𝓔𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓷𝓪𝓵 𝓼𝓾𝓷𝓼𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓮
ᵀʰᵃᵗˢ ᵒᵈᵈ

Elena sat at her vanity, carefully applying mascara in the soft glow of her Hollywood-style mirror. A palette of blushes and lipsticks was spread out before her, and she leaned in closer, focusing on perfecting the sharp wing of her eyeliner. Her hair was half-pinned up, the loose curls cascading down her back as she hummed softly to herself.

The door to her room suddenly burst open, and Aaron barged in like he owned the place.

"Do you ever knock?" Elena asked, her tone more exasperated than surprised as she glanced at him in the mirror.

"Nope," Aaron said, flopping onto her bed. He grabbed a throw pillow and tossed it in the air lazily before fixing her with a mischievous grin. "Did Mason tell you?"

Elena paused mid-swipe of her lipstick. "Tell me what?" she asked, setting the tube down and turning to face him.

Aaron smirked. "Oh, just that he landed a lead role in some new Colleen Hoover movie adaptation."

Her brows shot up. "Wait, what? Seriously?"

"Yup." Aaron sat up, clearly enjoying this. "Apparently, it's one of her big romance novels, and they're already talking about awards buzz."

Elena blinked, trying to process the news. "He didn't tell me," she said softly, more to herself than to Aaron.

Aaron raised an eyebrow. "Really? I figured you two told each other everything."

Elena rolled her eyes, though a flicker of hurt crossed her face. "We do. I mean, usually. Maybe he hasn't had the chance to bring it up yet."

Aaron leaned back against the headboard, studying her reaction. "You know what's funny, though?"

"What?" Elena asked, already bracing herself.

"You know how you just got cast in Now You See Me 3?"

"Yes, Aaron," she said, narrowing her eyes. "What about it?"

"Well," he began, drawing out the word for dramatic effect, "guess who else is gonna be in Mason's movie?"

Elena tilted her head, waiting.

"Dave Franco," Aaron said, grinning like he'd just dropped the biggest bombshell of the century.

Her jaw dropped. "What? No way!"

"Way," Aaron said smugly. "So now you're basically coworkers in a weird, roundabout way. Small world, huh?"

Elena sat back in her chair, her thoughts swirling. Mason hadn't told her about the role, and now she'd find out he'd be working with Dave Franco—the lead in the very movie she'd just been cast in.

"Guess I'll have to ask him about it," she said, more to herself than to Aaron.

Aaron chuckled, throwing the pillow at her. "Yeah, and maybe ask why he didn't think to mention it. Some best friend he is."

Elena caught the pillow and threw it back at him, hitting him square in the face. "Get out of my room, Aaron."

He laughed, standing up and heading for the door. "Fine, fine. Just remember, I'm the one who keeps you in the loop. You're welcome!"

As the door closed behind him, Elena turned back to her vanity, her thoughts still lingering on Mason. Why hadn't he told her? She grabbed her phone, hesitating for a moment before opening their messages.

— ETERNAL SUNSHINE —