Contract Marriage: I Will Never Love You

Josh

I rub the back of my neck, trying to ground myself. The heat of Riley’s lips is long gone, but the discomfort still lingers, coiling tight in my chest. That wasn’t supposed to happen. Not now. Not ever.

I glance toward Hailey, who’s turned away, camera shielding her like armor. She’s not looking at me. That’s what stings the most.

"Josh," Marcus calls out, beckoning me toward the monitors, but I shake my head.

"Give me a sec," I mutter.

ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ N(o)vᴇl(F)ire.nᴇt

I walk off the set, past Riley, who looks far too pleased with herself, and toward the far end of the studio where the lighting is dimmer and no one’s watching too closely. My hands clench into fists at my sides. I’m angry. Not just at Riley, but at myself. For freezing. For not stopping it fast enough. For how Hailey looked at me afterward...like she wasn’t sure what she saw anymore.

I let out a breath and sat on the edge of a prop bench, elbows on my knees. What the hell was that? I will have to talk with Riley about this. Ever since she came here, she had been trying to flirt with me despite knowing I was into Hailey.

I look back toward the set. Hailey’s still pretending to review shots. Rebecca’s hovering beside her like a guard dog, arms crossed, mouth tight. Riley’s flipping her hair and sipping whatever iced nonsense she likes to drink.

I push to my feet.

"Hailey," I say after I walk to her. "Can we talk?"

She lowers the camera slowly. Her expression is unreadable, guarded in a way I’ve never seen before. That hits harder than anything else.