The audience laughed knowingly, a ripple that seemed to crawl beneath Liam’s skin. Beside him, Jacob shifted, the press of his sleeve grazing Liam’s. He loathed the way his body noticed, and the way his blood seemed to chase after that smallest point of contact.
The host smiled wider. “Seriously, the internet has opinions. Reddit’s obsessed. I’ve read the theories. There’s even a freeze-frame thread about that hallway shot. People are analyzing.”
Jacob gave a low chuckle, easy and measured. “It’s flattering. Means we’re doing a good job.”
“Oh, come on,” the host teased, eyes gleaming, her voice pitched high to draw in the audience. “That kind of heat doesn’t just happen. Did you two rehearse those scenes a lot or was that spontaneous?”
Liam’s pulse stuttered, but he forced his mouth into shape and kept his voice level. “We worked together closely. It was a challenging script and we wanted to honor it.” Too careful. He could hear it himself.
Jacob nodded. “There was a lot of trust.”
“Trust,” the host echoed, rolling the word over her tongue. “Interesting choice. That tension? It’s practically erotic.”
Liam made himself smile. “That’s good writing for you.”
“Or good acting,” she countered, her tone a purr.
The cameras trained on him, waiting for charm or something clever. His chest pulled tight and his lungs refused to fill.
Jacob’s voice slid in, calm as ever, saving him. “You’re giving us too much credit. We just showed up and tried not to ruin it.”
The audience burst into laughter and applause rang across the set as relief cracked through Liam’s chest. The moment passed, and the host pivoted. A few more jokes, a bit of promo chatter, and finally a clip rolled on the screen.
Beside him, Jacob was steady, the picture of composure. Liam sat rigid in the glow of a thousand eyes, certain that if he turned his head even an inch, everyone would see the truth written across his face.
***
The elevator doors closed, sealing them inside the mirrored box. Every wall threw Jacob back at him, every reflection a reminder of how close they were, how little room there was left to breathe.
They’d ridden from the studio in silence, the city blurring past the windows while Jacob stared out into the lights, as if they mattered more than Liam sitting inches away. Now there was nowhere to look but at each other, nowhere to go but up, the space between them shrinking with every floor.
Liam stood in the corner, shoulders stiff, as his fists buried deep in his coat pockets. Jacob’s stance was straight and rigid, eyes fixed on the glowing numbers above the door, his stillness wound tight enough that Liam could feel it vibrating across the small cabin.
Floor seven lit up. Then eight. Still, neither of them spoke.
“You’re unraveling.” Jacob’s voice cut straight through the silence.
Liam’s eyes stayed on the mirrored door. “I’m fine.”
Jacob let out a breath that sounded a lot like disbelief. “You haven’t been fine in months.”
Heat rose in Liam’s chest, and his head turned before he could stop himself. “And you have? You can’t even look at me. You walk through every room like nothing touches you, but I know better.”
Jacob’s jaw clenched, his eyes darkening, but he said nothing.
“Say it,” Liam pushed, his voice daring. “Whatever it is you’ve been holding back since LA. Just say it.”
Jacob moved—his hand slammed the red button, and the elevator jolted to a stop.
“What the hell are you doing?”
Jacob turned then, finally looking at him. His steps forward were slow, deliberate, but the hunger in his eyes betrayed the careful control of his body. He looked like he’d made up his mind and didn’t care if it wrecked them.
“I’ve tried,” he ground out. Another step. “Tried to give you space. Tried to let you go.” His eyes burned into Liam’s. “But I’m done pretending. Done pretending you don’t look at me like you’re starving.”
Liam’s back pressed harder into the mirror. His breath caught sharp in his throat. “Don’t.”
“You think I don’t see it?” Jacob kept coming, his voice cutting deeper. “You think I don’t feel it every damn time you breathe next to me like you’re drowning?”
