Page 22 of The Grumpy Actor

However, my eyes are glued on him, watching his every move.

Things between us have been pretty awkward since the kiss. The undeniable spark between us seems to have gotten stronger, and even though I try to ignore it, there are times when it clouds my mind. Times like right now.

Liam has gotten even colder since the kiss. He’s more curt with his words and grumpier than ever.

A part of me wants to believe this is just his way of dealing with the aftermath of our kiss. However, he doesn’t look like he’s bothered by it the way I am.

If anything, he seems annoyed that he kissed me. He probably regrets it.

He did call it a mistake, but I didn’t think he meant it. I’d thought that, like me, he’d been finding it hard to control his attraction.

What iswrongwith me? Why do I feel like this when I know I’ll only get hurt?

“Sophie.”

A gentle hand taps my shoulder, and I jolt out of my thoughts. I turn around and gasp when I see that John is still standing beside me.

How did I forget I was having a whole conversation with someone? What has Liam done to me?

John is a childhood friend, and he showed up on set this morning to drop off some things that the production team ordered from his shop.

He saw me and then we started talking. Can I even call it talking since I keep drifting in and out of the conversation?

“Are you okay? You seem a little out of it,” John asks, worry etched onto his face.

I force out a smile. “I’m fine. It’s just work stress, nothing more.”

“You know I hate it when you get stressed out,” John says softly. “And I always told you to just call me if you need to relieve your stress. I’ll run away with you anywhere, even if it’s just a day.”

“I know you will, but I don’t feel like the world is imploding yet, so I’m fine.”

I know John isn’t joking about running away with me. He never makes a joke, and I’ve always known he has a crush on me.

Even though I’ve let him down gently several times, John always says it doesn’t matter. He insists that I let him help me whenever he can, even though I don’t return his feelings.

I feel too bad to accept his help when I know how he feels about me. It’s the reason I often avoid being around him.

“The world might not be imploding yet, but it sure looks like it’s about to,” he says.

I chuckle, shaking my head at him. “I promise I’m fine.”

“Alright.” He smiles. “When do you get off?”

I glance at the time on my phone, then Liam’s schedule.

“This is his last scene for the day. I should be able to leave as soon as they’re done with this.”

“Great. Would you like to have dinner with me?”

“John—”

“I have a coupon for the Royal Crest Restaurant. It’s for a two-person meal, and it expires today,” he quickly explains. “I don’t want to miss a chance to eat free food. Neither should you.”

I chuckle. “Now that you put it like that, I might take you up on your offer.”

“You better.”

“Cut!” the director yells. “That’s it for today.”

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