Page 30 of You. Me. Us.

Her face shifted, the anger slipping away and a sort of brightness returning to them.

“What the hell was that?” Julius whispered, his hands going toward her waist to pull her against him. “Holy shit, Hillary. If that was you proving me wrong, I never want to be right again.”

Julius stood in awe, his eyes locked on Hillary. The raw emotion she had poured into every word, every gesture, had left him breathless. It was as if she had reached into the depths of her soul and laid bare a part of herself that had been hidden away, waiting for the right moment to emerge.

He glanced over at Vera, eager to gauge her reaction. The director sat motionless, her silver hair gleaming under the stage lights. Her eyes were wide, her mouth slightly agape as she stared at Hillary. It was a look Julius had seen before, the look of someone who had just witnessed something extraordinary.

Vera rose from her seat, her movements slow and deliberate. She approached the stage, her gaze never leaving Hillary’s face. “That was...” she began, her voice barely above a whisper. “That was incredible.”

Hillary ducked her head, a shy smile playing on her lips. “Thank you,” she murmured, her cheeks flushing with a delicate pink.

Vera shook her head, as if trying to clear the cobwebs of disbelief from her mind. “No, thank you,” she said, her voice growing stronger. “I’ve seen countless auditions over the years, but never anything like that. The depth of emotion, the authenticity... it was breathtaking to know that it came from someone untrained.”

Julius couldn’t help but beam with pride. He had known from the moment he met Hillary that she possessed a special talent, a spark that could ignite the screen. And now, seeing her standing there, basking in the glow of Vera’s praise, he knew that he had been right.

“I have to admit,” Vera continued, “when Julius first told me about you, I was skeptical. A journalist with no acting experience, taking on a lead role? It seemed like a risk, a gamble. But now... now I see what he sees in you. The potential, the raw talent waiting to be honed and polished.”

Hillary’s eyes widened, her mouth opening and closing as she struggled to find the words. “I... I don’t know what to say,” she stammered, her voice trembling with emotion. “This is all so, so overwhelming.”

Julius stepped forward, his hand finding the small of her back in a reassuring gesture. “You don’t have to say anything,” he murmured, his breath warm against her ear. “Just know that you’ve earned this, every bit of it. I just did what agents do. I looked into your eyes and saw something.”

Vera nodded, a smile spreading across her face. “He’s right. This role, it’s yours if you want it. I have no doubt that you’ll bring a depth and complexity to the character that no one else could.”

Hillary’s eyes filled with tears, a mixture of joy and disbelief. She turned to Julius, her gaze searching his face as if looking for confirmation that this was real, that it wasn’t just a wild dream.

Julius grinned, his heart swelling with a fierce pride and an even fiercer happiness than anytime he’d gotten a role in the last decade. Still, her being wrong about her talent was not the same thing as her taking the role.

The tears that had welled in her eyes spilled down her cheeks, leaving glistening trails that caught the stage lights.

Or her not hating you forever.

thirteen

. . .

She could feelJulius’s hand on her back, a steady presence amidst the whirlwind of emotions that threatened to sweep her away.

She looked at him, really looked at him, and saw the hope and belief shining in his blue eyes. Those eyes that had captivated her from the moment they first met, that had seen something in her that she had never dared to acknowledge. And now, standing here in this theater, with the offer of a lifetime hanging in the air, she realized that maybe, just maybe, he had been right all along.

But the doubt still lingered, a nagging voice in the back of her mind that whispered of her inadequacies, her fears. She was a journalist, a writer, not an actress. She had spent her life crafting stories with her words, not embodying them on stage or screen. The thought of stepping into the spotlight, of baring her soul for all the world to see, sent a shiver of terror down her spine.

And yet... and yet there was a part of her, a small, quiet part, that yearned for this. That longed to break free from the confines of her carefully constructed life and embrace the unknown. Totake a chance on herself, on the talent that Julius and Vera saw within her.

Hillary took a deep breath, the air filling her lungs and steadying her racing heart. She looked at Vera, at the silver-haired woman who had seen something extraordinary in her performance. “I... I don’t know what to say,” she began, her voice trembling with emotion. “This is all so unexpected, so surreal.”

Vera smiled, a gentle, understanding smile that crinkled the corners of her eyes. “I know it’s a lot to take in,” she said, her voice soft and reassuring. “But I meant every word. You have a gift, Hillary. A rare and precious gift that deserves to be shared with the world.”

Hillary swallowed hard, the lump in her throat threatening to choke her. She glanced at Julius, seeking strength in his steady gaze. He nodded, a small, encouraging nod that spoke volumes.

She turned back to Vera, a newfound determination settling over her. “I accept,” she said, her voice growing stronger with each word. “I accept the role. I don’t know if I’ll be any good, if I’ll be able to live up to your expectations. But I’m willing to try. To take a chance on myself, on this opportunity.”

Vera’s smile widened, her eyes sparkling with delight. “Wonderful,” she exclaimed, clapping her hands together. “I have no doubt that you’ll exceed all of our expectations. And we’ll be with you every step of the way, supporting you once we get you an agent to help you make this official.”

Julius lifted Hillary into his arms, spinning her around as she let out a surprised laugh as the room slowly stopped spinning, but he didn’t set her down.

He leaned in, his lips brushing against hers in a tender kiss that sent sparks dancing across their skin.

As they pulled apart, Julius rested his forehead against hers, a soft smile playing on his lips as he finally set her down. “You won’t regret this, Hillary,” he murmured, his breath warmagainst her cheek. “Stepping outside your comfort zone, taking a chance on yourself—it’s the beginning of an incredible journey.”

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