Page 42 of You. Me. Us.

For the hundredth time, he wondered if he shouldn’t have insisted they spend last night together, but making certain she was comfortable with him had been far more important than waking up next to her.

As they set off down the hall to get to the conference room booked for the read, Julius bumped his shoulder playfullyagainst hers. “You’re going to do amazing, Hill. I know it.” He caught her gaze, willing her to believe him. “You’ve done this before, remember? Granted, it was with a smaller group, but still. You’ve got this.”

Hillary let out a shaky laugh. “I suppose so. It’s just,” she sighed and paused for a moment. “There are so many big names involved this time. I don’t want to make a fool of myself.” She fiddled with the sleeve of her sweater, something he had seen her do at the start of their interview weeks ago.

Julius’s heart swelled with affection. He stopped to pull her into a hug, making certain to let her control when he would let go. “You could never make a fool of yourself, Hil. You’re brilliant and talented and deserving of every opportunity that comes your way. The rest of the cast is going to adore you, trust me.”

She ducked her head against his chest, and he knew she’d be blushing. It was just one in a list of things that he adored about her. She gave a small sigh before stepping out of his embrace, even though he was reluctant to let her go.

“Thanks, Julius. I really appreciate you saying that. I guess we better keep walking,” Her steps seemed a bit lighter as they continued on even if her voice hadn’t seemed entirely sure.

Julius marveled at the effect his words had on her. He meant every one of them—Hillary was something special, a rare mix of intelligence, beauty, and humility—but he needed to make certain she started to realize all that without him telling her.

Every moment he spent getting to know led to seeing more of what lived beneath her shy exterior. She’d come alive under his touch last night, and he wanted that confident, sexy woman to be who she felt she could be no matter where she was or who she was with. She made him want to help her simply by being the person she was.

For now, he contented himself with the easy conversation that flowed between them, punctuated by Hillary’s soft laughterand the occasional brush of her arm against his. By the time they reached the door to the read-through, her shoulders were noticeably more relaxed.

Julius reached for the handle but paused, turning to face her. “Ready?”

Hillary took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders. “As I’ll ever be.” Her smile was nervous but determined.

Pride swelled in Julius’s chest. “That’s my girl. Three…two…one…”

Hillary pushed the door open and the small quiet serene space for two was instantly gone.

The room buzzed with chatter and excitement as Julius and Hillary entered. Familiar faces turned to greet them—the director, the other two producers, and fellow cast members. Julius felt Hillary tense slightly beside him, her hand tightening on the strap of her bag.

“Julius, Hillary, welcome!” Vera smiled and gave them a wave. “Hillary, you’ll find your script and name there,” Vera pointed to the seat just in front of her. “I’m certain Julius spent no time explaining this to you.”

He wanted to flinch away at the truthful words. He’d not wanted to spend a moment talking about business last night, but in hindsight, it might have helped Hillary.

She didn’t go ramrod straight, but she tensed beside him. “He did not.”

Julius placed a gentle hand on the small of Hillary’s back, guiding her toward two empty chairs. He leaned in close, his breath stirring the wisps of hair at her temple. “You’ve got this,” he murmured, giving her an encouraging smile.

Hillary returned the smile, gratitude shining in her green eyes. She slid into her seat, arranging her script on the table before her. Julius settled beside her, his knee brushing hers under the table.

“While lofty, our goal is an entire read through. Skip the commentary if we can, we only have this conference room today and I’d rather not bring a table read to set.” Vera nodded at the camera man. “Thanks to social media, there will be a cut of this out in the real world, watch what you say, it could end up other there.”

Julius snickered and was pleased to see that Hillary gave a small laugh as well.

“And with that, welcome to the table read for Starborn Alliance.” Vera’s voice rang out loud and proud.

Hillary had the first line in the movie, and he watched as her hands settled around the pages, lifting the script as if she wanted to hold it upright.

“There is little time left to say the words. My planet needs him and only my mother can speak the words that will unlock this chamber.”

Julius was captivated by the way she perfectly captured the essence of her character, her voice carrying a hint of breathlessness as if she had truly run down a long corridor as the stage directions said her character will have. He could picture her graceful figure dashing through the halls, her hair trailing behind her. He allowed himself to be transported into the scene, feeling the rush of adrenaline and excitement along with her character. The attention to detail in a single line left him impressed and in awe of her ability to be so natural at something she feared so much.

As the read through continued, he waited for his moment, captured by the skill she held. She breathed life into her character, her voice clear and expressive. When their characters shared a scene, their chemistry was palpable, the dialogue flowing effortlessly between them.

Julius caught Hillary’s eye during a particularly emotional exchange, a silent moment of connection passing between them.Her gaze held a vulnerability that made his heart ache. He wanted to gather her in his arms, shield her from the doubts he knew plagued her.

Instead, he poured his admiration into his performance, delivering his lines with a sincerity that drew appreciative nods from the director. Hillary’s answering smile was radiant, her confidence growing with each scene.

As the read-through drew to a close, Julius reached over to give Hillary’s hand a quick squeeze under the table. She squeezed back, her fingers warm and soft against his.

“That was amazing, Hil,” he whispered as the room erupted in applause. “You were incredible.”

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