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‘Don’t say shit like that!’ Caleb snapped, glancing towards the trunk; thankfully, it was now closed. With any luck, Emma had gone inside to find the script and hadn’t heard what Lucas had said.

Lucas nodded miserably, but his words contradicted his apparent agreement. ‘You don’t get it. You’ve never wanted to fall in love. You’re happy being single. I can’t stand the idea of being alone.’

Caleb didn’t reply; he knew why Lucas eventually broke off relationships after falling so quickly in love. Lucas loved the fantasy and excitement of a whirlwind romance, but reality wasn’t a movie, and people were never perfect. When things became too real, Lucas lost interest.

Caleb’s mother had been the same until she’d settled for Paul. Which was why Caleb had rejected anything long term for years – because he knew circumstances and people changed, and that nothing in life was ever certain.

The driver got inside the front of the car, and the door closest to Caleb opened. ‘I’ve found it,’ said Emma with a cheerful wave of the revised script.

Lucas cheered, and Caleb got out of the car.

‘Thanks,’ Emma said to Caleb, and he noticed there was a redness to her cheeks and a wet sheen to her eyes. Had she heard Lucas’s comments?

‘He’s drunk,’ he said.

She nodded quickly and gave a painfully sunny smile that came across more like a grimace. ‘I know.’

‘Do you need a hand getting him out the other end? I can follow in my car.’

‘No need.’ She held up her phone, and it was lit up with notifications. ‘I’ve got the team on it.’

Caleb nodded. ‘Good night, then.’ He watched as Emma climbed inside and strapped Lucas into his seat first before buckling her own belt. It reminded him of Hannah, and a wave of longing rushed through him. Lucas wasn’t a bad guy; Caleb loved him as a brother, but he didn’t deserve Emma. Hell! Caleb didn’t deserve Hannah either.

‘Good night!’ Emma called cheerfully, and he shut the passenger door.

After Caleb had gotten in his car, he checked his phone: three a.m. Hannah would be in bed by now. There was no message from her to say that she’d gotten home safely, but then why would she send one? They weren’t a couple; he’d made that very clear in his horrendous, I don’t cheat, but I’m also not going to stay speech.

Usually, the women he dated were more than happy with that arrangement.

Why did he care that Hannah was behaving the same way? Hadn’t he made it clear to her that this would end when the filming finished?

When he got into the suite a short time later, he noticed the Doc Martens she’d been wearing were by the front door. Then, inside – further reassurance she’d gotten home safe – her big purse sat on the floor by the kitchen counter. A full glass of water waited on the kitchen island beside a blister packet of painkillers and a melted ice pack wrapped in a tea towel, presumably for his shoulder.

The fact that she’d cared enough to think of him before going to bed made him pause. A warm and unwelcome glow spread out from his chest, that reminded him of how easily affection could turn into something more.

He needed to be less worried about Hannah’s feelings and more concerned about his own. He couldn’t demand a casual relationship and expect more from her in return. He didn’t want to behave like Lucas – apparently in love, only to walk away when it all became too tough and real.

He was better than that, wasn’t he?

Chapter Twenty-Six

Hannah’s friend Ellie sat opposite her on the balcony – at least, Ellie via a very strong Wi-Fi connection. Hannah’s trusty old laptop was sat on the breakfast table with a cardboard box around it, a makeshift altar designed to reduce glare, and an extra-long extension cable to ensure it was fully powered throughout their hour-long conversation.

It was a couple of days after Bianca’s party, and she’d not seen much of Caleb since. He’d been hanging out a lot with Lucas at his beach house – catching up, he’d said, and she’d tried to be laid back and cool about it. She couldn’t help but wonder if his interest in her was beginning to wane. Now, more than ever, she was glad for her busy social life; it helped her not obsess over it.

It’s been a few days, chill out! If they’d been casually dating that would have been a normal break between seeing each other. Besides, filming had slowed down in preparation for the location shoots, and she was sure Caleb was busy planning those and training with Lucas.

Due to the time difference, Hannah sipped her morning coffee – as usual, it was something ridiculously extravagant from the swanky coffee shop downstairs – while Ellie drank her bedtime drink of choice. Sometimes they switched the times around, but frankly, Hannah loved to show off her balcony with its terrific view in the background and today was no exception.

Ellie offered her cup up for inspection. ‘A hot chocolate with squirty cream. And you?’

Hannah held up her own with an icy rattle. ‘Pistachio choc chiller with pistachio cold foam.’

‘Fancy bitch,’ Ellie replied sourly, followed by a begrudging, ‘Looks lush though.’

Hannah grinned. ‘Cheers!’

‘Cheers!’ They each pressed their drink to their camera lens in salute and then took a long sip.