Page 49 of The Wrong Costar

Icould really get used to Teagan’s smile. The real one, that was. Not that fake thing she plastered across her face like her life depended on it while at school. There was such a subtle difference between the two that you might not realize she wasn’t genuinely happy unless you knew what you were looking for. It was in the way her eyes sparkled though. When she was truly happy, her green eyes twinkled like sunlight was streaming through a canopy of leaves that were fluttering in the wind.

The most astounding part of our whole morning was the fact she’d brought out a side of me that had been buried deep for so long I’d almost forgotten it existed. Once upon a time, I was the goofy guy who was always laughing with his cast mates and going out of his way to make people smile. Ever since we’d started to reform my image though, I’d become all too serious.

I liked to think I’d brought out a side of Teagan that she kept hidden too. The way she’d laughed with such freedom while we danced wasn’t something I’d witnessed at school. Her face glowed with happiness, and the sound of her laugh was so carefree I knew I wouldn’t forget it anytime soon.

“So, we should get on with the interview,” she said, her eyes darting away to rest on her bag. She started rifling through it as she brought out a notebook. I took out my laptop at the same time, ready to get the project completed for real this time. I found I actually wanted to learn more about Teagan, and the assignment seemed insignificant compared with my own curiosity.

I opened the document of questions I’d prepared, but I barely looked at them, instead choosing to focus on Teagan. She was wearing a simple denim skirt and T-shirt today. There was hardly any makeup on her face, and her hair fell in soft waves. It was clear she hadn’t spent hours working on her appearance like most girls at the high school seemed to, but she was so naturally beautiful she didn’t need to. She was all too easy to watch, and the more time I spent with her, the more I lived for the subtle expressions that always lit up her features.

“You wanted me to interview you about your career and hopes for the future,” I started.

Her cheeks warmed at the words, and I found my curiosity growing. Was she embarrassed about what she wanted to do with her life?

“I did suggest that, didn’t I?” she murmured.

“Yep. So, what is it you’d like to do when you finish school?”

Her gaze drifted toward me, but she didn’t meet my eyes as she responded. “I want to be an actress.”

My eyebrows lifted with surprise. “You want to be an actress?”

“Don’t sound so shocked,” she said, her prickly temper bubbling to the surface.

I quickly shook my head. “I’m not shocked.” I’d seen her acting in drama class, and her skills easily matched most of the actors I’d worked with. “I guess I just didn’t expect you to say that. You seem so dedicated to school I thought maybe you’d want to go to college.”

She let out a sad laugh under her breath. “I seem that way, do I?”

“It’s just the impression I got,” I replied. “Plus, for someone so set on acting, I would have thought you’d have been all over me from day one.”

She rolled her eyes. “Of course, you’d think that.”

I shrugged. “It’s only natural. Success in Hollywood isn’t what you know butwhoyou know. The only reason my acting career started so young is because my uncle is a producer. Most people I meet who want to get into acting try to use me for a leg up.”

She seemed to stiffen at this, straightening her back and sitting upright in her spot on the couch. “I don’t need you to give me a leg up. I’m going to be successful because of my own talent.”

I frowned, surprised by her reaction. Girls always wanted me for something. The ones who agreed to be photographed with me at nightclubs wanted to gain more exposure and used me to increase their profiles. The girls at Lincoln all wanted photos with me to post on their Instagram or Snapchat so they could get more followers or likes. Even my own mother used me to make herself more successful.

I didn’t quite know how to respond to the girl sitting before me. From the very first day I met her she’d made it clear that she had no use for me in her world. That she was just fine without me. She was the one person with the most to gain from me though. I could so easily help her with her dreams of starring in movies, but I really respected the fact she was determined to do it on her own.

“I have no doubts you will make it because of your talent alone,” I finally responded.

Her eyes flashed with disbelief.

“You can definitely act,” I continued. “And you’re beautiful, which doesn’t hurt.”

“You think I’m beautiful?” she murmured. The way she looked into my eyes made my heart tremor. It was like her gaze reached right inside me, tied a rope around my heart and tugged it toward her. I wanted to close the distance between us. To reach out and brush my lips against hers, but I had no idea if she’d welcome a kiss between us. Did she feel the connection between us too, or was this purely one-sided?

“You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen,” I admitted as I stared into her eyes. My cheeks warmed as I realized I’d said the words aloud. They hadn’t come out all smooth and confident, like I was Liam Black, notorious Hollywood player. Instead, dorky Dino had risen to the surface and my voice had shaken with nerves. I couldn’t believe I’d just said that to her.

Teagan’s lips parted, and she looked like she was ready to tell me I was mistaken. The sound of something dropping on the floor upstairs pulled her attention away though.

She jumped up from the couch. “I should go check on Topher.” She was out of the room before I could reply, happy to get away from the fumbling idiot sitting next to her.

I was so used to Teagan being annoyed by me that I was unsure how to act around her now I was seeing this softer side. My stomach twisted with nerves. The papers may have portrayed me as a player, but I had absolutely zero game when it came to girls in real life, and I wasn’t sure how to proceed. Teagan and I had shared a moment just before, and I’d wanted to lean in and kiss her so badly. I didn’t have the courage to do that though.

This was all so much easier when there was a script to follow.

Teagan came down a few minutes later but sat on a chair farther away from me. My chest deflated as I looked across the distance between us. Whatever I’d been feeling, apparently, it was one-sided.

---