Nova
Holding the smoothie Easton texted me to bring, I walk to where they’re filming.
After spending some time with Lainey this afternoon, I decided to bring Easton a smoothie and a plate of the delicious pot roast Frances made for dinner.
If he’s going to work late, I’m going to make sure he at least has something nice to eat.
This time, nothing goes wrong, and when I reach the set manager, I say, “Hi, Amy. I don’t want to bother Easton. I just brought him something to eat.”
“Hey, Nova. They have one scene to shoot, then Easton will be with you. Take a seat over there.”
I sit down in the chair and rest the Tupperware on my lap. I see Easton where he’s standing with Milla Hamilton, who’s not much older than Lainey. They’re both in makeup, looking like they’ve been through a war, with their clothes ripped and soot covering their arms and faces.
In the movie, Easton’s character has to protect Milla from the villain who wants her dead because she knows something she shouldn’t.
“Ready?” the director calls out.
When Easton and Milla nod, Amy shouts, “Silence on set.”
I watch as Easton closes his eyes for a few seconds before he picks up Milla. He stares at her face as she goes limp in his arms.
“Action!”
Easton takes a few stumbling steps forward, and when intense sadness and shock wash over his features, I hold my breath. He drops to his knees, gripping Milla tightly to him, then he lets out a harrowing shout, “No!”
The raw sound in his voice sends goose bumps over my skin, and I lift a hand to cover my mouth.
“No,” he cries, and it sounds so real my heart beats faster. “Don’t die on me. Don’t you dare leave me.”
When he breaks down and tears leave tracks through the dirt on his face, I begin to get worried because this time, it doesn’t feel like he’s acting.
I stand up, gripping the smoothie and Tupperware tightly while I watch Easton let out a shuddering breath before whispering, “Open your eyes, Bella.”
“Cut!” the director shouts. “Perfect!”
Easton helps Milla back onto her feet before turning around and walking away. Not wasting a second, I rush after him as he stalks toward his trailer.
I follow him inside and quickly pull the door shut before setting his smoothie and Tupperware down on the counter. He walks to the middle of the sitting area, and keeping his back to me, I hear him suck in a sharp breath.
Coming up behind him, I whisper, “Easton?”
Suddenly, he spins around and grabs me to him, and then my heart breaks all over again when he lets out a broken cry.
I hold him as tight as I can to me, brushing my hand over his back. “I’ve got you. Shh, I’m here.”
It takes a few minutes before he’s able to regain control over his emotions, but even after he calms down, he still clings to me.
“Better?” I murmur.
He nods, then admits, “I thought of Rachel to make the scene as realistic as possible.”
“Oh, Easton.” I keep rubbing my hand over his back and press a kiss to his hair and neck. “I could feel it.”
“I’m so fucking glad you’re here,” he whispers before taking a deep breath.
I keep holding him as long as he needs me to, then he mutters, “That take better be perfect because I’m not doing it again.”
“The director said it’s perfect, so you don’t have to worry.” When I pull a little back and see the tear tracks on his face, I ask, “Can I clean your face, or do you have to keep the makeup on?”
