Nic

Lilah and I were spending more time together than even most best friends would. Most nights, I'd fall asleep in her room after hours of talking, sometimes staying up until the sun came up. Yet, no matter how close we got, she wouldn't cross that line with me—except when we were on set, playing our characters. Still, ever since that kiss, the one that wasn't scripted, I'd been wondering if maybe she'd had a change of heart—one she hadn't fully realized yet.

It was getting harder for me to keep playing these games with Lilah. I was just about to confront her, to lay it all out—either we go for it, or I'd have to move out—when she walked into my room wearing a dress so short it barely qualified as one. It was the kind of thing that made rational thoughts scatter, leaving me utterly distracted and undeniably torn.

"Why aren't you dressed?" she asked, her tone a mix of teasing and exasperation. "Remember? Cast bonding at Bar 1 tonight? You promised you'd come. I know you're not a big party guy—which, by the way, I admire—but I told everyone I could convince you to show up." She batted her lashes at me like she was asking for a favor I couldn't refuse.

"Ly... I don't know," I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. The truth was, I wasn't sure I could handle watching her flirt with every guy at the bar and then casually drape her arms around my neck for a playful dance. The thought of Will touching her—or worse, some random fan of the kook princess herself getting too close—made my jaw clench. I wasn't sure what I might do if it came to that.

"Lilah... I'm just not in the mood to sit through another night of Will being an annoying drunk," I grunted, shaking my head. "You know how he gets. He'll want the entire bar's attention to tell some story about a gas station clerk recognizing him. And, for the record, he has already told that exact same story to me seven times in the last month."

Delilah smirked, clearly catching on. With a boldness that was pure her, she reached out and placed her hand on my cheek, her touch sending a jolt straight through me.

"Are you losing the game of feelings, Nicholas?" she asked, her voice teasing, but her gaze steady.

Now I was annoyed. No—more than annoyed. It had been weeks of this back-and-forth, this maddening push and pull, and I was done with it. My patience, or whatever remained of it, was running dangerously thin.

But as much as I wanted to snap, to tell her exactly how I felt, I knew that was what she wanted. Delilah thrived on proving she was right—that feelings would only lead to chaos. And giving her the satisfaction of seeing me unravel would only play right into her hands.

"Delilah Jane, I'm really not in the mood right now," I said, keeping my tone flat. "I'll go if it's really that important, but I'm not staying long. I have an early call time tomorrow." It wasn't a complete lie, but it was mostly an excuse—a convenient out for when I saw her talking to some other guy and couldn't take it anymore.

"Fine... but, Nic—" she started, her voice softer.

"What, Ly?" I shot back, cutting her off.

She stopped, her lips parting as if to say something, but the look on her face said it all. She knew I was at my breaking point, and for the first time, I could see real fear in her eyes—the fear of losing this connection we'd built.

It hit me then: I had the upper hand right now. And as much as I hated the idea of playing games, I realized that beating Delilah at her own was probably the only way to get through to her.

So, that night, when we walked into the bar, I decided to flip the script. I'd show Delilah Jane something she didn't want to see. Something that would make her understand what it felt like to be on the other side.

"Nic, over here!" Will and Derek called out, waving me over as Delilah and I split off—her heading toward the bar to meet the girls, and me reluctantly joining the guys in the lounge area. I sank into the seat next to Derek, trying to ignore the fact that Will's eyes immediately followed my so-called roommate from his seat the lounge up to the bar like a lot dog.

I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stay calm. Losing it now, letting her see even a flicker of jealousy, would only prove her point—that our feelings could complicate everything. And I wasn't about to give her that satisfaction.

Not tonight.

"That night shoot yesterday was crazy. I could barely see with the rain machine in my eyes," Derek chuckled, taking a long sip of his drink.

I leaned back, deciding to push my feelings aside for just a minute and enjoy the conversation.

"Dude, I know. I got back to my trailer soaked, covered in fake blood and mud. I looked like I'd just crawled out of a swamp, and that was the tame part of the chase scene. Wait until we're in the cave tomorrow night. I read ahead in the script—apparently, the fear of drowning on film is about to get very real." I laughed, shaking my head.

Derek laughed too, but then the mood shifted as Delilah and the girls approached our table. Will trailed behind them, his gaze flicking to her more than once, and I could feel my stomach tighten.

Without a word, I stood up and made my way toward the bar. I needed a breather before I did something stupid, like clock Will for looking too long.

As I ordered a drink, I felt a hand on my shoulder. For a second, I thought it might be Delilah. Maybe she'd changed her mind about following me. Maybe the walls were finally coming down.

But when I turned around, it wasn't her. It was someone else—a new girl. Someone I didn't recognize.

"Excuse me... you look so familiar. Are you an actor? I swear I've seen you before—weren't you in that show with Travis Kelce?" the girl asked, sipping her drink, her curiosity piqued.

I chuckled lightly. "Yeah, you got me. I'm an actor. And yep, I had a small part on that show." I leaned casually against the bar as we started to chat.

As the conversation flowed, I could feel Delilah's gaze burning into me from across the room. The girl noticed too, glancing over her shoulder before turning back to me.

"I'm Tara, by the way," she introduced herself with a warm smile.

"I'm Nic," I replied, shaking her hand. We continued talking about what brought me to Australia and what it was like filming Monsters. Tara seemed genuinely intrigued, but it wasn't long before she noticed the not-so-subtle glare Delilah was giving us.

"Girlfriend?" Tara asked, raising a brow in confusion.

I shook my head with a polite smile. "No, just a friend."

I glanced in Delilah's direction and gave her a little wave, letting her know she'd been caught. She quickly looked away, pretending she wasn't watching, but I didn't miss the slight flush in her cheeks. Tara and I talked for a while longer, until Delilah stumbled up to me.

"Nicholas are you going to introduce us?" She asked obviously annoyed.

Well it worked.

The plan worked too well.

- The Next Morning -

"Morning," I murmured, pressing a soft kiss to the top of Delilah's head as she stirred against my chest.

"This doesn't mean you won," she muttered, sitting up slightly and pulling the covers over her bare shoulders. She leaned in, brushing her lips against mine with a teasing softness.

"Delilah..." I said, cupping her face with one hand. "Waking up with you next to me is the win. I got the one thing I wanted more than anything."

"Oh, and what's that?" she asked, her nose crinkling as she settled back against my chest, her fingers tracing idle patterns on my skin.

"You," I said, my voice steady, hoping I wasn't saying too much too soon. For a moment, her eyes glistened like she might cry, but instead, she bit her lip, giving me a shy, half-smile.

"You got me," she whispered. "I have no idea how this is going to work, but...I can't imagine watching you with anyone else. As if that wasn't embarrassingly obvious last night." Her cheeks flushed pink, making her even more irresistible.

"Checkmate," I teased, grinning as I kissed her over and over again. "I had you right where I wanted you, and it worked."

"Wait...you weren't into her?" Delilah pulled back, her brows furrowed in surprise.

"It's called acting, babe. I know you, Ly. I knew exactly what I had to do to win. I beat you at your own game. Impressed?" I smirked, enjoying the way her jaw dropped slightly in shock.

"Fuck...I am," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper as she wrapped her arms around my neck. Her lips brushed against my ear, sending a shiver down my spine.

"Come here. We've got fifteen minutes before we need to get to set. I owe you a prize."

Smirking, I pulled the covers back over us, my fingers trailing down her back.

"You're my prize," I murmured, my voice low as she began pressing soft kisses along my neck.

"Oh? So you want me to stop, then?" she teased, her lips grazing my collarbone before trailing lower, disappearing beneath the blankets.

"Nope..." I replied instantly, my breath hitching as I tangled my hands in her hair. We were definitely going to be late to set but neither of us cared.

Half an hour later, we were sitting in hair and makeup. I kept stealing glances at Delilah, trying to read her mood, but she was focused on her phone, scrolling like nothing had changed.

I wanted to ask her about last night—what it really meant, where we stood—but the words stayed trapped in my throat. What I wanted and what I knew she could handle felt like two completely different worlds, and I wasn't sure I was ready to risk crossing that line.

So instead, I sat there in silence, letting the hum of the makeup brushes and the background chatter fill the space.

This morning, Delilah had told me I'd won—right there in my bed. So why did it feel like I'd only made it through the first round of a hundred? Like every step forward with her came with an unspoken challenge to prove myself all over again.

Before filming started, I pulled Lilah aside. "Can we talk for a sec?" I asked, my tone leaving no room for her to brush me off.

"Yeah, sure. What's up?" she replied, her nonchalance making my stomach twist.

"This morning, you told me I won. I told you the only thing I wanted was you. So why does it feel like as quickly as I got you, you pulled away twice as fast?" I said, placing my hand gently on the small of her back.

Delilah literally took a step back, glancing around as if someone might overhear.

"Nic, this is not what I need right now. You have me. I don't even really know what that means. But you have to work with me while I figure out what I'm willing to give," she said, her voice steady but weary.

"Delilah Jane," I said, my voice low as I cupped her cheek. "I want all of you. I'm not in this for half-measures. It's all or nothing for me."

She placed her hand over mine, her eyes filling with tears. "I'm trying, Nic. I need that to be good enough for now."

I exhaled slowly, my heart heavy. "I guess it has to be, Ly," I said softly as they called us to set.

The tension was heavy as we took our positions for the next scene, lingering like a storm cloud. Everyone on set felt it, but no one dared to comment.

By the time we broke for lunch, I found Lilah sitting on the steps of her trailer, bundled up in sweats and a blanket. After hours under the rain machine, we were both chasing any warmth we could find.

"You look so cute," I teased, snapping a picture of her.

"Even though I know that's not true, send it to me," she said, peeking up from the blanket. "I've been trying to post behind-the-scenes pics for Instagram to get the fans excited. This one's perfect for my photo of the day."

I sent her the photo with a grin. "They'll know I took it. You're smiling way too much for anyone else."

"Nic..." she said softly, her voice carrying a rare vulnerability. "I know I've been difficult about all of this, and I know it's not fair to you. But the truth is, you've gotten further with me than anyone has in a long time. And I want people to know you took it. This will be the first real smile the fans have seen from me in forever."

She sighed as she posted the photo, tagging me in the caption.

Watching her make that small but deliberate move had to be enough.

For now, it just had to be.