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‘Maybe we should wait a minute,’ said Sarah firmly to the AD, who’d come over to assess the situation.

‘Ten minutes!’ shouted the AD, and then walked back to explain the situation to Franco.

‘Please, the sooner I check you over the quicker you can go back,’ begged Hannah, her mind already rattling through what concussion checks she needed to perform.

Finally, Caleb grunted his acceptance, plonking himself down on one of the nearby boulders with a bad-tempered huff. Sarah was now talking to Jackson, and she hoped Patrick wouldn’t be staying for the next shot.

She focused on the task at hand, going through all the usual checks, putting on a cooling gel pack and holding it to his head.

‘This isn’t fucking necessary!’ growled Caleb, very much like a bear with a sore head.

She pressed the pack more firmly, enjoying his wince possibly a little too much. ‘Stop moaning and let me do my job.’

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Patrick had not been sent off set, but had at least switched positions with Jackson. ‘For fuck’s sake! They need to get rid of him.’

‘He’s suited up, it’ll take too much time.’

‘But if he’s compromising your safety, then—’

‘He’s not!’ Caleb batted away the gel pack and stood. Towering over her, he glared down at her. ‘This is my job, Hannah! It’s dangerous, and there’s always a risk. It’s what I accept every day that I arrive on set.’

‘I know that—’

‘Do you? Because this isn’t the first time you’ve gotten in the way of me filming. This isn’t your perfectly curated best life, Hannah. Life isn’t a fairytale or a movie – shit goes wrong, people fall in and out of love. People get hurt. You think pretending your life is perfect will make it that way? It won’t. I’ll be gone soon.’ He lowered his voice. ‘We agreed this wasn’t going to be serious. I think you need to remember that.’

‘Oh, believe me, I haven’t forgotten. How could I? You keep reminding me of it every five minutes.’ Hannah gave a bitter laugh. If she’d had a big green bat, she might have struck him with it too. Instead, she dropped the gel pack in his lap; unfortunately, he caught it before it struck home. ‘You say it’s just sex, but you’re the one being emotional. I asked one personal question, and you act like I’ve suddenly become a bunny boiler. If you’re no longer interested, that’s perfectly fine, but I asked for only one thing from you. Honesty. And this bullshit excuse isn’t cutting it! I specifically told you that if either of us had had enough, to end it – no hard feelings. But you haven’t, have you? Why? Because you don’t want to be the bad guy? Well, too late. You are.’

Caleb’s pupils widened until there was only a ring of emerald around the edge. A muscle ticked in his jaw, and he let out a deep sigh of regret. ‘I’m sorry.’ Her heart leapt in her chest, hopeful that he’d beg for her forgiveness. Admit that he was scared of commitment and that he’d make amends. But his next words dashed her hopes completely. ‘You’re right. Maybe if I get another film here, we could see—’

She couldn’t bear it. He was going to string her along – long distance without any commitment. Purgatory. She interrupted him quickly. ‘You want me to wait for you? Put my life on hold and see if you happen to work here again? No, thanks. I’ve had enough. Let’s end it now. For both our sakes.’

Hurt and shock flashed across Caleb’s face, and he mumbled, ‘If that’s what you want.’

Hannah’s heart broke, but she knew there was no point in humiliating herself any further. She wasn’t going to allow him to hurt her without a barb of her own. ‘Caleb Townsend, you’re the biggest coward I’ve ever met! Good luck with that lonely future you’re so desperate to have. You think your job is so dangerous and hard? I’ve been smacked and punched by patients – even had a knife thrown at me once. But nothing beats the everyday tragedies. I’ve seen children go from a mild fever to losing their lives in a matter of hours. I’ve seen people beat cancer, only to be hit by a car the very next day. All living is a risk! You’re not being noble by pushing people away. The only person you’re protecting is yourself. You’re—’

A nauseatingly snide laugh came from behind Hannah, and she turned to see Jackson, Patrick, and an uncomfortable AD standing behind her.

Patrick shook his head. ‘Oops, trouble in paradise. Don’t worry, bruv. She got super clingy with me too. Has she picked out your matching stripy mugs yet?’

Hannah’s self-righteous confidence shrivelled up. She felt like old Hannah again – weak and pathetic. The popular boys sniggering behind her back. ‘You think Caleb Townsend gives a fuck about maths or you? It don’t add up, Pencil! You’re a zero!’

Caleb rose from his seat, and Jackson lifted his hands as if in surrender. ‘Woah, big guy! Time is money, guys, and it’s time to start filming again. Hannah, can you please confirm if Caleb is okay to work, in your professional opinion?’

For some reason, the old Hannah found a courage she’d never felt before, amidst her obvious embarrassment and humiliation. ‘Caleb’s fine to work, no concussion. The bump on his head is only slightly bigger than Patrick’s tiny dick. So, nothing to worry about there.’

It was petty and childish, but neither the old nor the new Hannah cared. She returned to her seat next to Emma, who gave her a high five.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Three days later, Hannah went to the studio with Zach for her last official day – if filming went according to plan. She’d sent Caleb a text after their argument telling him that she was staying at Zach’s for a couple of days. When Caleb was at a production meeting, she snuck into the apartment for her suitcases and took a cab to her new home.

Or what would be her new home eventually. She was sleeping on the couch until Zach’s roomie officially moved in with his boyfriend. It was still better than seeing Caleb every day and night. After all, she spent most nights sobbing into the sofa cushions, so at least she didn’t have the humiliation of Caleb hearing her cry.

Maybe it was cowardly, and hadn’t she accused Caleb of that? But after their public argument she couldn’t face him. She’d said all she’d needed to say, and he’d said his piece too. He’d pointed out that she was living in a fantasyland and had developed feelings for him – which was sadly true, but she’d genuinely been doing her job when she’d checked on him. Okay, she’d been a bit worried, but she couldn’t help that; overthinking was in her DNA.

She couldn’t do anything about falling for him either. The crash was inevitable, from the first moment she’d seen him at the airport. Caleb Townsend had captured her heart easily; bouncing babies, sharing the best and biggest dessert with her, helping her move out, taking her off the beaten track, and helping her stand on her own two feet.

She’d been lying to herself. There was no way she could wave goodbye with a friendly kiss on the cheek and wish him well. Her heart had been ripped out of her chest, and now he carried it with him, slung from his belt like one of his swords. He’d suspected she wouldn’t move on easily, and he’d been right. The offer to still see her whenever he was filming in the Gold Coast had been a half-measure she couldn’t accept. Long distance wouldn’t work for her; she didn’t want her life split in two. It was already bad enough leaving Ellie and her family in London.