There’s silence.
Just a second. A heartbeat in time. But I see it in his eyes: he hesitates.
He waits too long.
And my heart breaks, clean in two.
“Zoey—” Blake reaches for me, but I pull away. Tears are already flooding my eyes, and God, it hurts so much, I don’t think I can take a single step, but I have to. I have to go, before I give him everything he wants—and lose myself in the process.
I’ve spent so long wanting to be with him, I never realized he’s been holding himself back all this time. I thought we were past that: that we were finally in this together, but just like always, he’s the one striding ahead, and I’m left following behind.
Taking what he chooses to give me. Loving him, when he doesn’t know what it means to give himself to someone in return.
“Good luck with the movie,” I manage to tell him, turning my face away so I don’t have to see that handsome face, imploring me.
That face that has been the center of my dreams for so long. Until now.
“I hope you get everything you want.”
I walk away, feeling the pain take me over.The pain of loving someone and them not loving you in return.
Not enough.
And Blake? He doesn’t come after me. He doesn’t take my hand, and promise that he loves me, that we can make it through anything.
He doesn’t fight for me at all.
He lets me go. And that part hurts almost more than anything.
Three months later…
25.
Blake
I should never have let her go.
I still see it playing out in my head like it was yesterday: Zoey’s face full of rejection, her eyes filling with tears. She turned and walked away from me, but instead of going after her—pulling her into my arms and promising that nothing would ever come between us—I let her go.
I stood, frozen in place, confusion whirling in my mind. I let my darkest fears get the best of me, and dammit, there’s not a minute that goes by I don’t hate myself for it.
I hurt her. I lost her.
She’s gone.
“Mr. Callahan?” There’s a tap on the door to my trailer, dragging me back from the past. It’s one of the assistants, holding a clipboard. “You’re needed in wardrobe in five.”
“Thanks,” I reply, trying like hell to snap out of this mood. I grab my script and exit out into the madness of the set. Hundreds of people, massive sound-stages and sets everywhere—we’re just about finished filming here in Sydney, Australia, and it’s an epic production like nothing else. Judgement Day was a big deal, but it was mainly me stuck in the studio fighting fake aliens on the green screen. This time, we’ve gone out to locations out in the desert, filmed massive crowd scenes in the city—the scale of the movie is incredible, and it’s a thrill and an honor just to be a part of the controlled chaos. I should be having the time of my life.
But still, I find myself craving Zoey.
She would have loved this. Every day, I see something cool and my first instinct is to tell her. Sometimes, I even get as far as picking up my phone. Then I remember how badly I screwed things up, and I feel sick to my stomach with guilt and shame.
She wouldn’t want to talk to you anyway, my fears taunt me. Not after the way you treated her. She’s moved on. She’s left you behind.
“Hey, B.” a pair of slim arms wrap around my waist from behind. But they’re not the arms I want holding me. Instead, it’s my co-star, Selena, fresh from makeup and looking like a magazine cover. “You ready to crush this last scene?”
I step away from her, putting a safe distance between us. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
Selena quirks her lips in a knowing smile. “One of these days, you’re going to get over that girl,” she teases me good-naturedly. “Everyone said, ‘Oh, you’re so lucky to be filming with Blake, he knows how to party, so charming,’ but you’ve been pining for months now.” She sighs dramatically. “What happened to all that charm?”
“Sorry to disappoint you, darlin’,” I drawl. “How’s this?” I flash her a grin.
“Too little, too late.” Selena winks. “See you for a drink tonight? You can cry on my shoulder again,” she adds. “Or someplace softer.”
I chuckle. “Thanks, but I’m good. See you on set.”
Selena waltzes away—half the tech staff stopping to drool after her as she goes. Her teasing is a game between us now, but I know the flirting isn’t all for show. If I wanted, I could have been going back to her hotel room every night instead of moping all alone, but every time I even consider it, Zoey’s face comes into my mind.
She’s the only one I want.
I’m in the makeup chair getting slathered with powder that won’t shine under the lights when my cellphone rings. Tegan.
“What’s up, mate?” she says, in a bad Australian accent.
I groan. “You’ve got one week left to torture me with that voice,” I warn her.
“I know, that’s why I’m going to make the most of it,” she laughs. “How’s tricks?”
“Same old,” I reply. “We’re finishing up here, then I have to fly back on Thursday for the big premiere.”
After all that drama, Judgement Day is finally getting released. The reviews are still lukewarm, but the fans are plenty excited, and the studio is hoping it won’t be a bust. Either way, I’ll be proud to walk that red carpet after all the work the cast and crew put in.
Just a second. A heartbeat in time. But I see it in his eyes: he hesitates.
He waits too long.
And my heart breaks, clean in two.
“Zoey—” Blake reaches for me, but I pull away. Tears are already flooding my eyes, and God, it hurts so much, I don’t think I can take a single step, but I have to. I have to go, before I give him everything he wants—and lose myself in the process.
I’ve spent so long wanting to be with him, I never realized he’s been holding himself back all this time. I thought we were past that: that we were finally in this together, but just like always, he’s the one striding ahead, and I’m left following behind.
Taking what he chooses to give me. Loving him, when he doesn’t know what it means to give himself to someone in return.
“Good luck with the movie,” I manage to tell him, turning my face away so I don’t have to see that handsome face, imploring me.
That face that has been the center of my dreams for so long. Until now.
“I hope you get everything you want.”
I walk away, feeling the pain take me over.The pain of loving someone and them not loving you in return.
Not enough.
And Blake? He doesn’t come after me. He doesn’t take my hand, and promise that he loves me, that we can make it through anything.
He doesn’t fight for me at all.
He lets me go. And that part hurts almost more than anything.
Three months later…
25.
Blake
I should never have let her go.
I still see it playing out in my head like it was yesterday: Zoey’s face full of rejection, her eyes filling with tears. She turned and walked away from me, but instead of going after her—pulling her into my arms and promising that nothing would ever come between us—I let her go.
I stood, frozen in place, confusion whirling in my mind. I let my darkest fears get the best of me, and dammit, there’s not a minute that goes by I don’t hate myself for it.
I hurt her. I lost her.
She’s gone.
“Mr. Callahan?” There’s a tap on the door to my trailer, dragging me back from the past. It’s one of the assistants, holding a clipboard. “You’re needed in wardrobe in five.”
“Thanks,” I reply, trying like hell to snap out of this mood. I grab my script and exit out into the madness of the set. Hundreds of people, massive sound-stages and sets everywhere—we’re just about finished filming here in Sydney, Australia, and it’s an epic production like nothing else. Judgement Day was a big deal, but it was mainly me stuck in the studio fighting fake aliens on the green screen. This time, we’ve gone out to locations out in the desert, filmed massive crowd scenes in the city—the scale of the movie is incredible, and it’s a thrill and an honor just to be a part of the controlled chaos. I should be having the time of my life.
But still, I find myself craving Zoey.
She would have loved this. Every day, I see something cool and my first instinct is to tell her. Sometimes, I even get as far as picking up my phone. Then I remember how badly I screwed things up, and I feel sick to my stomach with guilt and shame.
She wouldn’t want to talk to you anyway, my fears taunt me. Not after the way you treated her. She’s moved on. She’s left you behind.
“Hey, B.” a pair of slim arms wrap around my waist from behind. But they’re not the arms I want holding me. Instead, it’s my co-star, Selena, fresh from makeup and looking like a magazine cover. “You ready to crush this last scene?”
I step away from her, putting a safe distance between us. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
Selena quirks her lips in a knowing smile. “One of these days, you’re going to get over that girl,” she teases me good-naturedly. “Everyone said, ‘Oh, you’re so lucky to be filming with Blake, he knows how to party, so charming,’ but you’ve been pining for months now.” She sighs dramatically. “What happened to all that charm?”
“Sorry to disappoint you, darlin’,” I drawl. “How’s this?” I flash her a grin.
“Too little, too late.” Selena winks. “See you for a drink tonight? You can cry on my shoulder again,” she adds. “Or someplace softer.”
I chuckle. “Thanks, but I’m good. See you on set.”
Selena waltzes away—half the tech staff stopping to drool after her as she goes. Her teasing is a game between us now, but I know the flirting isn’t all for show. If I wanted, I could have been going back to her hotel room every night instead of moping all alone, but every time I even consider it, Zoey’s face comes into my mind.
She’s the only one I want.
I’m in the makeup chair getting slathered with powder that won’t shine under the lights when my cellphone rings. Tegan.
“What’s up, mate?” she says, in a bad Australian accent.
I groan. “You’ve got one week left to torture me with that voice,” I warn her.
“I know, that’s why I’m going to make the most of it,” she laughs. “How’s tricks?”
“Same old,” I reply. “We’re finishing up here, then I have to fly back on Thursday for the big premiere.”
After all that drama, Judgement Day is finally getting released. The reviews are still lukewarm, but the fans are plenty excited, and the studio is hoping it won’t be a bust. Either way, I’ll be proud to walk that red carpet after all the work the cast and crew put in.
