Page 29 of Accidentally Wed to My Enemy

Lacey shot me a strange look. “What are you saying?”

“Nothing weird. You can borrow some. They sent a whole basket. It’s this new skincare brand, they want me to plug them. You know, like sponcon, like…” I realized I was babbling. I cleared my throat. “Anyway, that’s me. Let me know if you want some.”

“I think I got the same basket. But thanks. See you later.” Lacey hurried away, back to her trailer. I made for my own and straight for the shower, and cranked the cold tap full blast.

Stepping into it, the shock forced the air from my lungs, brought my skin up in gooseflesh, and made my toes curl. Still, I leaned into it, my face to the spray. It had been a while, was all, since I’d kissed anybody. Since they’d kissed me back, all honey and fireworks. Lacey was a good kisser, no doubt about that, and she was beautiful, and her talent was real. The way she shivered against me—

I slapped myself in the face. Lacey was a lot of things, but she wasn’t all sugar. She was childish. Annoying. Moody for no reason. She took everything personally, like me trying to coach her. She’d been choking today. Biffing her scene. What was I supposed to do, just let her blow it? And that shit about action flicks, what was her problem? The way she bit my lip, her nails down my arm…

I grabbed for the loofah, dropped it. Retrieved it. Scrubbed myself red and leaned into the burn, focused on that to keep my thoughts off Lacey. She was just a distraction, a break from the stress. Once we got through today, we’d go back to normal.

I finished showering and cut off the cold water. Changed into sweats and a ratty old gym shirt. I ran a comb through my hair and scrubbed my face one more time, ridding myself of the last of my makeup. Then I was out of excuses to linger, and I made my way down to meet Berg at his trailer. Lacey was already there, and so was Iris. When Berg heard me coming, he looked up and frowned.

“You’re late. Get in here.”

I crowded in next to Iris, as far from Lacey as the cramped space would allow.

“This is one of the flashback scenes we shot yesterday. Kate and Lock when they met, before all the fighting.” Berg pressed play, then pause. “Before I roll this, I should say it’s still rough. There’s a lot of post that goes into it, effects, ADR. It’s not the polished product, but you can still feel the…mm.” He beat his fist on his chest like a racing pulse.

“Roll it,” said Iris.

Berg rolled the clip, me and Lacey — no, Kate and Lock. Kate and Lock lying together on a desolate beach. She had sand on her shoulder, sand in her hair.

“I heard someone died,” she said. “I heard they killed him. All he did was speak up, and they shot him dead.”

“We don’t know that’s true,” said Lock. “Stories get twisted. It’s all loud, it’s all chaos, and people jump to conclusions. They hear something, see something, but not the whole story.”

Kate didn’t say anything, but her green eyes went distant. She blinked, and the sun caught a faint sheen of tears. Lacey could project so much just with her eyes, longing and pain, loneliness, fear. She had a gentleness about her, but not on the surface. It only showed through when she dropped her guard, brief, aching glimpses of the self she kept buried. Vulnerability, something delicate. Pure.

“It’ll die down,” said Lock. He leaned up on one elbow. I willed him to brush the sand from her hair, to hold her and comfort her, but I knew he wouldn’t. He wouldn’t becauseIhadn’t, because in Berg’s script he didn’t.

“It’s amazing,” said Iris. “You’re both… you’re amazing.”

“Quiet,” said Berg. “The best part’s still coming.”

“We should go.” Kate sat up.

“Go home? We just got here.”

“No, go forever. Go somewhere else. Somewhere it’s peaceful, where we can live free.” Kate turned her head away, her expression forlorn. My hand twitched at my side, and I wanted to hold Lacey’s. She’d had that same look this morning when she cut me off in the limo, that inkling of hurt, of wounds that ran deep. On our date too, on the drive back. I’d thought she was tired, but maybe she had more to her, hidden complexities. Fears she kept secret.

“We can’t,” said Lock. I wanted to kick him, and kick myself for good measure. “We can’t leave our families. We can’t just abandon them in case things get violent. In case, what, there’s riots? It won’t go that far.”

Was it only the kiss clouding my judgment? Making me see things in Lacey that weren’t there? She was acting, was all. But the kiss had been real. Her lips on mine had been real, her hands on my face. The way she’d looked after, that fire in her eyes… Would it be so crazy to lean in? To see? Dance with her, maybe, at tonight’s dinner date, and see if she melted when I caressed her arm?

“Now you can praise me.” Berg leaned back, grinning.

“You’re a great director,” said Iris. “The way you capture emotion, you make the scene sing. You too, of course.” She turned to Lacey. “You and Eric, your chemistry is off the charts.”

“You need to watch your light, though.” Berg ran the tape back again and replayed the clip. “See right here, Eric, you turn away. Your face is in shadow. Your hair’s in your eyes. It’s a pivotal moment, and your soul is all hidden.”

I winced at that, thinking of Sam. He’d said much the same thing, in a different context. Lacey nudged my arm.

“Hey. You all right?”

I nodded. “Just tired.”

Iris peered at us. “You two should rest up. We still have your date shoot, and I need you both sparkling.” She turned to Berg. “Do you still need them?”

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