Page 31 of The Singapore Stunt

“About freaking time,” he grunts into the phone. “I’ll be on the next flight. I don’t care what the doctors say.” I smile for the first time since I walked into that tent. I’m not alone. Xavier reminds me what blind loyalty looks like. He’ll always be in my corner.

“Stay put.” I picture him trying to step out of a hospital gown, looking for his clothes, grabbing his ribs the entire time. “It’s nothing I haven’t been through before.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

“Okay, maybe this time, there are a few million more people watching me being rejected.”

“Rejected? What are you talking about?” I shift the phone and ignore the chatter on the walkie. Kimberly has somehow gotten hold of a walkie and is asking for anyone to help her locate me. I twist away from the road, hiding behind a massive tree trunk. “I’ve seen the pictures. The video. The look in your eye. The look across her face. That is not fake, bro. Nobody’s rejecting anyone.” He huffs out a frustrated breath. “I was coming to sit on set while you two worked and reply to every mean comment being posted.”

“Comments I can handle,” I say.

“Is it the stunt?” he asks, and I can’t believe I’ve not considered the stunt. It’s a monumental day for our little stunt company.

“It’s not the stunt.” I want to hang up. The minute I tell him, this all becomes real. Too big to ignore. “They’re going to issue a press release. Say that she was drunk, and the kiss was nothing but her enjoying her time here. How could anyone with two eyes ever believe she’d be with me? They are in full spin mode.”

“That’s bullshit,” he spits with the anger I’ve moved away from. My chest no longer carries anger, only hurt.

The walkie blurts again, “Five minutes to positions.” They’ve finally found a job Wesley is good at—telling time.

“Listen, Xavier. I have to go. We are about to shoot the Gardens scene. I’ll call you after the rooftop scene.”

“Hold on.” The urgency in his voice causes me to pause. “Did you talk to her? Did she tell you to your face that she was on board with this? We both know how much the studio tries to micromanage messaging. We’ve had a few battles in this arena.”

“Why are you doing this?” Xavier always sticks his neck out for me.

“That look,” he says. “I’ve never seen you with that look before. When you held her in your arms and kissed her, I saw happiness. Something I’ve always wished for you. Something you so richly deserve. If there is a chance, don’t let it slip away.”

“I’ve been here before.” I hear the defeat in my voice.

“Not with her. Don’t make the mistake every other person in her life makes. The mistake people make with you. Don’t look at the exterior and think you know.”

He’s right. We’re both judged by our looks. The impressions we make are vastly different, yet we both suffer from the same symptoms.

“Talk to her.” Xavier gives me one last piece of advice. He wishes me luck and reminds me he’ll be next to his phone for support.

I slip the phone into my pocket just as the walkie blares again. “Mattias. This is Kimberly. I’m headed to my position. I’m ready for my stunt. I need my instructor. I need my boss. I know he’ll never abandon a member of his team. Please be there when I arrive.”

She’s thrown down the gauntlet. A challenge she knows I won’t walk away from. I may not do relationships, but I won’t leave a member of my stunt team to fend for themselves. I step from the shadow of the tree and stride to the road and toward the set, ready to face the woman who considers me a drunken mistake.

I pray what I’m about to do doesn’t become yet another one.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Mattias

The moment I turn the corner, I know I’m screwed. Kimberly is dressed for her role—an overtly sexy miniskirt with a silk tank top that accentuates her curves. All week, I’ve only seen her in yoga shorts, T-shirts, and simple tops. My puny mind had forgotten that she is not just an actress but a model for a half dozen high-end brands.

She operates in a different league. What the hell made me think for a second that I stood a chance?

She’s surrounded by her assistant, Wesley, and two members of my stunt team and doesn’t see me yet. It’s a good thing because if she did, she’d see me approaching on shaky legs. Each step costs me. A loss of confidence I can’t afford to lose. Maybe she was drunk. It would explain so much.

She catches my approach in the sliver between Wesley and Arlene, a broad smile growing on her face. They both turn to see what could elicit that response, two sets of furrowed brows questioning their eyesight. I have half a mind to turn to see if Trace Edwards is standing behind me.

Why is she giving me the look reserved for a returning hero? She whispers an unheard comment to the group around her, and they all scatter. When the queen speaks, the servants listen.

“We have to talk,” she starts, her hand reaching out to lead me.

“Not here. Not now.” I dig into what little reserves remain inside me. The light in her eyes dims, and I want to reverse course. But I don’t. This isn’t about my hurt feelings. There’s more at stake right now. She asked for her boss. And that’s why I’m here.

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