Page 65 of A Simple Love

What had I done?

19

OLIVER

Iwas exhausted—both mentally and physically. After Kassie left, Sheri seemed livid when she reappeared from wherever she had wandered to. She had to go to wardrobe because of an issue she refused to discuss, pushing back filming. When she showed up again, her performance was off and she snapped at everyone—especially me. I had no idea what had pissed her off again, but I held my tongue until one particularly waspish comment was directed my way about my lack of professionalism and talent.

I had crossed my arms, fed up and ready to be done. “What the fuck is your problem with me, Sheri?”

She tossed her hair. “You overstepped your mark—again.”

I looked down, shaking my head. “I’m on my mark. I have been every take. You’re the one who keeps fucking up the scene.”

She threw up her hands, looking so appalled it was almost amusing. She made sure her voice was loud enough to be heard by everyone in the vicinity. “You keep picking on me! I can’t work like this!” Then she burst into tears and ran from the set.

It was her best performance to date.

I frowned in confusion. Davis dropped his head in defeat, and Carl slapped me on the shoulder. “Damn.”

“I didn’t do anything,” I protested. “She was unprofessional first. I was pointing out her mistake.”

He lowered his voice. “Snakes don’t like to be cornered.”

“Fuck,” I muttered as Davis came over.

He met my gaze. I shook my head before he could speak. “Don’t ask me to apologize. She pushed and pushed me.”

“I’m aware. But I need you to get along the rest of the shoot. It’s imperative for both of us.”

I withheld my sigh. I knew what he was saying. I was still earning my way back. One word from him to Annie and I was a dead man walking. I had to swallow my pride.

“I’ll go apologize, then,” I said through gritted teeth.

What happened next shocked me. “No. I’ll go talk to her. She was unprofessional and overdramatic. She needs to save that for in front of the camera. But you will behave. Walk away next time.”

“I can do that.”

I sat in the chair, remembering how they’d reappeared, her looking smug but calm and Davis calling us all back to order. I had no idea what he said to her, but she ignored me, other than the brief moments we interacted on-screen. I was fine with that. We finished the scene, plus I did two others that needed the darkness of the night. And with the rain holding off, it was the perfect time to get them in the can. But I was drained.

Another exchange kept nagging at me. When Kassie was getting ready to leave, I’d almost said I love you. I caught myself in time. It was force of habit, I told myself. When we were younger, we never left each other without saying the words. It was simply muscle memory and how close we had suddenly become again.

I wasn’t in love with her. Those feelings were in the past. We had agreed to that. Both of us. She would have been upset if I had uttered those words to her.

I nodded as I climbed out of the car.

Just a memory. Far, far in the past.

Yet, even as I comforted myself with that assessment, my feet took me to her door. She had left me a key earlier in my trailer, and I’d found it when I went to change and grab my jacket and wallet. I let myself in, listening carefully. I toed off my shoes and headed to her room, stopping in the door.

She was asleep in her bed, almost nestled into a pillow fort. She was leaning against a pile of pillows and had one tucked under each arm. The light beside her was on, the dim glow casting shadows over her as I approached quietly. Shutting my eyes, I matched my breathing to hers, peace settling over me. I could smell her scent as I inhaled, the soft aroma of her perfume seeping into my senses and further calming me. Simply being close to her did that to me.

“Oliver,” she murmured.

I opened my eyes to see her staring at me.

“You looked wrecked.”

“It was a bad night.”