Page 37 of The Fate Of Us

“Nigel, Amber, I will ask that you hang around for a little while, though.” His smilepeaks as he rubs his hands together. “We’ve got an important announcement later on.”

“Sure thing, boss,” Nigel says, shooting a hearty salute in Seb’s direction.

Amber nods. “Okey dokey.”

“Awesome.” Seb’s hands boom a clap. “Adaline and Nate, I’ll need you guys incostume and ready to get the restaurant scene in ten. Sound good?”

I miss Wesley Paige.

“Yep.” I pop the ‘p’, nodding a bit enthusiastically before my head swivels to Addy.

She looks like she’s just been told she’s being forced to skydive with no parachute.“Uh-huh. No problem.” She sings, rocking back and forth on her high tops.

“Greaaaat. Right guys, get this scene lit before we—” Seb’s voice fades out as hesaunters around the set, prepping himself for what he thinks will be a quick shoot.

In no time, I’m in Harry’s costume, composed of a basic white tee and blue jeans thathug my thighs but are loose everywhere else, a backwards cap and some tan work boots. The boots thud me onto the set of a restaurant, the cheesy Italian decor surrounding the walls and the dim lighting create that moody effect that hangs over the entire movie.

I feel her walking onto the set before I spot her. Like my body has an internal Addyradar that makes my muscles relax whenever my eyes land on her. My eyes drift up and land on the shades of crimson and clover green as they stride towards the makeshift booth I’m sitting in, my legs tensing and spine freezing as she slides in opposite me.

This is the first scene we’ve filmed together. Just the two of us. I suppose I’ve beenhoping that we could somehow go through the entire shoot without this happening, but that was stupid of me to wish for. We’re playing lovers, for God’s sake.

With both of us off-script by this point, too, it means that our hands have nothing to busyourselves with while we wait for the crew to set up in front of us. My elbows nearly grind into the fake table from stress, my eyes skimming everything but the girl in front of me.

Clouds of awkwardness hang over us amongst the stage lights and oversized camerasthat surround us. It’s like we’re trapped. My breathing goes erratic, which is weird considering that never happens around Addy. But I take my breaths, think of her, release said breath, and repeat until I hear the ‘Are we ready?’ coming from Seb in the darkness.

And then… we switch.

“Can you believe him? Asking me to prom via text.” Her smile is infectious.

Fake, butinfectious.

“I swear it’s like men have forgotten how to be gentlemen.” She sips on nothing through the twisty straw now positioned between her lips, head tilting and her eyes going all wide and wonderstruck. “Oh! I forgot to ask; how did you ask Stacey?” She scoots closer, leaning further over the table.

I sink back into the booth, my face morphing into character. Harry hasn’t actuallyasked anyone to prom yet, because he wants to take Anastasia, so I shake my head and play it cool, flicking my wrist in the air. “Oh, I haven’t… yet.” I stutter. “I’m not even sure she’d say yes if I did ask her, Stas.” I straighten my spine, before leaning to meet Addy’s elbows in the centre of the table. “How would you want to be asked?” I narrow my eyes at her.

She shuffles in her seat, before flicking her hair behind her shoulder. “I’d wantsomething intimate. Personal. I’d want whoever asked me to actually get to know me before they went all in with some crappy prom-posal.” Her eyes met the fluorescent lighting strung above us, the blue mixing with the fire that lived in hers. “They’d know I’m a bookworm, so they’d plant a note in the middle of my favourite book, knowing I’ll re-read it eventually. And that note will lead me to the next.”

“A scavenger hunt? Are you seven?” I squint at her, not holding back on the smirkthat’s dying to shine.

“At heart. Now, can I carry on?” She quips, and the way she rolls her eyes and cancelsit out with the pearly smile she dishes me sends me headfirst into the past.

Fuck, I don’t like this.

We used to be like this. We used to casually spar like this, call each other names, andtease each other to the point where we’d both be hunched over and cackling within minutes. And that’s what’s scaring me. The way I’m craving for this to be real.

“Anyway, after I’ve found all the notes, I’ll be led to a special place where the personresponsible for the notes will be waiting. With lights and flowers and subtle music that I only notice when my steps take me closer.” I soaked up every single way her face lit up, because I didn’t know the next time I’d get to enjoy it so rawly, so close as I’m being allowed to now.

“He’ll ask me to prom, and I’ll say yes—”

“CUT!!”

Both of our heads flick to Seb in unison, my ears ringing from the call bell and my brows drawn in the same way I knowAddy’s are.

“Adaline, darlin?” Seb calls. “We love everything, but we are thinking of having youtwo sit next to each other instead. These cameras aren’t playing ball. Is that okay?”

Her faded ruby eyes turn into planets. “Umm, sure. Yeah. Yeah, I can… do that.”

“Your excitement is almost overwhelming, Add’s.” I mumble, which earns me a pointedglare from the woman herself.

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