Page 36 of The Singapore Stunt

I’m excited about our future. Now all I have to do is to survive the Singapore Stunt.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Kimberly

The humor of the universe isn’t lost on me that the first time I get to touch Mattias after his blown kiss is when I kick at the back of his head in the next scene. I’m racing around the rooftop of the hotel, fighting off a small army of bad guys.

So focused on making sure the angle of my kick is camera right, I forget about the plot holes in the script. As I’ve studied the genre more and more, I’ve learned that this is typical. Keep the action revved high and moving, and the fans will overlook a lot.

The long action sequence takes us nearly two hours to film. The stunts are on point, but Marlon insists on redoing them from different angles, even though the film is using multiple drones already.

Wesley calls the break as the team needs to coordinate the last stunt. The stunt.

Though there will only be about a dozen people on screen, no one leaves the set. Each time the elevator opens, more people arrive. Every person wants to lay claim to being on the roof when this stunt gets added to the laurels of film history.

Arlene is by my side the minute I clear the hot set, iPad in hand, and I already know what’s coming. I raise a finger before she blurts out the latest social media update or reminds me I only have twenty minutes before hair and makeup will come looking for me. “No updates.” Her finger freezes on her screen, and she looks up at me as if it’s taking all her strength not to blurt out the information. “Seriously. I don’t need to hear it. Not now.”

I wave a hand toward the city. Three helicopters hover a short distance away as if anyone needs a reminder of what is about to happen. “Give me your phone and five minutes. See if you can locate Mattias for me. Tell him I want to speak to him before we shoot.” I point to the same lounge chair where Arlene and I watched the video. “There.”

She nods and disappears into the crowd as I swipe across her screen. I make my way to the lounge chair, waving off half a dozen people who want to chat. Even with the chaos going on around me, I decide to FaceTime. I need to see his face.

“Trace!” I chime as a wave of joy sweeps through me when his face pops on the screen. I recognize his backdrop. He’s sitting on the deck of his house in Indiana, beautiful Lake Hope in the background.

“I’ve been waiting all day for this call. It’s too early for the stunt to be over. How are you feeling?”

This is why he’s my best friend. I’m sure he’s seen the mess of notifications and articles about me and Mattias, but he knows how I feel about it without asking. “I’m in a good place. I’m ready.”

“And Mattias. Is he ready for you?”

I read between the lines. Trace isn’t talking about the stunt. He’s talking about what comes next. “He’s posted a video telling the world he’s not going anywhere.” I snicker into the phone, a soft laugh that grows in intensity the more I think about what he did.

“Mr. I Don’t Like Attention posted a video on the internet? This I have to see.” Trace joins me in laughter.

A crew member pushes back the curtain to the lounge, pokes his head in, raises his hand in apology, and disappears.

I swipe my hair from my face and return my attention to Trace. “You are my best friend,” I start, and a wave of emotion hits me. “None of this would be possible if you hadn’t seen something in me that no one else did.” Water builds behind my eyes, not the impression I want to leave with him. “Thank you.” I feel the first tear roll down my cheek, and I don’t swipe at it.

“Kimber,” he calls me by the nickname I love from his lips. “I’m the one who should thank you. You somehow understood the crazy I had lived alone in for so many years. We had an amazing run, and I’m honored to call you my best friend.”

I sniffle and push through. “I couldn’t call my mom,” I start, and the floodgate of tears releases. “I’ll call her after the stunt is over. I just couldn’t, not before. Not now.” A blurry image of Trace nodding is all I make out. “Tell her I love her if…”

“Hey!” Trace barks into the phone. “You got this. Mattias would not have you up on that roof if he didn’t know with one hundred percent certainty. Remember, it’s movie magic.” I finally relent and wipe my face with a need to see Trace clearly. “It’s a short distance. The camera angles will make it seem three times the length. You can do this leap with your eyes closed.”

“It’s 3.7.” I don’t have to explain the numbers.

“I’ll be right beside you. So will Mattias and half the population of the planet. You are a freaking badass that has forced the entire industry to bend to your will. Today, they will discover that you can fly.”

He says the words I need to hear. “If…” I can’t say the words, but I stumble forward anyway. “Half of everything goes to my mom. I earmarked the other half for your foundation.” I raise my finger to the screen before he can speak. I stare into the eyes of my best friend. Words aren’t necessary. “I know.” I nod and press my fingers to my lip and place them on the screen. “I love you too. Talk to you soon.”

I disconnect and drop the phone on the seat beside me. I curl my feet underneath me and press my face to my knees, wrapping my arms around them. I allow myself thirty seconds, a quick, quiet meditation before I wipe my face and stand.

The tent curtain whips open, and Arlene is standing there with Mattias. His timing is perfect. He enters with a look of concern on his face, but the minute he reads my face, his delicious lips curve up into a smile.

I don’t notice when Arlene slips away as Mattias strides forward and wraps his arms around me. “I’m not going anywhere.” He repeats the words from the video.

“And neither am I.” I tip up on my toes and press my lips to his. He smells of chlorine, Bengay, and safety.

“I was concerned when Arlene grabbed me and said you wanted to talk.”

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