“I told you. Love has already won.” Truth. Revelation. The Spirit washed over her. “I don’t have to be afraid.”
Sandy made a face. “What love? Who? Chris?”
“No, Jes—”
“Jesse?” Sandy sparked to life, slapping her hands together. “I knew, I knew it. I told Jer you were more than friends. You tried to say you were just friends, but who were you kidding?”
“Sandy, no, not Jesse. Jesus. I was going to say Jesus loves me. His love has already won!” Speaking it out loud helped her make sense of the feelings in her chest. “He’s got this, and if I never act again, He’ll have something just as amazing for me to do.”
“Jesus? Since when?”
“Since a crazy night on the rooftop of E.P & L.P.”
“Sandy, let’s get set,” Jer called. The director of photography ran off with a backward wince at Chloe. Jer called action.
Chloe leaned against a tree, watching the first element of the battle unfold. Flanders ran toward a redcoat, then jerked backward to the ground, meeting his end with a movie-prop musket.
Flanders. Dead. Chloe’s eyes filled again. Such a great character. Played by such a great actor. A great man.
“So, you’re not in love with Jesse?” Chloe turned to see Lori leaning in. “Sorry, I overheard you talking to Sandy. Becky and I had a pool going...”
Chloe winced as a cannon exploded. Jeremiah ran through the smoke with one of the cameras, then whirled around to catch Hamilton’s reaction to Flanders’s death.
“A pool?” she said. “About me and Jesse?”
“Yeah... Hey, are you crying? Look, it’ll work out. Jesse willcalm down and you two, well, you two are so perfect for each other. And you know Jeremiah will work his magic and turn this disaster into a cinematic beauty. Zarzour is an idiot.”
“Lori, I’m not in love...”Well, don’t lie to the girl.“There’s nothing between Jesse and me.” True. “I just feel bad for him. His first film. Hacked to bits.”
“We feel for both of you. Especially you, dying once again.”
Chloe returned her attention to the scene. “You know, Lori, I think that’s the point. I need to die and stay dead. Then, only then, can I live.”
“Girl, you are tired. Talking nonsense. Are you going to quit acting? Don’t. Please. Jeremiah will make it up to you. No one anticipated the Zarzour effect.”
“I’m not quitting, Lori. Just waking up.”
On the field, Chris charged a troop of redcoats, sword drawn. He and Ian Rainier moved through the choreographed fight. Then Chris stopped, walking over to Jeremiah, their voices heard across the vastness.
“... not right...”
“If I’m fighting Ian, then what happens to...”
Jer’s voice boomed over Lori’s walkie-talkie. “We need the pages. Apparently we’re just making stuff up out here.”
“On my way.”
When she’d gone, Chloe leaned against the tree, hand over her heart, over the mushrooming sensation. Peace. Amazing, otherworldly peace.
In the movies she may play dead, but in life she had the victory of Christ. Perhaps she should live more like a winner than a loser.
“Chloe, Chris, let’s go.” Jeremiah charged toward her, reading Lori’s clipboard. He was in beast mode. No more evaluating. No more reshooting. No more rehearsing, discussing, or letting the actors act. Just set the scene and go.
“Chris, you’re getting shot.”
“Why don’t we just shoot everyone?” Chris said. “Or, I know, how about the boys in red winning this one?”
Jeremiah leaned toward his star. “So help me, Painter. I’ll make three months in New Zealand miserable for you if you don’t shut up. I don’t care what Zarzour says.”
