I nod and lean in, kissing her head softly as I caress her hair and hold her firmly while she cries.
“Get off her…” a thunderous voice booms down the hall.
I turn to see Danger running toward us, fury evident all over him. Lunar furrows her brows as I let her go while he races toward us.
“Couldn’t wait to get your mitts on her, huh?” he yells as he reaches me. He draws back, his fist coming full force into my jaw before I have time to react. The pain radiates through my skull as I fall to the side.
Lunar screams and launches onto Danger to stop the assault.
“What the fuck, Danger? Are you fucking insane?” Lunar screams.
“He was hitting on you.”
“You gotta be kidding me,” I mumble while standing and straightening myself out.
“Danger, he was comforting me afteryousucked face withhisgirlfriend.”
Danger stops and looks from me to Lunar. His breathing slows, and he looks back at me, furrowing his brows. “You weren’thitting on her?”
I let out an insulted laugh. “No, Danger, I have a girlfriend that actually means something to me.”
His face falls. “Fucking hell! I’m sorry for punching you, man. I just saw you kissing her hair, and after today, I’m on edge. I wasn’t thinking straight.”
“It’s fine, but it’s not me you need to apologize to,” I say, looking at Lunar. She half-smiles at me as I nod to her and walk off, leaving them to their shit. I have my own to sort out. Rubbing my jaw, I move it from side to side and walk down the hall toward Ria’s dressing room while taking a few calming breaths.
I knock on the door and wait.
“Come in.”
I open the door and walk in to see Ria standing in the middle of her room, looking a little lost. My jaw hurts, so I move it from side to side again and close the door behind me. “So… that last take was ah…” I pause, not really knowing what to say.
“We got what we needed.”
“You were really playing the part well,” I murmur, and she slumps her body and frowns.
“I was acting, Nate, you know that. I can tell you’re jealous about what happened here today, with Danger and me. I knowwhat you saw would have been hard to watch, and I hate that this has hurt you—”
“Then why push it that far, Ria?”
“Because that’s my job, Nate. This is what I do. Gah! It’s always going to come back to this with us. Isn’t it? You don’t understand the choices I make for the good of my career.”
“Ria, I understand why this happened today, but I don’t have to like it. I mean, fuck! How the hell am I supposed to like you kissing another man? Not just another man…my friend?”
“I was acting…for God’s sake!”
“I know!I’m not debating that. Why are we even arguing?”
“Because this is going to be the same dance we always have, Nate. You getting upset every time I kiss another actor.”
My body tenses, and I clench my jaw, grinding my teeth together so harshly they almost squeal. “Ria, it won’t.”
“Itwill,Nate. We can’t get past this. There are no options here,” she says, letting out a small sob.
Every part of me tenses as a shudder runs right through me. “So what are you saying?”
She flares her nostrils and shakes her head. “We’re done, Nate.”
“What?”
