Page 38 of You. Me. Us.

In the last twenty-four hours she’d only seen Julius and Ethan. Tomorrow was the first time she’d be fully on set with every cast member and god knew how many crew. If she messed up tomorrow, would they all regret taking a chance on her?Would Julius worry she would destroy the movie he was both starring in and producing?

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm the butterflies wreaking havoc in her stomach.You can do this, she told herself firmly.They chose you for a reason. But the niggling doubts persisted, whispering that she was out of her depth, that she didn’t belong here among the bright lights and big names. It didn’t seem to matter what she did, Imposter Syndrome found its way to her without a hitch.

A sudden knock at the door made Hillary jump, a few pages of the script slipping from her fingers and scattering across the floor. Nearly letting out a curse, she rose and crossed the small space, opening the door to reveal Julius leaning casually against the door frame.

His lips curved into that effortless smile that never failed to make her pulse quicken.

“Hey, you,” he said softly, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

Before Hillary could respond, Julius leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. It was brief but sweet, a moment of connection that grounded her amid the whirlwind of her thoughts.

“Julius, hi,” she breathed as he pulled back. “I wasn’t expecting you.” She glanced self-consciously at the mess of pages on the floor, evidence of her frayed nerves.

“I can tell,” he chuckled, following her gaze. “Big day tomorrow, huh? I remember my first table read. I was a wreck. But you did a small before, you’ll be just as great.”

Hillary blinked in surprise. “You? Nervous? I find that hard to believe.”

Julius shrugged, his smile turning wry. “Believe it. Even I get Imposter Syndrome sometimes. I’m not exactly the typical space hero. But you know what helps?” He reached out and took her hand, lacing their fingers together. “Remember, we’re in thistogether. You’re not alone, Hillary. You’ve impressed everyone you’ve met. Embrace that.”

She looked down at their joined hands, marveling at how such a simple touch could bring such comfort. Could he be right? Maybe she wasn’t an imposter, but rather part of a team, all working toward the same goal.

“Thank you,” she said quietly, meeting his eyes. “I needed to hear that. I think.”

Julius grinned and squeezed her hand. “Anytime. Now, what do say to you coming with me somewhere special?”

Hillary tilted her head, curiosity piqued. “Somewhere special? What did you have in mind?”

Julius’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “It’s a surprise. But I promise it’ll be worth it. Just trust me.”

She hesitated for a moment, glancing back at the scattered script pages. The responsible part of her urged her to stay and prepare, but the part that longed for adventure, for connection, whispered that this was exactly what she needed.

Still, staying back and preparing was what was best. It’s what she would have done if this was work at Muse.

“Come on, my last surprise worked very well, didn’t it?”

If it was possible, her heart skipped a beat at his words, a part of her yearning to say yes without hesitation. But the practical side of her brain kicked in, reminding her of the challenges ahead. “Julius, we’re about to start filming, and our schedules will be packed...”

“You look like you’re about to say no.” Julius looked genuinely upset as he cleared his throat.

Julius stepped closer, his free hand coming up to brush a stray lock of hair from her face.

He took a deep breath, his blue eyes searching hers. “I want to take you on a date, Hillary. Just you and me, no scripts orcameras. I miss you when we’re not together, and I want to make up for lost time while we prepared to come here.”

Her entire resistance crumbled faster than a flame doused with water. In all her life she never imagined someone like him would say something like that to her. He was right. Despite her fears and doubts, she couldn’t deny the pull she felt toward him, the longing to explore this connection between them.

“Okay,” she said, a smile tugging at her lips. “Lead the way.” She grabbed her purse off the small table at the entrance.

Julius’s grin widened as he tugged her out of the room and down the hallway. They navigated the maze of corridors, dodging crew members and equipment, until they emerged into the warm evening air.

A sleek black car awaited them, and Julius held the door open for her with a flourish. “Your chariot awaits, my lady.”

Hillary laughed, the sound light and carefree, as she slid into the luxurious interior. Julius joined her, and the car pulled away from the curb, gliding through the city streets.

“This feels … familiar.” She couldn’t help her grin.

“It seemed to work well for me the last time. A proper date is something I should have done from the start. Not a fancy party where I wanted to see if I was as interested in you as I thought I was.”

“And were you?” She asked nervously.

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