Page 69 of His Every Move

I smiled, nostalgia blooming in my chest. “Yeah, that was a good night.”

Acting had always been my first love. A real passion of mine. I loved sinking into a character and living another life, pulling emotions out of myself and feeling them reflected back from the audience. I enjoyed theater the most because of that live aspect, but I also enjoyed playing for a camera as well. They were two very different mediums—film focused more on subtlety, and theater focused more on making sureeveryonein the audience connected with you, even those sitting at the far back.

“Exactly. And it doesn’t matter if you’ve been camming or dealing with whatever else. You deserve another shot at this.”

“Thanks, Zack. Seriously.” I reached across the table and gave my best friend’s hand a squeeze. “Means a lot.”

He smiled, squeezing my hand back. “Of course.” His expression darkened slightly as he withdrew. “Speaking of dealing with things… any updates on the Nomad front?”

My stomach twisted into a tight knot. “No. I mean… Benji was handling it, but now, that’s obviously not happening. I’m thinking about hiring someone else, maybe getting the cops involved again. It’s just—it’s hard to trust someone after that.” Saying it out loud made things feel all the more real. And all the more frightening.

Zack nodded sympathetically. “I don’t blame you. That was some next-level creep shit.” He hesitated, clearly choosing his next words carefully. “What did you even like about the guy?”

I sighed, swirling the ice around my empty glass. “Honestly? He was different. He felt… real. Genuine. I mean, despite the obvious.” I laughed bitterly. “I felt like I could just be myself around him. He never judged me, never made me feel weird about camming or anything else in my life. And, shit, Zack—the chemistry? It was insane. I’ve never connected with someone like that. It just felt right, like everything clicked effortlessly.”

The more I talked about him, the heavier the ache in my chest grew. Despite the betrayal, despite the lies, I still fucking missed him. Missed his smile, his laughter, the way his eyes softened when he looked at me. I missed falling asleep tangled up in him.

“I just… miss him. How fucked is that?”

“Damn, Eli,” Zack said softly. “You really fell hard, huh?”

“Yeah.” I choked out a laugh, eyes starting to sting. “And I feel like an idiot for it.”

“You’re not an idiot. You’re human. We fall for people who hurt us sometimes. Doesn’t make you stupid, just unlucky.”

“So what do I do?”

Zack appeared surprised at my question. “What do you mean? I thought you cut ties.”

“I guess we kind of did, but also, not really? I still feel connected to him. And I want to give him the chance to explain himself when I’m not seeing red.” I dropped my head back and looked up at the black ceiling. Copper pipes crisscrossed above me, a couple of them letting off steam. “He’s a good guy. I want to know why he acted so, I don’t know, fucked-up.”

“What if he doesn’t have a good excuse?” Zack asked. “I really,reallydon’t want to see you keep hurting, Eli. You’re too good for someone who doesn’t match your level. You’re successful, and you’re handsome, and you’re letting this get way to your head, aren’t you?”

“Kind of,” I said with a smirk. “But keep going.”

“You got the point. I don’t want to see you with anyone that doesn’t deserve you.”

I cocked my head and smiled. Zack always knew how to lift me up. I could count on him to help combat whatever inner saboteur I faced in my life. “Thanks, Zack. But I—it might be dumb, considering the circumstances, but I really feel like even with everything that happened, there’s still something worth fighting for between Benji and me.”

“Just know that if he hurts you again, then I’m going to hurt him back.”

“Alright, tough guy, relax.”

Zack laughed. He pushed a blond strand of rogue hair off his forehead before he glanced down at his phone, his Cher wallpaper taking up the entire screen.

“So, enough about my messy life. What’s going on in yours?” I asked. I’d already taken up enough time bitching and moaning. Now, I needed to give my friend the space to do the same.

“The usual. School’s a bitch, but I’m acing my exams. I’ve been thinking about getting a new tattoo. Maybe another hummingbird or possibly a cool scythe on my shoulder.”

“Two very different vibes.”

“Yeah, I’m having trouble deciding.”

Before I could ask him to elaborate, my phone buzzed violently against the table, startling me. Fran’s name flashed on the screen. My heart immediately sank. She never called unless it was important.

“Fran? What’s wrong?”

“Eli, you gotta come home now. Someone broke in,” she said, her voice trembling and frantic.

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