Page 12 of You. Me. Us.

Grateful, Hillary nodded, and Julius took her hand, leading her off the dance floor. He wove her back through the crowd,until stopping, finding her a momentary respite in a quieter corner of the rooftop. The string lights cast their soft glow over their faces as they caught their breath, the distant hum of the party fading into the background.

Do I get panic attacks?Hillary thought, taking a deep breath of the cool night air. As she stood under the starry night sky, she focused as best as she could on only her breathing.

She closed her eyes and breathed in the crisp, cool air, hoping it would bring some peace to the chaos in her mind. Slowly, she felt her racing heart start to calm down. The gentle rustle of wind through her hair helped her switch her focus, too.

All around her, the world seemed to be at peace, even if her own thoughts were still swirling. Gradually, she was able to clear her mind and find a moment of tranquility amidst the turmoil until she was comfortable enough to open her eyes.

She glanced up at Julius, finding him already watching her, his expression soft and unguarded. She should have been embarrassed, terrified even, but she wasn’t. The concern in his eyes only seemed to ground her with a sense of acceptance. A connection she couldn’t quite explain—a sense of understanding, of shared experience, that shouldn’t have been possible for him in his life.

“Thank you,” she said softly, her eyes meeting his. “For the dance, and for... this.”

Julius smiled, his hand still holding hers, his thumb tracing gentle circles on her skin. “Anytime, Hillary. Anytime. If you swear to keep it off the record, I get them as well.”

She opened her mouth to tell him she wasn’t certain what happened and realized it would destroy everything. He took a chance, told her something about himself, and she almost rejected his truth.

“Your secret is perfectly safe with me.”

Julius leaned against the railing, and Hillary watched him as his gaze drifted out over the glittering cityscape below. She moved to lean on the railing beside him, their bodies angled toward each other, the space between them charged with a quiet intimacy.

“It’s beautiful up here,” Hillary murmured, her eyes tracing the lines of Julius’s profile. “Peaceful, even with the party going on.”

Julius turned to face her nodded, a wistful smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “It reminds me of when I first started out in this industry. I’d come to rooftops like this to escape, to dream about making it big.”

“What was it like? Wanting this dream and not knowing if you’d get it?”

Julius chuckled, a low, rich sound that sent a shiver down Hillary’s spine. “On the record or off?”

She laughed softly. “Off.”

“Tough. I lost count of the auditions I went to, the rejections I faced. I was rejected at least fifteen times a week for not having the right vibe. I wasn’t the muscular hunk I am now.” he gave a small smile. “I wasn’t scrawny, but I didn’t scream, ‘hey hero over here.’ Honestly, there were days when I thought about giving up, when I wondered if I was crazy for even trying.”

“But you didn’t give up,” she let her hand rest on his arm. “You kept going, even when it was hard.”

He nodded again, his eyes alive with passion. “I couldn’t quit. Acting, storytelling... it’s in my blood. It’s who I am. Every ‘no’ just made me more determined to prove them wrong, to show the world what I could do.”

A rush of admiration ran through her, of respect for the man before her. She’d always seen Julius as a star, a legend in the making. But now, she saw the fighter, the dreamer, the person beneath the polished exterior.

“You’re incredible,” she breathed, the words slipping out before she could stop them. “Not just as an actor, but as a person. The way you’ve fought for your dreams, the way you’ve stayed true to yourself... it’s inspiring.”

Julius’s gaze softened, his hand coming up to cup Hillary’s cheek, and she nearly pulled back out of fear of what could be happening.

“You are someone’s inspiration too, Hillary. Your passion, your integrity, the way you see the world, it inspires someone, you just may not have met them yet.”

For a long moment, they simply looked at each other with even more of the outside world falling away. She couldn’t help but shake that they weren’t a Hollywood star and a journalist, but two people drawn together.

Julius’s thumb brushed lightly over Hillary’s cheekbone, the action sending a shiver down her spine. She couldn’t seem to tear herself away from gaze, finding herself getting lost in the depths of his blue eyes, a sea of emotions swirling within them.

“You know,” Julius murmured, a playful smile tugging at his lips, “I’ve faced down armies of orcs and battled fearsome dragons on screen, but being here with you? It’s a whole different kind of intimidating.”

Hillary couldn’t help but laugh, the tension between them easing into a comfortable warmth. “Is that so? I’ll have you know that I’ve navigated the treacherous waters of the journalism world. I don’t think I can handle this much attention from one charming actor.”

“Charming, huh?” Julius grinned, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “I like the sound of that.”

He’s not just charming,her heart fluttered in her chest.He’s magnetic. Irresistible. Exactly who he is on screen.The thought was sobering. She couldn’t believe she almost fell for an act.

“Don’t let it go to your head,” she teased, forcing herself to lightly poke him in the chest, to be braver than she was. “I’ve interviewed plenty of charming people before. You’re not that special.”

“Ouch!” Julius clutched his heart in mock pain. “You wound me, Hillary. And here I thought we had something special.”

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