4. A New Perspective

4

A New Perspective

Auston

I think I just took a bullet to the chest. No, this is so much worse. My heart is racing faster than it has in years, my body temperature is ricocheting between boiling hot and freezing cold, and my mouth has gone dry.

Emma Sterling is here. In Brooklyn. On the street where we’re filming. I quickly notice she looks different, less animated and sparkling than she was in high school, but it’s her. I’d recognize her anywhere. This movie just became a lot more interesting.

“I’m Auston, ” I say on auto-pilot. It’s a good thing I’m an actor and know a thing or two about keeping a poker face, or my shock would be blatantly obvious. Swallowing hard, I shake her hand. When I do, it’s like something straight out of a movie. Cue the slow-motion camera and the CGI sparks added as special effects. Memories of our first kiss bombard my mind, and suddenly, I’m sixteen and in love all over again. The feeling was always there, lingering in the back of my heart, but now it’s front and center again.

My gaze remains trapped by her piercing blue eyes, and I marvel at the effect they still have on me after all this time. They were always her best feature, though they have a lot of competition, between the way her black hair contrasts against her velvet porcelain skin, her tall and lean figure, and her endless legs. But in the end, those eyes win, hands down. The same eyes that have been haunting me for ten years. For the longest time, I couldn’t fall asleep without seeing her in my dreams, pleading for me to stay. And now, they’re in front of me once more.

“Nice to meet you,” she says in a businesslike tone, telling me that she clearly has no idea who I am. A stab of disappointment pricks my heart. Sure, we were friends for only six months. But I really fell for her, and I thought she fell for me too. Leaving for LA was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I even fought my m om over it. I wanted to refuse the role, or ask for more time so I could be with Emma, at least for a while, but Mom talked me out of it. She told me I had to think about my future, reminded me that I could help support my family. And she was right. That role launched my career. I wouldn’t be here without it. Still, I wonder what would have happened if I’d refused to leave. Would Emma remember me now?

I open my mouth to say something. Anything. But Emma’s faster.

“Um, I have to go. Have a nice day.” With that, she spins on her heel, her friends trailing after her.

I want to follow them, greedy for more Emma time, but my feet stay rooted to the ground. When I blink, Jill from makeup is already touching up my nose, and my mom appears at my side with a granola bar.

“You did a fabulous job, honey,” she says, nodding in satisfaction.

“Thanks, Mom.”

“Here’s some coffee,” Robyn says, approaching with a bright smile.

Just when I’m about to thank her, a hand falls on my shoulder, and I don’t need to turn around to know who it belongs to. Her strong jasmine perfume and clingy fingers are enough of a clue.

“I told you we still had great chemistry,” Madison coos, fluttering her eyelashes like she always does. “We’re perfect together.”

I suck in a small breath, but I don’t respond. If I snap at her on day one, we’ll never make it through this production. Even if I wasn’t exactly thrilled to do this movie, especially with Madison, I made a commitment. I just have to be professional and not let her get under my skin. If she wants to keep pretending we have a real shot at romance, that’s her problem. I’m not wasting any more energy on her.

“Are we ready for the next scene?” I ask, loud enough for Clarence, the director, to hear me.

“We are,” he responds, winking at me. Clarence is another big reason why I’m here. Acting under his direction is always a breeze, and he’s one of the best in the business. “Everyone is in position.”

We had to reshoot this simple scene five times, and everyone is exhausted. If we keep going like this, it’ll take us twice as long to close this movie, which I’m sure is the reason why Madison is acting like a total diva and constantly messing up her lines.

Okay. It wasn’t entirely her fa ult. I was a little distracted too. Every time I saw movement from afar, I stole a glance, hoping to glimpse Emma. But she never made another appearance the rest of the morning. Nor during lunch.

“Ready?” Cillian, my friend and bodyguard, booms in his deep Irish accent.

I nod. “Let’s go.”

We get up from our table and head outside. The crew is prepping the set inside the bookstore for our next scene, but I’m more interested in a certain raven-haired girl who might be hanging around. Alas, she’s still nowhere to be found.

“Are you okay, lad?” Cillian asks, furrowing his dark eyebrows. “You’ve been darting your eyes around a lot today. Has something happened? Did you receive threats?”

“What? No,” I blurt. Typical Cillian, going all dark and bodyguard on me. “Everything’s fine.”

“You know you need to tell me if—”

“I swear, it’s nothing like that. Just getting used to my new environment, that's all.”

He snorts. “Right. Since when does Auston Buckley not feel at home everywhere he goes?”

“Uh . . .” Looks like I have to come up with better lies if I want to fool my friend. “I’m just appreciating the scenery. It’s a pretty street.”

“Sure is. Not ideal, though,” he says, his eyes fixed on the trailer parked at the end of the street.

We couldn’t park the trailers on the street itself since it’s too narrow, so they arranged them at the end of the lane in a small parking lot. Which also means my trailer isn’t in the “secure filming area” they’ve installed. Hence, why Cillian has to come with me every time I go back as a safety precaution. Not that I can’t defend myself, but the crowds can get wild, and it’s an insurance clause in my contract.

As we approach, I spot a few fans waiting near the trailer behind a series of barricades. They call my name, shaking their movie posters and phones when they see me. As much as I love acting, the fame that comes along with it isn’t exactly my favorite part. I’m beyond grateful for my fans, but sometimes, I have trouble grasping why they love me so much when they don’t even know me. Still, I oblige, because I know they’ve been waiting here for hours, and I do get a kick out of making people smile. Who doesn’t?

I take selfies with them and sign autographs before heading to my trailer for a quick nap. But as soon as I fall asleep, my dreams sweep me back to that day on Emma’s porch, how distraught and exhausted she looked, the way she smelled as I pulled her into my arms, her beautiful blue eyes pleading as she begged me to stay. And like a bad movie stuck on repeat, I keep le aving her. Every single time.