Page 29 of Lights, Camera, Love

We stroll out of the studio together, finding Kye patiently waiting on the other side of the door.

‘You’re late for class,’ I say with a smile.

He brushes his fingers through his hair. ‘I just popped in for a quick chat. Glad I caught all that about the showcase, though—it sounds cool. Is it okay to have a word?’

‘You can have several.’ Why does my voice sound as breathless as if I’ve just been running?

Behind Kye’s shoulder, Rafa walks backwards towards his teaching room, his pierced brow arched at me as if to say: ‘He’shot.’

I shoot him a subtle scowl, but my lips refuse to turn down as I focus back on Kye. I’ve become The Joker—I can’t wipe the damn smile off my face.

Honestly. I had one drink with this guy. Was the bourbon spiked, and the mind-altering effects are lingering in my bloodstream?Get it together, Evie!

Kye pushes off the wall. ‘This’ll only take a few minutes. Should we talk outside?’ He glances at the students waiting for Rafa’s late-night class.

‘Sure.’

Hmm, so this is a private discussion. What on earth does he want to talk about? Could it be something to do with the unexpected conversation we shared at the cabin that’s still living, rent-free, inside my head?

As we step through the building’s exit, my arm grazes the soft T-shirt clinging to Kye, and I feel the warmth of his muscular arm underneath. Every cell in my body arches towards him as we stop on the footpath, where cars rumble past us in a sluggish stream.

‘So, what’s up?’ I ask, folding my arms against my stomach, which is bare beneath my crop top. It’s cooler tonight than I was expecting.

‘You’re cold,’ Kye observes.

‘I’m good.’ I blink at him, ready to hear him out.

‘Yeah, so, well…’ he begins after a throat-clear, ‘I’ve been thinking about the movie and how we can drive up interest in it.’

The deep thrumming in my chest subsides.Thisrequired a late-night, in-person visit?

‘From what I’ve seen of the marketing and publicity plan forMoving …’ Kye continues, before pausing. ‘Let’s just say that I don’t have a ton of faith in it. And I assume that you want this project to do well?’

‘Of course.’ I thought that was a given. Where is he going with this?

He stills, his eyes settling on mine. ‘Fake dating.’

What?My heart makes a brisk jump. ‘You mean… us?’

Kye almost laughs, and my eyes drink in the glimpse ofthat smile. ‘Of course not.’ He swallows thickly. ‘I think that you and Austin should pretend to be a real-life couple. To help draw attention to the movie.’

I blink at him, totally thrown by this. ‘Really?’

‘Actors do it all the time. It’s practically PR 101 for a romance film.’

A collision of confusing emotions tips me off balance. ‘I don’t know, that’s…that’s lying. I’m a pretty honest person. The other day, I walked three blocks to goback to a cafe after I realised they gave me a dollar too much change.’

Kye’s gaze softens, then skates down me, landing on my chewed-up hands. I push my injured thumb behind my back.

‘It’s just a suggestion,’ he says gently. ‘Don’t feel like you have to say yes.’

‘Why didn’t you just call me about this?’ I ask suspiciously. ‘Why come all the way down here?’

‘All the way?’ He almost smiles. ‘I could throw a stone here from my apartment.’

I don’t know why imagining Kye’s apartment makes my stomach feel tight and hot, and I don’t want to dig any deeper into that right now, so I return to the more relevant subject. ‘What does Austin think of this pretend-relationship idea?’ I ask.

‘He’s all for it. And it would only be for a few months.’ He launches into a spiel about how he would plant paparazzi photographers to take pictures of Austin and me together around town. Not only would it get people talking about the film, he says, but it would also help to positionMovingas a mainstream romance movie, counteracting Buzz’s weird, esoteric approach.

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