Steal(Seaside Pictures Book 3)(46)

No, I was just a man.

Staring at a beautiful woman.

Wishing she was sitting by my side.

Ang looked over her shoulder then back at me and lowered her voice, “Only because it’s creepy.”

I barked out a laugh. “Are you calling me creepy?”

“Just did.” She crossed her arms. “Good thing you’re hot.”

“I’m not hot,” I said it quickly, confidently.

“Pretty sure every girl in here thinks so.”

“Funny, since only one girl matters.” Who was this guy? What was I doing! I had no lines! And yet no cut. Was Jay just relying on our chemistry?

I balked.

Chemistry.

We’d always had it.

Since the first day.

We would always have it.

But only when forced to speak to—

My smile fell and then I just went for it as I leaned across the table and whispered, “Dance with me.”

Angelica’s eyes widened. Yeah, I was apparently really going off script now. But who the hell cared? Jaymeson could always yell cut.

I ignored the cameras, my eyes focused in only on hers.

There wasn’t music, in the movie there would be, but now it was just us, just our words, just our bodies swaying.

“You shouldn’t want to dance with me,” she finally said. “But I’m glad you are.”

“You shouldn’t want me to dance with you either,” I agreed, “Because I’m a complete dick, but I’m glad you said yes.”

“Good thing you were staring.”

“Yeah,” I cupped her face, “Good thing.”

She leaned up. I met her halfway and kissed her.

“CUT!” Jaymeson yelled just as I was getting a taste.

Frustration crackled over my nerves. Tension settled in my jaw. One day, one day he was going to die with that damn camera shoved up his ass.

Ang pulled away, I felt it in my soul the distance she put between us, the uncertainty in her eyes. She started chewing on her thumbnail again. “You look different.”

“Yeah.” I tried and failed to shove even one hand into my pocket. “Apparently I don’t look old anymore.”

Her lips lifted into a smile. “I was going to say you finally look like you.”

We didn’t have to re-do the scene, no matter how many times I mentally begged Jay to let us re-visit the kiss, probably because I knew, at least in real life, I didn’t deserve her mouth but at least if we were acting, I could lie to myself and say it was okay.

Five hours later and we were both driving home together.

Home.

I clenched the steering wheel.

Our home.

The coffee cup sat where I’d left it in the Rover.

She saw it.

She said nothing.

But when I parked, she grabbed it like it was hers, and walked ahead of me toward the house.





“BONFIRE!” ZANE SHOUTED pounding on the door minutes after both Ang and I had gotten home.

I groaned. “Think we can hide?”

“I can hear you whispering!” Zane yelled. “Plus I saw the SUV pull up, we already got all the shit, I got the mallows, meet us all on the beach in ten. And Will, try not to look like our chaperone!”

“Try not to look naked!” I yelled back.

“No promises!” was Zane’s only reply before we were once again left alone, I’d walked off set in my old clothes and suddenly felt like a stranger in my own body, as if the parts didn’t match anymore.

“What do you say?” I eyed Ang wearily. “You too tired?”

She gave her head a shake. “Even if I was, they’d just come back and kidnap one of us… let me just grab some water and I’ll be ready.”

“I’ll get it.” I held out my hand.

She was still holding onto the coffee cup.

I purposefully pried it from her fingers, went over to the counter, washed it, and put it away all before getting her a bottle of water from the fridge. When I handed it to her, I asked. “Why did you keep it?”

“The truth?” She unscrewed the top of the bottle.

“Always.”

“Because it was a part of you, no matter how small, that was mine.”

My heart cracked. “You’ve always had me, Ang, even when you didn’t know it, you had me.”

She looked down. “We should go.”

“Wait.” I stepped in front of her. “I…” I closed my eyes; it hurt to look at her. “I’m sorry, about this last week, about the way I’ve treated you, spoken to you. I’m so damn sorry. Could you—” Yeah, it hurt more than it should. “Will you forgive me?”

Her eyes widened a fraction before she took a step back. “That depends.”

“On what?”

“Will, I say this as a human concerned for your welfare, but… you have to lose the glasses at least when you don’t need them.”