liam, broader too, dressed in slate-gray trousers and a dark shirt with the top button undone. His posture looked easy, but the stillness in it was anything but. It was the kind of stillness that carried weight, like a coil pulled tight. His eyes were pale blue, almost silver in the muted light. His gaze direct in a way that felt intrusive, as if he could read thoughts Liam hadn’t spoken aloud.
He was striking, but not in the polished, safe way of magazine covers. His jaw was rough with stubble, his mouth unsmiling, and his presence cut sharp where others smoothed themselves out. Liam had seen him in films, on posters, and in images replayed a hundred times over, but none of them came close to the reality standing in front of him.
He swallowed and stepped forward. “Liam. Good to meet you.”
Jacob’s expression didn’t shift into a smile, but he shook Liam’s hand, firm and unhurried. “You too.”
For a moment the handshake felt less like a greeting and more like a test. Liam’s pulse spiked before he could stop it, a rush of nerves hitting hard and fast. Not because of the lines, or the room, but because of the man across from him. He felt a sudden, reckless need to prove he could hold his ground in front of him.
“All right,” Ellen’s crisp voice cut in. “Let’s start with scene twenty-one. The one in the rain.”
