I need the sun to break, you've woken up my heart

I'm shaking, oh my luck could change

Been in the dark for weeks and I've realized you're all I need

I hope that I'm not too late, and I hope I'm not too late

~*~*~*~*~*~

Monday, March 6, 2020.

My first day on set started with an odd mixture of feelings, but they would only get weirder. I'd been going to cognitive therapy for about a month now, but I still felt anxious every now and then. Now was one of those times. I was both dreading and excited for this day.

Today would be the first day of working extensively with Henry. After that first day of training together, we'd mostly been kept apart, our trainers focusing on our individual needs, so we'd hardly spoken. I'd needed to learn more about fighting, and Henry had had to work on losing a bit of muscle so he looked leaner than he was when he portrayed Superman. (After all, most NSA operatives didn't look like aliens from Krypton.) But now we actually had to work together again, just like we'd had on If You Love Someone. And I just wasn't sure if we could pull off that same chemistry we'd had back then, not now we were so hostile with each other. Well, hostile wasn't really the right word. Indifferent would fit better.

Other than that, though, I had very little else to worry about, and I tried not to focus on that by instead focusing on the parts I was excited for. Starting another project, for one, was pretty cool. But what was by far the best part of it all was that Ella would be my stylist again, and Natascha was a P.A. on this production. I hadn't seen them in months, especially Natascha, and I was incredibly eager to see them again. After Henry, back when things were still good between us, they'd been the best part of filming If You Love Someone, and now I had them back. If things between Henry and me had still been good, it would almost be like a sense of déjà vu. All that was missing were Ryan, Fiona and Scott.

Hanna squeezed my hands tightly. We were standing on the porch, and I kind of felt like a child who was going to kindergarten for the first time and her mother was unwilling to let her go. "If you need me, just call me. I don't have to work today and your set is close by, so I'll race over there as fast as I can, okay?"

I gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you. But I think I'll be okay. Ella and Natascha will be there, and they'll have my back. Besides, Henry acting immature is actually making it easier for me to get over him."

Hanna laughed, pulling me into a tight hug. "I'm glad to hear that. Now go, before I chain you to this porch. Have fun filming, honey."

"Thanks. I will. And I'll call you with an update later."

She pointed at me, reminding me of a stern teacher. "You'd better."

I laughed and gave her one last hug before I got in my car and drove off.

Knowing I wouldn't see Henry for at least another hour or so because I'd decided to head in to work a little earlier, I allowed myself to get a teensy bit excited the closer I got to set. I parked my car in the already quite crowded lot, and, script in hand, went on a search for the makeup trailer. I passed many sets and other trailers before I finally found it, but when I did, it was completely worth it. Deciding the element of surprise might be fun, I didn't knock and just went right in.

"JULIETTE! Oh my gosh, I missed you so!"

Apparently, though, the element of surprise was stronger on me as I suddenly found two arms wrapping themselves tightly around me. But I recovered quickly and wrapped my arms around her waist, laughing. "I missed you, too, Natascha."

"We have so much to discuss! Ella told me all about that nasty director you had to work with. Did he really say all those disgusting things to you? And oh my God, is Henry really with that model girl? If that's true, I am so sorry, honey. I honestly can't believe he would pass you—"

"Natascha, dear," Ella interrupted her. "Take a breath."

Natascha sucked in a breath. "Right. Sorry. I'm just so excited."

I smiled. "It's okay." I hugged Ella hello before I said, "And to answer your questions: Yes, Vince Grieve really did say all those things to me because he's evil incarnate, and yes, Henry really does seem to be with Alyssa Jeanes."

Ella shook her head, a sour look on her face. "I knew that boy was slow, but I never pegged him as stupid. But you two seemed to be doing so well together in Amsterdam. You've probably figured this out by now, but I chose that outfit for the late night talk show on purpose, to try and get Henry to realize how much he actually likes you—if it isn't love. But I guess it didn't work. Sorry, dearie. I tried."

I sighed, slumping down in a chair. Feeling a lump forming in my throat, I said, "Oh, it worked. Just not in the way you'd intended."

Ella's brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Yeah," Natascha said, looking equally confused. "What do you mean?"

I took a deep breath, dreading what I had to tell them. I couldn't very well tell them, 'Never mind, nothing,' now, and besides, I trusted them. "After I'd said goodbye to you in the elevator, Ella," I started, "Henry and I went into our separate hotel rooms at first. But once I was alone, everything kind of crashed down on me and I started to get really anxious. And—I know it was incredibly stupid, but as an escape, I went into Henry's room and asked him to get drunk with me. He looked concerned but seemed to understand that it wasn't the time to ask questions, so he agreed. Fast forward to an hour or so later, and I was entirely wasted. Then he told me he cared about me, and I might've told him that I cared about him, too, and then he called me beautiful, and, well... Things kind of escalated from there."

Both Ella and Natascha stared at me, speechless. Natascha recovered first. "You... Please tell me you didn't sleep with him."

I covered my face with my hands in shame. "I did," I admitted begrudgingly, my voice coming out muffled through my hands.

"Oh," Ella said.

I uncovered my face. "And then the next morning I woke up in his arms, and I just freaked out. I got my stuff and got the hell out of there. I went to the airport and figured I'd never see him again, up until I got the part for this movie and read that he would be playing opposite of me. The first time I saw him again was a month ago, on the first training day."

Her eyes wide, Natascha asked, "And?"

"It was so awkward! We didn't say a word to each other the entire time unless we absolutely had to, and I think our trainers noticed, because that first day was the only day we trained together; they kept us apart after that. But the worst thing was when we had to practice a fight scene, and I was just completely pressed against his chest. I just couldn't stop thinking about that goddamn night, and he was just there, and I could feel his heart going crazy, and I'm still just so confused!"

"That..." Ella started, but she couldn't find the words. "Wow."

"I know. I fucked up so bad."

"You both did, though," Natascha said. "Henry fucked up just as bad as you. Well, more actually, if you consider that he cheated on his girlfriend."

"Yeah, but I slept with him even though I knew he was with Alyssa. I'm a freaking home wrecker."

Ella shook her head. "You said yourself that you were really drunk, and we all know how much you care for him. You didn't really stand a chance. I'm not gonna say that you aren't at fault, but don't blame yourself as much as you do, because I know you."

I gave her a sheepish smile. "I'm trying. I've been going to therapy for the last month."

"Wait," Natascha said. "Henry actually drove you towards therapy?"

"Well, not directly. To be honest, I've been needing therapy for a really long time, but all this shit with Henry finally made me realize I had to go get help. So, in a way, I guess I should be thanking him for that."

"Maybe," Ella allowed. "But for now, let's focus on moving forward. I'd better get started on your hair and makeup before Henry arrives. Natascha, dear, would you make us all a cup of tea while I start in on Juliette's makeup?"

"Yeah, of course, no problem."

As Natascha moved to boil some water, I sat down in one of two chairs by the mirror. Bit by bit, Ella morphed me into a confident CIA operative, my makeup simple and elegant and my hair done up in a French twist. Ella was quick and she was done before Henry could arrive, or before I even had the chance to finish my tea. So I stayed a few minutes more to catch up with both Ella and Natascha as I drained my cup, but then it really was time to head to the costume department. Ella stayed behind, but Natascha tagged along with me.

"So you haven't seen Henry in a month?" she asked as a kind woman took my measurements.

I shook my head. "No, I haven't."

"So what do you want me to do when he shows up?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. Nothing. Just act as you would normally. If he ignores me just like last time, that's his choice, but I'm not gonna stoop to childish levels."

Natascha nodded, a thoughtful look on her face. "That's good. Smart."

I was given my outfit, and I headed into the dressing room to change. Once I was dressed, I looked at my reflection in the big mirror on the wall. I was dressed in a pair of black slacks, a red silk blouse that was tucked into the pants, and a black fitted blazer. The high platform heels on my feet made me at least six feet tall, and I knew I would be nearly as tall as Henry. I looked very much like a successful business woman, which was an odd look for me. I was used to being in either jeans or dresses, but never something like this. But I guess that was the best part of being an actress; you get to wear things you'd normally never wear, become someone you'd normally never be. Like an amazing CIA operative, for example.

I exited the dressing room again and Lyla, the head of the costume department, gave me a necklace. It was white gold and had a pendant in the form on an 'L' hanging from it. There was single diamond on the 'L.' It was simple but elegant, and fit Lily Davis perfectly.

"Right," Natascha said once I was done in costume. "We still have some time before you have to go to set, so do you want to go back to Ella's?"

I shook my head. "No. Henry is there right now."

Natascha raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said you weren't going to ignore him."

"Ignore, yes. But I said nothing about avoiding him."

She snorted. "True enough. Come, I'll take you on a small tour, then."

But we hadn't walked very far before a very excited dog barreled over to me, barking happily. I crouched down automatically, greeting him with a smile as I temporarily forgot who usually came with this dog. "Kal, hey, buddy!" I said, scratching him behind his ears. "I missed you! Yes, I did! Did you miss me, too, baby?" He licked my nose in response, and I laughed. "I'm gonna take that as a yes. But be careful with the makeup, okay? We don't want to make Ella mad."

But then realization hit and I quickly straightened up. Henry was looking at something in the distance, a troubled look on his face. I guess he was still ignoring me then. I shot a helpless look at Natascha, but she just shrugged.

I looked back at Henry, desperately searching for words. I didn't want to say nothing, but anything I could come up with just sounded stupid. And, dammit, he just looked so gorgeous. He was wearing an outfit similar to mine; very business-like. He pulled it off really well (which was honestly no surprise—he could pull everything off well), and his curly hair shone in the sunlight. "Uh... Hi, Henry."

His head snapped back, and he gave a tight smile, his eyes flat. "Hi. Hey, Natascha." He was silent for a few seconds before he finally said, "I'd better get going."

And just like that, he ordered Kal to follow him and he walked away, leaving Natascha and me standing there.

When he was gone, a look of outrage took over Natascha's face. "What. The. Fuck. Is. His. Problem?"

"Me, obviously. If I hadn't been here, he probably would've greeted you politely, like he normally always does. And I guess he wasn't exactly rude, either, but..."

Natascha shook her head. "That man has issues. Come on, let's get you to set."

I didn't really feel like going anywhere Henry was going to be, too, but I agreed anyway, knowing I didn't have much of a choice. So I followed Natascha past dozens of trailers until we finally reached the studio. She took me inside, carefully navigating me around sets and making sure I didn't trip over any stray lights or props.

When we got to the set, it was already bustling with various people, from the camera crew to P.A.s. The set was huge. We were in a big office with fake large windows now, but it sprawled much farther than that, with extra offices they'd built, long mysterious hallways, working hand and retina scanners on every door... They weren't messing around on this production.

"Ah, Juliette! There you are!" Alona, the director, said. She strode towards me and gave me a quick hug. I'd met her before multiple times, of course, but her kindness and acceptance of me still surprised me every time. I guess I was so used to Vince's hostility that I subconsciously expected it from her as well, even though I knew she was incredibly nice, and wanted this movie to be the best movie it could be. She was willing to do anything to achieve that, which included creating a nice atmosphere on set.

Too bad Henry hadn't gotten the memo.

"Hey, Alona," I said with a smile. "It's nice to see you again. Is Henry here yet?"

"No. Last I heard, our other star was putting his dog in—oh, there he is! Good! Now that we're all complete, let's get to filming. But before we do that, I want to say a quick little thing." With a smile, she looked at everyone in the room. "I have full faith that we can make this movie as great as I envisioned it when I first read the screenplay. And how could we not? We have two great leading actors, and we know from their previous work that they have great chemistry. We can do this, and we will do this. So let's get started!"

So that's why she'd hired me? Because my chemistry with Henry was so good in If You Love Someone? Then I had some bad news for her. Our chemistry might've been great once, but after our little... mistake in Amsterdam, it had turned downright icy.

"Okay, Juliette, your character is very hesitant of Nate Johnson. Henry, Nate, on the contrary, is very flirty, aggravating Lily even more. Make sure you two convey that."

We nodded in understanding and took our places. I sat down behind the desk as Henry moved to the end of the hallway. My heartbeat was erratic as I waited for Alona to start rolling. I couldn't remember ever being this nervous for a scene, other than my first kissing scene with Henry or our sex scene togeth—

No! Don't think about that now. Don't think about anything sexual. For your own good.

"Action!" Alona yelled.

I typed nonsensical stuff into my computer as I nervously anticipated the knock on the door. When it finally came, I had to fight to not jump right out of my chair from the nerves. Instead, I just lifted my head with a bored expression on my face. "Come in," I said.

The door opened and in strode Henry. There was something wrong, though. I could tell he was trying to be that flirty guy that Alona had described, but there was a stiffness to his movements, and even though he was smiling, his jaw was set.

"Well, hello there," he said, and it took everything in me to not stare at him in surprise. He was speaking in an American accent. I'd heard him use it in movies, but never in person. It was weird, and kind of made me appreciate his own British accent even more. "You must be the ever famous Lily Davis, the CIA's number one operative. They did not lie about your beauty, miss."

With a sigh, I leaned back into my chair and crossed my arms in front of my chest. "And you must be the ever infamous Nathaniel Johnson, the NSA's number one flirt," I said, disdain dripping from my voice.

"People usually just call me Nate," Henry said, still that half-easy, half-forced smile on his face. He planted his hands on my desk and leaned closer to me. "But you can call me any—"

"Cut!" Alona yelled. Henry jumped back as if he was burned, the smile immediately dropping from his face. I was kind of glad about that, though; it had been incredibly unsettling. "What's going on with you two? Henry, you are not supposed to be the hostile one. And Juliette, Lily does not get nervous when confronted with an overly-flirty man. She eats annoying men for breakfast. Now let's try that again."

She had us do it again from the beginning, but it wasn't long before she cut us again.

"Seriously, what is up with the two of you? Where is that amazing chemistry that I saw between the two of you in If You Love Someone?"

"I..." I started, wanting to apologize, but I stopped myself. I didn't even know where to begin.

Alona squeezed the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger, taking a deep breath as she closed her eyes. Opening them again, she said, "You know what? We can't make a movie like this. Let's just take an hour, and when we get back to filming, I expect you two to have fixed your issues."

Alona turned around to leave, but Natascha stopped her. "Ms. Baidar?" she called out quickly. "Can I talk to you for a minute? Privately?"

Sighing, Alona said, "Sure. Why not."

Turning to me, Natascha said, "Wait here, I'll be right back." And then she was gone, off to talk to Alona. I tried to lip-read their conversation, but it turned out I sucked at that, so eventually I stopped trying and got out my phone to type out a quick to text to Hanna.

He hates me. Even Alona noticed.

fuck him then. he's not worth it.

Natascha returned and gave me a smile. "Why don't you and I go somewhere where you can take a breather?"

I nodded. "Yeah. That sounds like a good idea."

She took me to a far corner of the studio, to a moderately sized room filled with one couch and a few plastic chairs. She sat me down on the couch and asked, "So... How are you?"

I shrugged. "I don't even know. Hurt, I guess?" Looking around the room, I asked, "What is this room even used for?"

"I don't know, and I don't really care. Besides, your distraction techniques aren't working on me."

I sighed, slumping back against the couch's backrest. "I was genuinely curious, you know. It's a strange-ass room." I shook my head. "But anyway, I guess I'm hurt and mad. He's fucking with my ability to act well, and he's not doing a very good job, either. And that sucks, because I was really excited about this movie before I knew he was in it. It would just be so much better if he didn't play in it or would just decide to grow the fuck up."

Natascha sighed. "This sucks. Anyway, do you want me to get you a Coca-Cola Life? It might make you feel better."

I shook my head. "No. I don't drink caffeine anymore; it apparently makes me anxious, according to my therapist."

"Wait," Natascha said, looking incredulous, her eyes wide. "You and not drinking Coke? That... is quite possibly the weirdest development of today. And today has been pretty weird already."

"I know," I groaned. "The first few weeks I actually went into withdrawal, and I still want it so bad."

"You know what?" Natascha said, perking up. "I think we have some caffeine-free Coke here. Want me to go get it for you?"

"Oh my God, yes! If you could do that for me, I will love you forever."

She grinned. "Don't you already love me forever?"

"I do," I admitted, grinning back at her, "but I will love you even more if you get me some much-needed Coke."

Laughing, she stood up. "That could totally be taken out of context if someone were to walk by and only heard that sentence. But stay here, I'll be right back."

I nodded and she left. Not really knowing what else to do, I grabbed my phone and scrolled through Twitter. Once I'd reached the top of my feed, I posted a tweet myself:

@JulesMorrison: First day of shooting!! #exciting

What's a little lie among Twitter friends, right? I was quickly getting replies, most of them involving Henry in some way, and nearly all of them made me want to throw my phone across the room. Some of them were asking me for a picture of, or with, him, some of them were telling me how much they shipped me with Henry (ha! As if that was ever going to happen), and some were asking me to tell Henry how much they loved him.

When I was very much on the verge of actually throwing my phone across the room, the door opened again. "Oh, Natascha, thank God. Please tell me you've got—"

My words jammed in my throat, because who had just entered the room wasn't Natascha. It was Henry. He was standing there as if petrified, staring at me with wide eyes.

"Uh..." was all I managed to get out.

But that sound was enough to bring him back down to earth. He set his jaw and turned around, grabbed the door handle and pulled, but nothing happened. He tried again, but with the same result. "Great!" he growled, just as I came to the same conclusion he'd probably already had: We were locked in. He grabbed his phone, unlocked it, and cursed under his breath. Reluctantly, he turned to me. "I don't have a signal. Do you?"

I grabbed my phone. "Yeah, I just posted—oh." Where there was first a strong Wi-Fi signal, there was now nothing. "Never mind. No, I don't."

Henry kicked the door in aggravation and sat down on one of the plastic chairs. "Marvelous," he grumbled.

Feeling annoyed, I said, "Would you stop being so fucking negative? Natascha will be here in a—wait." As I mentioned Natascha's name, everything suddenly clicked. I now understood why she'd wanted to talk to Alona, why she'd taken me to this room and had seemed to be so disinterested in its use (which should've been a major sign in the first place), and why she had been so eager to get me something to drink. But most of all, it explained what Henry was doing here and why we were so mysteriously locked in without any signal. I strode up to the door and banged on it with the palm of my hand. "Natascha! I know what you're trying to do and it's fucking stupid. Let us out!"

"No!" Natascha's voice came from the other side of the door. "I'm not letting you two out of here until you talk out your issues. I'm gonna go now, and I'll be back later to see if the two of you made some progress."

Trying desperately not to panic, I made my way back to the couch. I sat down and folded my hands in my lap, determined not to show Henry how badly they were shaking. We were going to be here for a while, at least until Alona decided she'd had enough and wanted to get back to shooting. If she even wanted to get back to shooting today at all. After all, she had approved of what was undoubtedly Natascha's plan one way or another, and maybe she didn't want to get back to filming until Henry and I had resolved our issues.

I dared a glance at Henry. He was staring blankly ahead, worrying his bottom lip. He looked pissed, to say the least. And all this over one stupid night. He had no right to be angry with me; he was the one who'd cheated, and I hadn't exactly seduced him either. He'd come on to me.

"Why did you leave?" he asked suddenly. There was an angry undertone in his voice that made me flinch. "That morning after in Amsterdam, why did you leave?"

I hadn't expected that question, so it took me a while to answer. Too embarrassed to admit that I'd simply been scared, I said, "I was kind of hoping that you'd been too drunk to remember."

"I wasn't that drunk, you know. I still remember everything."

"If you weren't drunk, then why did you sleep with me?" I near-shouted, exasperated. My fight or flight instincts were starting to kick in, just like they always did with any form of confrontation, and every molecule of my being was screaming flight. "And why do you even care that I left?"

"Because I'm fucking in love with you!" Henry yelled.

I sat there in stunned silence, just staring at him. I didn't know what to feel. I didn't know what to think. It was like he'd shouted words from another language at me, because they would've made just as much sense. "You... what?"

"I'm in love with you, Juliette! I have been ever since you literally fell into my life. Do you have any idea how much it hurt to think I finally had you and then to wake up with you gone? It was like I could literally feel my heart break. And you didn't leave a note. You never called, never texted. Do you have any idea how much that hurt?"

That was what he was so mad about? I was so confused.

"That doesn't make any sense," was all I thought to say.

"Why not?" he asked, exasperated. "I thought I was pretty obvious about my feelings for you. And I thought you might actually like me back, and then when I kissed you, I was over the moon because you kissed me back. And then the best night of my life happened, but you ruined it by stomping all over my heart the next morning."

"I stomped all over your heart?" I asked, finding my anger again. "What about you, huh? I waited so long for you to make a move while we were filming If You Love Someone, but you never did. And then we were apart and gradually you stopped calling and texting, and I thought, 'Fine, he's probably busy.' It hurt, but I understood. But then you get back together with your ex, and how was that supposed to make me feel, huh? Do you have any idea how much that hurt me?"

"My... My ex?"

"Yes! Alyssa. Ring any bells?"

He shook his head. "Juliette, I never got back together with Alyssa. I called her in attempt to get over you, sure, and that was incredibly stupid, but when I saw her again I just realized how much I didn't love her. I loved you, and wanted only you. So we just hung out as friends."

That revelation had my whole world reeling. At the same time, everything made so much more sense, and yet nothing made sense anymore. It made sense why I'd felt like Henry had been flirting with me—because he actually had been. But at the same time, I was finding out that all my anger, all my worries, had been unfounded. It took a while to recover from that.

"Did... Did you really think I would've acted like that if I'd been with someone else? That I would sleep with you had I already been taken?"

I covered my face with my hands in shame, and I discovered I'd been crying. "I should've just asked," I mumbled.

Henry stood up from his chair and kneeled down in front of me, taking hold of my wrists to pull my hands away from my face. "So why didn't you just ask?" he asked softly, staring into my eyes. I was surprised to find tears shimmering in his blue eyes.

I shook my head. "I was scared. I wanted to, that first day of the press tour, but I was just so scared. I knew I wouldn't have been able to handle hearing you talk about how happy you were with someone else, because I was so convinced that you were, so I just didn't ask. I know now that I should have—it would've saved me a lot of pain, insecurity and worry, but... I just couldn't. I don't deal with things that scare me. I run away from them, as fast as I can. That's why I ran that morning in Amsterdam. When I woke up and realized what we'd done, when I thought I'd just helped you cheat on your girlfriend... I was terrified. I was pissed at myself because I'd told myself that I'd never be that person, and yet there I was. And I was mad at you for coming on to me while you were with someone else—at least, at the time, I thought you were. I was just so disgusted with myself and so scared, that I thought my only option was to run, to leave your life forever. But then we both booked this movie, and then all the anxiety started again."

Henry seemed speechless for a minute. He just stared at me, his mouth slightly ajar, but then he finally seemed to recover. "I... I had no idea you thought all that. I mean, I get it now. I get why you reacted the way you did, why you ran away. And here I was, acting like a jerk the whole time. I'm so sorry."

"I'm sorry too," I said, my voice small.

Henry released a wry laugh. "We're both so stupid, aren't we?"

I gave him a small smile. "Yeah. We are."

"Do you forgive me?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Apparently, there's nothing to forgive. And I get why you were mad now. If the roles had been reversed, I'd be mad at you too if you'd been the one running out on me."

"Yes, but I get why you did it now."

"Speaking of..." I said slowly, feeling my heartbeat pick up again as nervous adrenaline rushed through my veins. "Aren't you disgusted with me because I slept with you even though I thought you were with someone else?"

He was quiet for a moment as he thought about his answer. "I feel like I should be, but..." He took a deep breath. "Do you love me?"

This was it. The moment where really all the cards would be on the table. As I studied his eyes, stalling for some more time, I nodded slowly. "Yes, I do. I do love you. So much."

A big smile broke out on his face. "Then none of the other things matter. They're in the past. I want to focus on the future now. At least... if you want a future with me too."

I smiled at him, tentatively. "I do. It's all I've ever wanted, ever since I met you."

He grinned. "So I guess you fell for me both literally and figuratively the moment you first saw me, huh?"

I laughed, wiping away my tears. "I really did, yeah."

He helped me wipe the tears off my face, his hands lingering there even after they were long gone. "Is it okay if I kiss you now?"

I smiled. "From now on, you can kiss me any time you want."

He smiled back at me, inching closer. "Good," he whispered, just before his lips touched mine.

And then we were kissing. It was soft and sweet, and it made my heart swell with all the love. The moment our lips touched, I knew that I never wanted to stop. If I could live in this moment forever, I would—in a heartbeat. Kissing him like this, when we were both fully ourselves and void of any alcohol, was better than any other kiss we'd previously shared. It was like I could hear angels singing, like we were floating above the clouds.

I couldn't quite believe that after all this time, we were finally together. I was with Henry. Henry Cavill and Juliette Morrison, officially a couple. Well, not officially quite yet, but close enough.

We pulled away, both smiling contently, our foreheads touching. This was what it was supposed to be like.

"I'm glad we can do this now," I whispered.

"So am I." Henry laughed suddenly. "I can't believe it took us a whole fucking year to finally get our shit figured out."

"Wow," I said, startled. "It really has been a year already?" Well, I guess it had been. We'd met in March last year, and now it was March again. Time really did fly by.

Henry finally rose up from his crouch and sat down next to me on the couch, pulling me so close so that I was basically sitting in his lap. "Do you remember when we accidentally bumped into each other that day in the bookstore?"

I smiled. "How could I forget?"

"Well..." he started sheepishly, "that wasn't all that accidental. I saw you go in together with Hanna, and I couldn't believe my luck. For like an entire week, all that had been on my mind was you, and there you were. But I figured it would be weird if I would just approach you, so I needed a way for you to notice me and invite me along, at least for a little while. So I kind of staged a fake bookshop accident."

I laughed. "So shopping with us had been your plan all along?"

He shrugged. "Hey, what can I say? I was desperate for more time with you. At the time, I was pretty sure Ryan was gonna give you the part, but there was always that small chance that he wouldn't, and, well... I don't know, I just really wanted to spend more time with you. I really was a goner from the beginning."

I smiled, running my fingers over his cheek. It was completely smooth, no stubble whatsoever, and I had to admit I missed it a little bit. He looked incredibly good with stubble. "So was I, you know."

He smiled before giving me a slow, languid kiss. "I'm glad."

"I'm glad you finally know."

We just stared at each other for a few moments. I stared at his curls, the shape of his forehead, his beautiful eyes with the brown flecks in the one eye, the freckles on his nose, his beautifully shaped lips, the tiny birthmark in the middle of his bottom lip, his cute cleft chin, his incredibly sharp jawline... And as I stared, I realized it was all mine to stare at. All mine to kiss whenever I wanted. As I realized that, my heart swelled with such love and happiness that I genuinely thought it would burst.

"I love you," Henry said.

I smiled. "I love you, too," I told him.

He grinned cheekily as he fully pulled me onto his lap and kissed me hard. I wrapped my arms around his neck, my fingers tangling themselves in the curls at the back of his head. As our tongues explored playfully, his hands slowly rubbed up and down my thighs. Remembering the last time his hands had been close to that area, I felt my face heat up. We could have nights like that all the time now, and I wouldn't have to worry the next morning as I woke up naked in his arms. Instead, I could snuggle closer, tell him I love him, and maybe we'd even go for another round. The possibilities were endless, and we could try them all out, because now everything was on the table.

"Oh! Wow! Oh, God! I am so sorry!"

Henry and I shot apart at the sound of Natascha's voice. She was standing in the door opening, her eyes wide and her face bright red.

"Nat?"

"So... You guys aren't mad at each other anymore?"

Henry shook his head, smiling at me. "No, we aren't."

"Okay, good. Now for the most important question... Are you guys mad at me?"

I laughed—mostly at the absurdity of this whole thing. "No, we're not mad at you, Nat. Actually, if it hadn't been for your plan, we probably would've been fighting for a long time. So thanks, I guess?"

"Oh, no problem," Natascha said, waving my thanks away. "Anyway, Alona was asking about you guys, so I told her I would check on you. But I'd better get you two to Ella for a touch-up before I get you back to set. You both look a little... Well, let's just say that it's obvious the two of you made up, if you know what I'm saying."

Henry laughed. "I get it. And Nat? Thanks."

"No problem, really, but I really should get you to Ella, before Alona starts wondering where the hell we are."

We followed Natascha outside, and as she walked ahead of us, Henry wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close. "Do you want to meet me at my hotel after we wrap up shooting tonight?" he whispered into my ear.

I bit my lip, looking up at him through my lashes. "I do."

He smiled, ducking his head down to press a soft kiss to my lips. "Good."

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Okay, you completely lost me," Hanna said.

"Imagine how I felt," I said, throwing random items I thought I might need into an overnight bag.

"So he was never actually with Alyssa after all?"

I shook my head. "No, he wasn't. Well, he obviously was before, but not while he knew me. So really, our biggest problem this whole time has simply been miscommunication. Which is an issue we really need to talk about, ironically enough. There are loads of things we still need to talk about, but I have a feeling that tonight might not involve all too much talking."

Hanna giggled. "Get it, girl. But you really should talk about everything, though. Soon."

I sighed. "I know. And we will."

"Speaking of talking, I want to have a talk with Henry myself too. I want to make sure that he knows he's not allowed to hurt you ever again, and if he does, there will be serious consequences. I'm talking about, like, cutting off his testicles with one of Keegan's brother's swords. And they're all dull as hell, so that'll be fun."

I shook my head, smiling. "I'd ask you not to have that conversation with him, but I know you can't be stopped anyway. And besides, I kind of don't feel like stopping you."

She grinned, bumping her fist to my shoulder. "That's my girl. Just remember that I only want you to be happy. I know that you've loved Henry for a really long time, and you know that I've supported it from the beginning, but ever since the rumors about him getting back together with Alyssa started, I've kind of had a hard time trusting him. So he'll have to prove himself to me, and the only way to do that is to make you happy. Make sure he knows that."

I smiled, giving her a tight hug. "I will. And thank you. You are the bestest best friend I could ever wish for."

"Same. Now go get your man!"

I laughed. "All right, I will."

"Oh, wait, no! Not yet. Are you wearing sexy underwear? Matching? Something lacy?"

I blushed. "As a matter of fact, yes, I am..."

Hanna grinned. "Atta girl. Now go reel in that super hunk of yours."

Smiling, I gave her a hug. "See you tomorrow evening, hon."

"Yes, you will. But I want deets before that."

I rolled my eyes, but still couldn't stop smiling. "All right, all right. I'll try to call you with some details tomorrow morning."

I gave her one last hug, and then I was out the door. As I drove to the hotel Henry was staying at, I felt the nerves slowly come back. What if he'd decided that he didn't love me after all? Or that he didn't want to risk our friendship by dating me? And what was I even thinking? I wasn't the kind of girl who could go up to someone's hotel room with sexy matching underwear and just jump them, even if he was Henry. There were still so many things that I was still insecure about, things we really needed to talk about before we did anything else. We had to make sure we were both on the same page.

So when I was standing in front of his door twenty minutes later, I hesitated, my hand already outstretched to knock. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "You can do this," I mumbled under my breath. I knocked.

I heard some scuffling coming from inside the room before the door swung open, and there he was. He looked gorgeous, wearing just simple jeans and a black T-shirt. His hair was product free, and he smelled like he'd just taken a shower. My heart swelled just at the sight of him, and I felt a smile slowly take over my face.

"Hey," he breathed, seeming almost nervous.

"Hey."

For a moment, we both simply stood in the door opening of his hotel room, staring at each other. Then he unfroze and stepped forward, cupping my face in his hands. He placed the softest kiss on my lips before stepping back again. "Come in."

I nodded and stepped into his room. As soon as I'd crossed the threshold, I was attacked, but not by Henry. I laughed, kneeling down to greet Kal. "Hey, boy. I missed you too, baby." I pressed a kiss to the top of his head, and he returned the favor by licking my cheek, making me laugh again.

"Don't worry, boy," Henry said, scratching Kal behind his ears. "You're gonna see a lot more of her from now on. Right?" he verified, a twinge of uncertainty in his voice.

I smiled up at him. "Right."

"So... We should probably talk, right?" Henry asked. "I mean, before we do anything... else."

I straightened up, releasing a breath. "I'm actually so relieved you said that."

Henry smiled. "Good." We sat down on the couch, and things were awkward at first. Neither of us really knew how to sit, until Henry turned to me and took one of my hands in both of his. "So... Where to start?"

I took a deep breath. "I want you to know that it isn't going to be easy to be with me, and I'd totally get it if you don't want to be with me anymore once you understand what it all entails."

"Don't say that. I'm not—"

I shook my head. "No, wait. Let me finish." Taking another deep breath, I said, "I'm incredibly insecure. You know that. And that's by no means your fault, but I'm still going to need constant reassurance. That's just how I am. I get insecure about the stupidest things, but please understand that I have no control over that. I'm not trying to be whiny or jealous; it's me genuinely being scared of losing you. I am trying to get better—I've been going to cognitive therapy for the past month—but it's a long process, and I might never fully get over my insecurities. So if you can't handle that, that's perfectly fine, but please tell me so upfront."

My head was spinning when I finally stopped talking. Saying that took a tremendous amount of courage, and I couldn't quite believe I'd said it at all. But saying the words wasn't nearly as scary as waiting for Henry's response.

He tightened his grip on my hand. "I'm not backing away from this. From us. It's gonna take effort on both sides, but no relationship is perfect. And I, personally, am completely willing to put in the effort."

I released the breath I'd been holding and smiled. "I'm so glad to hear that."

He smiled and placed a soft kiss on my forehead. When he pulled back, there was a thoughtful expression on his face. "Would it... Would you be okay with me tagging along to therapy once? I mean, I'd totally get it if you don't want me to, because it's a very personal thing, but... I guess I just want to understand more about your anxiety. How to help you. To know what I should do when you're feeling down or insecure..."

I smiled and kind of felt like crying. Maybe I already was. "You... are so perfect."

"Then why are you crying?"

I laughed, wiping my tears away with my free hand. "Because you're so sweet. Do you have any idea how much it means to me that you even asked that? No one has ever asked me that before. Just knowing that you're willing to do that for me, is... It's perfect."

"So you'll let me come along once?"

I nodded. "Yeah. If that's what you want, then yes."

He smiled. "Okay. So let me promise you this, all right? For as long as you'll have me, I'll reassure you every day. I'll tell you that I love you, that you are the only one for me, and I promise to be honest every time I do."

I rested my hand on his cheek and pressed my lips to his. I kissed him hard, hoping to convey all of my gratitude. "I promise to do the same. And I promise to always try to talk to you when something's bothering me or bringing me down."

He finally released my hand and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me onto his lap as I giggled. "Good. Now, is there anything else we should talk about?"

My smile fell, and I looked down so I wouldn't have to look him in the eye as I said, "Well... I know you've already said that you weren't with Alyssa, but I saw the pictures. She was constantly all over you, and you looked so happy with her. I mean, can you really blame me for thinking you'd gotten back together?"

"No. I can't. And I feel like I should explain. Alyssa... is someone who's very comfortable in her own skin. She's touchy-feely with everyone. So that explains the pictures. And I was smiling because, well, she really is just a friend. She makes me laugh. And I admit, I did call her with the thought of trying things with her again. I hadn't heard from you in a while, and I guess I thought I felt like I annoyed you every time I sent you a message or called you. I thought you might not like me back after all. So I called her, but then as we got together for dinner, I realized what I was doing was all wrong. I didn't love her. I never did. I mean, when I was with her, I genuinely thought that I did. I'd never felt anything like it. But it turned out that all I'd ever felt for her was infatuation, because when I met you... I was shaken to the core. That's when it started dawning on me that I'd never really been in love with her, but I fully realized and understood it when I saw her again. I'd never really been in love before because I was holding out for you. So I told her that I just wanted to be friends, and she agreed."

"But... But you had breakfast with her the next day. I figured that she must've stayed over."

"Ah, well... That's because she kind of did. We were so busy catching up that we didn't realize the time, and she'd had a few glasses of wine, so I decided it was probably best to not let her drive home. So she stayed in the guest room and I slept in my own bed. Nothing happened."

I nodded, then grimaced. "See what I mean? I get really insecure and think the worst, and then it turns out there is a very simple, plausible explanation. It's so fucked up."

He shook his head and pulled me a little closer still. "Hey, no. It's just the way your brain works, and I get it. I know you don't mean it personally. It's simply your own insecurity, not necessarily a mistrust of me. And if it is, I promise that I'll try my hardest to prove myself to you."

"God, I love you."

He broke out in a big smile. "Yeah?"

I nodded, smiling back at him. "Yeah."

"Good, because I love you, too." And he kissed me, wasting no time in getting right to business, tugging my shirt over my head. He smiled as he recognized my bra. It was the same one I'd been wearing in Amsterdam, the one he'd said drove him crazy. "Nice choice of underwear."

I grinned. "I thought you might like it. Now it's your turn. Take your shirt off, Superman."

He smirked. "All right. Bossy, I like it."

He took off his black T-shirt and threw it in a corner of the room. I took a moment to take him in. He'd slimmed down a lot since I'd last seen him shirtless, but he was still very muscular. More like a Theseus six pack than a Superman six pack, but I wasn't complaining. He looked good. Really good. "Wow..." I breathed.

"Not quite as you remember it, huh?"

I shook my head. "No. It's not." I ran my fingers down his abs, all the way down to the waistband of his jeans. "But I can definitely work with it." I unbuckled his belt and then undid the button and zipper on his jeans. "No problem."

He smiled and gently bit my bottom lip, making me moan. "Good."

Henry stood up suddenly, carrying me over to the bed. I giggled as he lay me down in the middle and placed kisses all over my bare stomach. "I love you," he mumbled in-between kisses.

"I love you, too. I really do."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I have been writing towards this chapter for a really long time, and it's a really weird feeling to finally send it out into the world and have you guys read it. I hope it doesn't disappoint. I feel like it kind of does because it's been all I've been able to think of and I feel like I can't live up to my own expectations, haha!

Anyway, will we finally, FINALLY, see some peace and love and quiet in Juliette and Henry's lives? ;)

Song at the start of the chapter is Need the Sun to Break by James Bay.

Don't forget to vote⭐️ and comment💬!