Would it make you feel better

To watch me while I bleed?

All my windows still are broken

But I'm standing on my feet

~*~*~*~*~*~

Friday, May 13, 2019.

I genuinely felt like throwing my phone across my trailer. I normally didn't have urges like that because my phone was generally a very precious thing to me, but not this morning. This morning, I hated it with everything I had. It was a quarter to six in the morning and my alarm was beeping so loudly I thought it would kill my brain. I wanted the sound to stop, and yet I had zero energy to make my arm move to grab my phone.

"Shut. It. Off," Hanna grumbled from underneath her pillow.

I groaned and forced myself to move, pressing the snooze button. I buried my head under my pillow, too, pretending I didn't have to rush my butt into action because I'd be late otherwise.

"Fuck Disney," I mumbled. "I'm gonna keep sleeping."

"But it's Disney," Hanna mumbled back, sounding just as tired as I felt.

I let out a loud, long groan and rolled until I was sliding out of bed and sitting on the floor. "Fine. Dibs on the shower."

"I'm too tired to argue with you right now, so fine."

I got ready as quickly as possible (nearly cutting myself in both my haste and exhaustion as I shaved my legs) and got dressed in a pair of Daisy Dukes with a studded back pocket and a white T-shirt with a vampire Mickey Mouse printed on it. I paired the outfit with comfortable Nikes and Disney themed jewelry. As Hanna took her turn in the shower, I blow dried my hair and put it up in a messy ponytail. Just when I was perfecting my winged eyeliner, Hanna came back, dressed in faded, ripped short jean shorts, a green T-shirt with an angry-looking Thumper from Bambi on it, and green Chucks. Her wavy blonde hair was still damp, but she didn't seem to care as she put a black New York Yankees snapback on her head.

She finished doing her makeup just when there was a knock on my trailer's door, and I rushed to open it. I was met with a cheery-looking Henry, dressed amazingly in a form-fitting black T-shirt and blue faded skinny jeans, paired with black boots. "Good morning," he nearly sang.

I couldn't help but smile. "Good morning to you, too. I like your jeans."

He looked down at his pants with a slight blush. "You think so?" He shoved his hands into his pockets. "I mean, they require a bit of getting used to, but you said you liked them, so..."

"I do like them. But you should only wear skinny jeans if you want to."

"Oh my God, you guys, just stop flirting so we can go already," Hanna said, pushing past us as she shouldered a canvas backpack, a pair of Ray-Ban aviator sunglasses covering her eyes. The glasses were tinted green, matching her outfit.

I felt myself turn bright red at Hanna's comment and quickly turned around to hide my face. I grabbed my own stuff, making sure to grab my blue Ray-Ban wayfarers.

The three of us walked to the parking lot and got into Henry's car. He drove us to my family's hotel, where we met up with them. Caitlin was already bouncing up and down with excitement, Minnie Mouse ears complete with pink bow already perched on top of her small head. Her blonde hair was done in two cute braided pigtails. She gave all three of us a hug, and I was a little surprised at how tightly she clamped on to Henry. He really had charmed her a lot.

We drove to the airport in two cars, and I was surprised when Henry didn't drive us to the main parking lot, but to a private hangar. I shot him a both curious and suspicious look. "I thought you'd booked us a regular flight?"

Henry smiled, his blue eyes sparkling. "I couldn't let you guys have a fun day out and make you fly coach, now could I?"

"What did you do?" I asked slowly, my eyes narrowing.

He shrugged, parking his car. "I have a friend who owns a jet and I asked him if I could borrow it just for today. I had to pay for the chartering costs and everything, but that's not a problem."

I shook my head. "I just can't believe how this is all so... normal for you. 'Oh, yeah, let me just call up my friend who owns a private jet and pay thousands of dollars for a day out with my costar and her friend and family I don't even know so well.' It's just mind-boggling, really."

He smiled. "I'd like to think you're more than just my costar. And I actually like your family—well, with one obvious exception. And one day, if your talent is any indication of your future, this will all be normal for you, too."

We got out of the car, meeting up with my family again. We went inside and found a luxurious-looking private jet waiting for us, the pilot awaiting us in front of the stairs leading up to the plane entrance. As I looked at it all, it felt incredibly surreal, which made Henry's words seem even harder to believe than they already were.

"Young man," Dad said, stepping up to Henry with a stern look on his face. I already had a feeling of what was coming, and I had to force a giggle back as I watched Henry's smile fall and mild fear settle into his eyes. He might've been twice as muscular, but there was nothing quite as scary as an angry father. "I cannot accept you paying for a freaking private jet. I was already unsure about you paying for a regular flight and the admission tickets to Disney, but I can't accept this."

Henry stared at my father for a moment. "You... can't?" Then he shook his head. "But I really do insist. Besides, this is a onetime thing and really not a big deal for me. And I have a feeling your daughter will get me back for splurging at some point."

"You got that right," I said, mostly just to set my father at ease.

Dad sighed. "Fine. But only because it's a onetime thing." He pointed his finger threateningly at Henry, who took a step back.

I shook my head, trying not to laugh. This whole thing was just so ridiculous.

We met the pilot, who was an average-looking man in his late thirties or early forties. Then we boarded the plane and I nearly entered culture shock. Nothing on the outside of the jet could have prepared me for what was on the inside. The interior had a theme of white and wood going on. There was a table fastened to the plane's right wall, surrounded by four extremely comfortable-looking white seats. There was a wide white couch by the left wall, and two more seats in the back. The whole jet had a very luxurious feel to it, and to a girl whose family never really had that much money, this whole plane was insane. I didn't even want to think about how much this jet must've cost.

"You have some rich friends, Cavill..." I mumbled.

He just smiled. "Everyone, sit, please. I'll be right back. Juliette, you can have the window seat." He winked at me and disappeared into the cockpit.

I sat down at the table by the window, Caitlin and Hanna sitting across from me. The seats were as comfortable as I'd imagined them to be—actually, even more so. The seats were soft and the leather incredibly smooth. I could die in these seats and be perfectly happy.

When Henry came back, he was carrying two platters. "I got some breakfast, seeing as I figured no one really had any yet because it's so early." He set the platters on the table. One held assorted bagels, and the other held all different kinds of donuts.

I glared at him as I grabbed a maple glazed donut. "I hate you," I grumbled. He knew those were my favorite and he also knew I had to eat at least one if I saw them, no matter how bad they were for me.

"Well, I love him," Hanna said dreamily as she grabbed a strawberry one. She bit into the donut and nearly moaned. "Not as much as I love this donut, though."

Henry laughed as he sat down next to me. "I'm glad you like them. Just grab whatever you want." He grabbed a bagel himself.

We ate in silence for a bit as the pilot geared up for takeoff. Before I knew it, the jet was taxiing out of the hangar and we were speeding along the runway, accelerating more and more until we were airborne. I stared out of the window just like the last time I flew, completely captivated by the view, the last piece of my donut forgotten in my hand.

When we were cruising along and no longer still climbing into the air, Henry asked, "Does anyone want anything to drink? There's a fridge over there with plenty of beverages. You can grab whatever you want." But as the perfect host, he stood up himself and passed drinks to everyone. He brought me a bottle of Coca-Cola Life and sat down again with his own after providing everyone with what they wanted.

I took a drink to wash away the sweetness in my mouth left from that donut and grabbed a bagel with ham, cheese, lettuce and tomato, even though there was another maple glazed donut still on the other platter. When I finished eating it, though, my exhaustion set back in again. I could hardly keep my eyes open and my head was bobbing up and down. I rested my head on Henry's shoulder. "Your shoulder's a good pillow," I murmured.

He smiled, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me a little closer. "Are you tired?" he asked softly.

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Then sleep. There's enough time for you to get a quick nap in before we land."

I was too tired to argue with that idea and closed my eyes, falling asleep before I full and well knew it.

~*~*~*~*~*~

I awoke again a little less than an hour later by a gentle hand softly shaking my shoulder. I opened my eyes groggily, my gaze falling first on black fabric covering big muscles. Henry's intoxicating scent was everywhere, and I had this sense of feeling like I was home. Then I realized I was far from home—I wasn't even on solid ground. I lifted my head, my eyes slowly traveling up from Henry's shoulder, to his throat, to his face.

He smiled down at me. "Hey, little sleepy head. We're about to land, so I thought I'd wake you up."

I smiled back at him, my still sleepy mind making it hard to keep my eyes open. I rested my head on his shoulder again. "Mmkay," I mumbled.

He laughed, tightening his arm around my waist and pressing a kiss to the top of my head. "Touchdown is in five minutes," was all he said.

I tried to wake myself up and make myself happy about the fact that we'd be walking around in Disney World soon, but all I could focus on was how good he smelled and how soothing it felt to gently move up and down along with his steady breathing. At this point, I'd take sleeping on Henry's shoulder over going to Disney any day.

As the pressure in my ears increased, though, I found it a little easier to wake myself up. It was always more painful when the plane was descending, and in my tired state, it was even worse. I leaned away from Henry to look out of the window and saw the ground rapidly nearing. When we landed, we didn't have to go through baggage claim or anything else that was usually annoying about flying, and we took two cabs straight to Disney World.

Caitlin, who was in the cab with us, nearly fainted with excitement when we drove through the arch leading to the park. Henry smiled at her. "Do you have any princesses that you want to meet?"

"I really want to meet Mulan. She kicks butt!" she said, making all of us laugh. Even the taxi driver cracked a smile.

"She does kick butt, doesn't she?" I said with smile. "Personally, I wanna take a picture with Belle."

Hanna shook her head. "You and your Belle..."

"Hey!" I defended myself. "Have you seen the library Beast gives her? I want a library like that."

"Understandable," Henry said. "And I don't doubt you'll find a way to fill it up completely."

Hanna snorted. "Please. She'll end up not even having enough space for her books in that ginormous library. It's not a collection anymore. It's an obsession."

We reached the Magical Kingdom, meeting up together to walk over Main Street. Before I knew it, Lorene was forcing her daughter to take a picture with literally every Disney character there was to find on Main Street

I pulled Henry aside. "I've never been to Disney World before, but something tells me it usually doesn't go like this. What are all the Disney characters doing here?"

Henry just smiled and gave me a wink as Caitlin posed for a picture with Mulan.

But she wasn't the only one who was taking pictures with people.

A group of girls hesitantly approached Henry. "Hi, um, I'm sorry, I don't mean to bother you, but..." She cleared her throat awkwardly. "Could we maybe take a picture with you?"

He smiled politely at the group of three girls. "Yeah, sure," he said. "All together or individually?"

"Um, would it be okay if we take individual pictures? I mean, we really don't want to bother you."

"Oh, no, it's no bother at all. Juliette, dear, would you take the pictures? We'll do a group one, too."

I smiled, trying not to shake my head at him. He was too sweet for his own good sometimes. I definitely tried to ignore the fact he'd called me 'dear.' "Yeah, no problem." I took the girl's phone, which was already opened to the camera function. The four of them posed for me, bright smiles on their faces. Henry wasn't looking at the camera, though. He was looking at me. I felt flustered as I snapped the pics, but his eyes never wavered from me unless he was speaking to the girls.

"Thank you so much. We love your movies," one of the girls gushed. I had the feeling they loved his pretty face more than his acting, but I couldn't really blame them.

"Aw, thank you so much," Henry said.

The girls left again and I tried not to laugh. "Do you ever get used to that? Girls fawning all over you and asking to take a picture with you?"

He shook his head. "No, I haven't gotten used to that, and I don't think I ever will. But they weren't fawning over me."

Hanna scoffed. "Yeah, they were. You were just too busy looking elsewhere to notice."

Before Henry could ask what that was supposed to mean, Caitlin came storming at us. "Juliette! Juliette! Juliette, oh my God, that's Belle!"

I looked up to see where she was pointing. Sure enough, a few feet away, Belle was standing there surrounded by two kids and Gaston. Gaston was busy flexing his (rather impressive) muscles. I wondered if those were his actual muscles or if it was just the suit. "That is indeed Belle," I said with a smile. Her dress was beautiful.

Caitlin grabbed my hand and dragged me over to her. "Belle! Belle, excuse me, but my cousin wants to take a picture with you." She pointed up at me with a big grin and a sparkle in her eye.

Gaston laughed, his deep voice carrying all over Main Street, I was pretty sure. "Oh, no, you must be mistaken, little girl," he said. "I'm pretty sure she wants to take a picture with me."

"Wait your turn, Gaston," I told him. "Belle's much more important than you."

Belle laughed. "Why, did you hear that, Gaston? She thinks I'm more important than you."

Gaston scoffed. "Women."

Hanna patted him on his arm compassionately. "Upset you can't get any? Understandable."

Belle covered her mouth with her hand, trying to keep in her giggles.

"Right," Caitlin said sternly, her hands on her hips. "Now let the girls talk and take a picture. Your turn will come eventually, but only if you're nice."

I high-fived her. Then I gave my phone to Henry and wrapped my arm around Belle's waist for the picture. Belle surprised me when she kissed my cheek. Gaston huffed at the gesture, crossing his arms in front of his chest, and as his biceps bulged through his sleeves, I decided his muscles had to be real.

"You both look gorgeous," Henry said, handing me my phone back. The picture had turned out great.

Belle winked. "Well, I see you've already met your Prince Charming."

"Oh, well, we're not actually—"

Before I could finish, Gaston interrupted me. He pointed at Henry. "I challenge you to a pushup contest. Right here, right now. Winner gets the girl. Think you can handle the heat?"

I almost snorted. I'd watched Henry do a hundred pushups without breaking a sweat in-between takes just because he was bored. He could handle this guy, no matter how big his muscles were.

"All right, fine. I accept your challenge," Henry said, shaking Gaston's hand.

As the two of them got down to the ground, I retrieved my phone from my pocket. I had the feeling this could take a while, but I still had to film all of it.

The two of them started their contest, both keeping perfect form as they went all the way down and then all the way up again, the muscles in their arms straining. They both seemed to be keeping up with each other.

"Hm, you're strong," Gaston noted, as if it actually came as a surprise to him. "Let's see if you can do it one-handed." He gracefully put one arm behind his back, still going up and down while using his other arm.

Henry followed suit, putting his left arm behind his back. I couldn't help but stare at the muscles in his arms and shoulders. The tight black fabric around them seemed about ready to tear.

After a while Henry was still doing great, but Gaston was starting to lose his form. His arm was shaking a little, and after a bit of that, he'd had enough. With dramatic flair, he let himself fall to the ground. "Fine!" he wailed. "Fine! You win! You get the girl."

Henry got to his feet, dusting off his hands. "You hear that?" he asked with a grin. "I get the girl." He walked over to me, grabbed me by my waist and dipped me low. I stared at him, wondering if he was going to kiss me, but he never did. Instead, he lifted me up again and kissed my hand.

"Oh my God, I'm so glad I got that," Hanna said. I turned to her with a start and saw she was holding her phone as well.

I was still holding mine, but it was pointed to the ground now. I pressed the stop button, pretending to be busy with my phone to hide my disappointment at him not kissing me.

Gaston shook Henry's hand. "Well won, my friend."

Henry took a small bow. "Thank you."

We spent the rest of the morning exploring the park, taking pictures of sights we enjoyed and going on any ride we wanted. Henry had arranged for us to always be able to cut the line, because, as he'd rightfully noted, waiting in line could potentially be hazardous for him. I did feel guilty every time we did it, though, no matter how necessary it might have been.

Eventually Henry mentioned that he'd made reservations somewhere for lunch, and that we'd better hurry or else we'd be late. So he took us back toward Main Street, to a beautiful restaurant. It was called The Crystal Palace and kind of made to look like a greenhouse, filled with beautiful greenery and wroughtiron decorations. Inside, the tables and chairs all looked quaint and lovely. It was the kind of place you'd want to keep taking pictures of.

We were seated at a table that fit all eight of us, where an employee explained that we could walk to the buffet and take anything we wanted. After getting our food, we sat back down again.

"It was really sweet of you to arrange this, Henry," I told him quietly, so only he could hear.

He smiled knowingly. "I still have some more surprises in in store," he said. "Just wait until you see where we're eating dinner."

"I think I can already guess, so thank you. It'll be really special for Caitlin."

"I hope so," he said, his smile widening. "I just hope it's special for you, too."

"I thought all actresses were supposed to eat healthy stuff like salads," Lorene said, eyeing the bread roll I was buttering.

"Not this again," Hanna muttered.

"What? I'm just saying that as she's on camera so much, she might want to watch her figure, especially since it adds five pounds. What's wrong with that?"

"Okay, no," Henry said, and I saw genuine anger burn in his eyes. It took me aback a little, to the point where I felt my heartbeat speed up. "I thought you'd have the decency to make this a good day, not only for your daughter, but also for Juliette, because she's just trying to make you guys have a good time. But you just can't stop criticizing her every move, can you? And I really wish you'd stop commenting on her weight before you start giving her ideas she shouldn't have. She has a perfectly healthy body, and she shouldn't be 'watching her figure.' If anything, you should be watching what comes out of your mouth."

Everyone was speechless for a moment, shock on their faces. Anger was mixed with Lorene's shock, though, and I feared an outburst worthy of Mount Vesuvius.

Hanna recovered first, though. "That... was a speech worthy of me. I applaud you, Henry, and I applaud your guts to say what actually needed to be said." She actually started clapping for him.

"I'll be right back," Lorene said, her voice shaking with anger. She headed for the bathroom, and I feared she'd kick the whole place into shambles. I don't think anyone but Hanna had ever pointed her out on her bullshit, and even she hadn't done it so... I didn't even know how to describe it. Directly? Honestly?

"I'm sorry," Henry told me. "I shouldn't have... I shouldn't have exploded the way I did, I just couldn't handle hearing her utter another bad word about you."

"Well, inappropriate timing or not," Dad said, "we still appreciate you saying what we've always wanted to say but never did."

"I really am sorry. I must apologize to you, too, Quentin. I never meant to go off on your wife like that."

Quentin waved his apology away. "It's okay. I've been telling her for years to ease up on Juliette, but she never listens. Maybe she'll listen to you."

I couldn't really focus on my lunch after that. Especially when Lorene returned from the bathroom, still looking angry, I just picked at my food and didn't dare face her. The only time I was able to smile was when Winnie the Pooh and Eeyore came to entertain us (it was mostly meant for Caitlin, but Hanna was the one who freaked out most) and to hand out autographs and take pictures. But once they were gone, I again began mulling everything over in my head. Lorene's comments, Henry's angry speech, my own confusing feelings... It was all a little overwhelming, especially with the panicky feeling still left over from yesterday's anxiety attack.

I managed to push through lunch, though, and once everyone had finished eating (we had to wait for Hanna, who was still obsessively staring at Eeyore), we started walking through the park again.

"Oh my gosh," Hanna exclaimed. "Splash Mountain. We need to go on that."

"Fine with me. But I'm not sitting in the front," I said.

Hanna rolled her eyes. "You're such a wuss. Fine then, I'll sit in the front. Who's with me?"

"I'll sit with you," Caitlin said bravely. "I'm not afraid to get a little wet."

Oh, poor, poor unknowing Caitlin. Sitting in the front in Splash Mountain wasn't likely to get you a little wet. It would likely get you soaking wet. I'd kind of hoped Henry would offer to sit in front instead—you know, so I could admire him in a drenched T-shirt? But alas, Caitlin beat him to it before he could even think to offer.

And so we again cut in line, this time at Splash Mountain. I felt especially guilty when I saw a girl about Caitlin's age look at us with anger in her eyes. I knew it was incredibly unfair, but there was nothing I could do. I supposed this was just one of the necessary evils you had to endure when going on an outing with someone as famous as Henry.

I saw multiple girls and women waiting in line that didn't seem to mind we were cutting in front of them at all, though. They all stared at Henry like he was a piece of meat (which kind of made me jealous but also made me wonder if I looked at him like that), and they took pictures of him shamelessly.

When we got on the ride, Henry and me sitting behind Hanna and Caitlin, the anxiety I'd felt earlier seemed to multiply tenfold. It was like the thrill of the ride and the pent-up feelings I had weren't reacting all too well together. I kind of just wanted to get the hell out of there, wanted to yell at the people in control to make them stop the boat from moving, but I kept my mouth shut. I generally wasn't afraid of roller coasters and the like, but paired with the anxious feelings I'd been feeling since yesterday, it all became a little too much. When the drop finally came, I wanted to scream, but no sound came out. The freezing water that splashed all over me made me want to cry.

Henry noticed almost straight away that something was wrong once we got off. "Anxiety?" was all he asked, and he nodded at the same time I did, probably already knowing the answer before he'd even asked the question. "Hanna, we'll be right back." She took one look at me and nodded, waving us away. Henry led me to an alley that led to a maintenance room of some sorts. "Are you okay?" he asked softly, making sure to catch my eye.

I nodded, taking deep, slow breaths. "Yeah, I think so. I just needed to get out of the crowd for a bit."

"Are you sure? It's not about my outburst against Lorene earlier?"

"I don't know. Maybe. It's all a little confusing right now. I think it's just a mix of everything together. My anxiety attack yesterday, the busy crowd constantly taking pictures of us, Lorene... Just everything. I don't blame you at all, though, I want you to know that."

"But still, I am sorry," he said, pulling me into a comforting hug. His shirt was wet from Splash Mountain, but so was mine, so I didn't really care. "I shouldn't have exploded at your aunt like that. At least not so publicly, in the middle of a crowded restaurant with her daughter right there. There are probably smarter ways I could've handled... Really now? Don't you have any shred of decency?"

I looked up with a start at his sudden angry tone, only to realize he wasn't talking to me. Right there in the only exit stood two guys with expensive cameras. Paparazzi.

Henry tried to shield me with his body. "Get out of here!"

"Henry, are you and Juliette dating?" one of the guys asked as his shutter kept going off. It was lucky it was bright daylight, otherwise the flashes would have definitely blinded me.

"I told you to get lost!" Then, turning to me again, he asked gently, "Are you okay, Juliette?"

Admittedly, the camera's shutter wasn't all too good for my anxiety, nor was knowing that there'd be even more pictures out now and that this would probably also turn into a blown-out-of-proportion scandal, but I still attempted to be brave and nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine." I tried to ignore the shaking of my voice, and hoped he would do the same. "Let's just get out of here, okay?"

Henry didn't need to be told twice, and again tried to shield me with his body as we pushed past the two photographers. When we were back in the crowd, which somehow felt safer than being in that alley, he asked, "Are you sure you're okay?"

I smiled at him, hoping it didn't waver. "Yes, I'm sure. Now stop asking me before I'm not okay."

"Sorry," he said sheepishly, making me laugh.

Mom gave me a hug as soon as we reunited with my family. "Are you okay, love?"

I smiled at her. "I'm fine, Mom. It's nothing I can't handle, so don't worry about me. Now, where do you guys want to go next?"

We wandered through the rest of the park for the remainder of the afternoon, and I found myself refusing to go on any rides unless they were sure to not give me any more unnecessary and above all unwanted anxiety. On the one side that kind of sucked, because I actually quite liked roller coasters. But I knew what was best for me right now, and I wasn't foolish enough to be stubborn at the moment.

It did seem to work on easing my anxiety a little, though, but I kept worrying that I was somehow letting the others down. All I'd wanted was to show my family and best friend a good time, and here I was, abstaining from all the fun. I also felt bad for Henry. He'd gone to great lengths to arrange all this for me, and I didn't want him to think I was taking it for granted, or—God forbid—didn't appreciate it. Because I was eternally grateful for what he'd done, and it wasn't his fault—nor was it Disney World's—that I suffered from anxiety.

Still, I should have seen it coming. All of it. The anxiety, Henry going completely over the top, my aunt being—well, a bitch. I should've just said I wasn't feeling up to it and that just exploring Miami might be a better idea.

But then I looked at the pure joy on Caitlin's face and realized I'd done the right thing by saying yes. Especially the look on her face when we entered the Beast's castle made everything—the good and the bad—worth it. I knew that after Mulan, Beauty and the Beast was her favorite Disney movie, and she drank in all the sights with a look of wonder on her face.

I knew, though, that this had mostly been for me, and I felt my heart swell. Even if he didn't like me back (which I still wasn't sure about—I kept having doubts about the way he felt), I didn't deserve this kind of attention. He was looking at me with an expectant smile, but I was too choked up to tell him how much I loved all of this. In the short time that we'd known each other, he already knew me so well, and him going out of his way to make me happy was just... too much for my weak heart to handle.

When we were seated, I gave him an awkward half-hug that I hoped conveyed my genuine gratitude for him. "Thank you so much," I whispered into his ear.

He squeezed me tight for a second and said, "You're welcome. It's no bother at all." When he pulled back, he gave me a smile that was warm enough to melt my heart into a useless puddle.

Halfway through dessert (I had a delicious triple chocolate cupcake that was lifting my spirits even more), that same Belle from this morning stopped by our table. Beast stood behind her. "Oh my, so sorry to disturb," she said, "but I once again wanted to apologize for Gaston's behavior this morning. He was out of line," she told Henry, who laughed.

"It's all right. I never would've agreed to it if I knew I couldn't win, and I won, so it's all good. If anyone should apologize, it's Gaston for being a big meanie. Right, Caitlin?"

"Right!" Caitlin agreed, a half-eaten bite of strawberry cupcake still rolling around in her mouth.

"The young man is right, Belle," Beast said. "Gaston is—"

Belle laughed. "Now, now, Beast. Be nice. Either way, I'll leave you lovely people to your dinner now. Have a magical night!"

We wished her the same, and she and Beast traipsed off, on to the next table. Disney World truly was a magical place.

The flight back to Miami was completely different from the flight to Orlando. For one thing, I stayed awake for the entirety of it. I found myself replaying the whole day, and more than once found myself staring at Henry. I'd already liked him a lot before this day (and of course he'd always been nice to look at), but now when I looked at him, I saw something more. I saw his kindness for someone he'd barely met, I saw his passion, I saw his resolve to make sure that my family (with the obvious exception) was happy, but mostly his resolve to make sure I was happy. I kept discovering more and more how beautiful of a person he was, inside and out, and I kept sinking deeper and deeper. I loved the way he tried to make me laugh, I loved the way he'd so naturally walked through Disney World with Caitlin on his shoulders, loved how he was never annoyed with a fan for stopping him and asking him for a picture and/or an autograph—instead he welcomed it and tried to make everyone feel special. And that was what made him so special, and perhaps what was making me fall so hard for him.

When we landed in Miami again, we dropped my family off at their hotel. I made sure to kiss an extremely sleepy Caitlin goodnight (I was both surprised and unsurprised at her requesting a goodnight kiss from Henry as well), and Hanna, Henry and I drove back to set.

Once we got there and stood in front of our trailers, Hanna yawned, though I suspected it was faked. "Oh my God, I'm exhausted. Good night to one and all, I'm out," she said, and with a nod to Henry, she walked into my trailer, shutting the door behind her.

I chuckled. "Well, apparently I'm not welcome in my own trailer anymore," I joked.

"You're always welcome in mine," Henry said.

That made me blush, and I was thankful that it was already dark outside, with very little light coming from the surrounding trailers. "I wanted to thank you again for today," I said. "You really didn't have to do all of this, and yet you exceeded all expectations. You really made it a special day for Caitlin, and I appreciate that beyond measure. You also made it a special day for me too, so... Thank you."

"Like I said, it was my pleasure. I actually had a lot of fun, too. I don't have days like these often anymore, so I suppose I should be thanking you for letting me tag along with you and your family."

I smiled. "It really was a good day, wasn't it? I mean, it wasn't perfect, but I think a really good day shouldn't be perfect. That kind of makes it feel unreal."

"I know what you mean, and I agree."

I stepped up to him and hugged him, snaking my arms around his neck. "Thank you, Henry." I kissed his cheek and wanted to pull away again, but was surprised when he tightened his hold on me so he could kiss my cheek too. He released me then, and I had to think for a moment before I remembered what I was about to say next. "I'd, uh... I'd better head inside and try to get some sleep. We both have an early call time tomorrow."

He smiled. "I'll try and do the same. Sweet dreams, Juliette."

"Sweet dreams, Henry."

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

The lyrics at the start of the chapter are Skyscraper by Demi Lovato.

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