Chapter 140: She is Not Good
Hailey
I turn my back on Josh and focus on adjusting the lens, but my hands won’t stop trembling. I try to hide it behind precision and posture, but inside, I’m burning with jealousy.
Riley Meeks.
Of course, she is beautiful. Of course, she is flirty. And of course, she has a history with Josh. A part of me wants to scream, throw my camera across the studio, and walk right out the door. But I don’t. I can’t. Because I’m a professional.
But I’m also human.
I glance up and catch a glimpse of Riley laughing at something the makeup artist said. She’s perfect. Or rather, she knows how to look perfect. Every movement, every smile, every flick of her blonde hair is deliberate.
Ugh!
I clench my jaw and lift the camera, snapping a test shot of the empty backdrop. I shouldn’t care. I shouldn’t care. But the way Josh looked at me earlier, the softness in his eyes when he leaned in and kissed my forehead, it undid something in me. Something that had been carefully guarded for far too long.
"Hailey," Marcus says behind me, making me jump. "We are ready when you are."
I nod without looking at him. "Places, everyone."
Josh steps onto the set, already posing instinctively. Riley slinks in beside him, pressing a little too close, smiling a little too brightly. I lift the camera, trying to pretend I don’t see her hand slip onto his chest.