Page 121 of Sweetheart: Part One

Fin Briggs.

That was the character I was to play in Dragon Hunters, the younger brother of Love’s character. Charming, daring and carefree, I was the one who would get us into trouble, who dropped the dragon egg at the end, kicking off the finale.

Love was reading his script on his usual arm chair in the living room beside me. We did have a number of collaborative scenes, and we were both sifting through our scripts as the TV played in the background.

“What do you think?” I asked, skimming the lines of my script one last time before looking up at Love in challenge. “You got enough left for the two of us to make it through?”

Love’s lips quirked in half smile, one eyebrow rising. “You think I’m wasting my magic just so you can ditch me for a lass in the nearest Tavern?”

I sat up on the couch and for a flash, we were on set. Love was carrying a wooden staff, decked in furs and old-timey clothes. “If I swear I’ll share.”

“You’ll be too pissed to remember that promise.”

I groaned, rubbing my face in my hands when another voice interrupted.

“You have dragons to study, mate.”

I almost let slip my grin of delight as Rook appeared up the stairs, joining in on the script.

“I won’t waste healing on the next burn if you do your studies,” he went on.

I took my lines piece by piece, but Rook knew his back to front miles before the rest of us.

Case and point, I’d already forgotten the next part, having not expected Rook’s entry. I shrugged, improv classes kicking in.

“That’ll just get more points with the ladies. Then you’ll be begging to bring me along.”

Rook snorted, settling down onto the couch at my side.

“You going to write that in?” Love asked, breaking the magic as he returned to himself. “Strengthens the tantrum you kick up in a few scenes.”

“They’re alright with that?” With still months to go, I’d signed all the contracts, but I wasn’t up to speed on the details.

“Give Jos the final scripts, she’ll chat with them. But it should be fine, they want our dynamics as a pack, anything to make it more natural.”

I began scribbling a few notes in, before I was distracted by the start of the Evening Stars interview with Ebony. We didn’t usually watch our own shit, but Love liked to keep an eye on anything Ebony did solo.

I tugged my phone out, to check to see if Vex had texted. She was nervous about tonight, and I’d checked in on her not long ago.

Vex: He’s nuts, but I’m fine.

I snorted.

“What’s that?” Rook asked, peering at my screen. The screensaver behind the text was a photo of Vex. She hadn’t listened when I’d told her to be careful with the Buldak in a local Korean restaurant.

“I can handle hot food,” she’d told me. I’d snapped a shot when her eyes began watering, but it was mostly a blurry shot of her middle finger.

I hugged my phone to my chest, eyeing Rook with sudden interest. “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.”

“My what?”

“Come on. Tell me she doesn’t take a million shots on your phone too.”

Rook’s brows furrowed and he folded his arms. “Like… of what?”

“Uh. Everything.” Come to think of it, they did spend the evenings together, and often wouldn’t go places like me and Vex did. Maybe she didn’t have as many things to take pictures of. It was the same with Love. Both stuck to evenings with her, and it would be a lie to suggest I didn’t wonder what that meant.

I tapped my phone open to the gallery and handed it to him.

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