Chapter 18

eighteen

. . .

Julius rapped his knuckles against Hillary’s hotel room door, a grin already tugging at his lips in anticipation of seeing her. Within seconds, the door swung inward, revealing Hillary in what looked to be a cozy sweater and jeans, her chestnut hair pulled back in a messy bun. She looked adorably nervous, her green eyes widening slightly behind her glasses.

“Hey there, Superstar,” Julius said warmly, dropping a quick kiss to her lips. “I was hoping I could walk with you to the table read. If you’d like the company, that is.”

A smile bloomed across Hillary’s face. “That would be great, actually. I could use a friendly face right about now.” She stepped out, pulling the door shut behind her. “Last night was amazing, but I woke up this morning with the same nerves I had before you pulled me away for an amazing evening.”

For the hundredth time, he wondered if he shouldn’t have insisted they spend last night together, but making certain she was comfortable with him had been far more important than waking up next to her.

As they set off down the hall to get to the conference room booked for the read, Julius bumped his shoulder playfully against hers. “You’re going to do amazing, Hill. I know it.” He caught her gaze, willing her to believe him. “You’ve done this before, remember? Granted, it was with a smaller group, but still. You’ve got this.”

Hillary let out a shaky laugh. “I suppose so. It’s just,” she sighed and paused for a moment. “There are so many big names involved this time. I don’t want to make a fool of myself.” She fiddled with the sleeve of her sweater, something he had seen her do at the start of their interview weeks ago.

Julius’s heart swelled with affection. He stopped to pull her into a hug, making certain to let her control when he would let go. “You could never make a fool of yourself, Hil. You’re brilliant and talented and deserving of every opportunity that comes your way. The rest of the cast is going to adore you, trust me.”

She ducked her head against his chest, and he knew she’d be blushing. It was just one in a list of things that he adored about her. She gave a small sigh before stepping out of his embrace, even though he was reluctant to let her go.

“Thanks, Julius. I really appreciate you saying that. I guess we better keep walking,” Her steps seemed a bit lighter as they continued on even if her voice hadn’t seemed entirely sure.

Julius marveled at the effect his words had on her. He meant every one of them—Hillary was something special, a rare mix of intelligence, beauty, and humility—but he needed to make certain she started to realize all that without him telling her.

Every moment he spent getting to know led to seeing more of what lived beneath her shy exterior. She’d come alive under his touch last night, and he wanted that confident, sexy woman to be who she felt she could be no matter where she was or who she was with. She made him want to help her simply by being the person she was.

For now, he contented himself with the easy conversation that flowed between them, punctuated by Hillary’s soft laughter and the occasional brush of her arm against his. By the time they reached the door to the read-through, her shoulders were noticeably more relaxed.

Julius reached for the handle but paused, turning to face her. “Ready?”

Hillary took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders. “As I’ll ever be.” Her smile was nervous but determined.

Pride swelled in Julius’s chest. “That’s my girl. Three…two…one…”

Hillary pushed the door open and the small quiet serene space for two was instantly gone.

The room buzzed with chatter and excitement as Julius and Hillary entered. Familiar faces turned to greet them—the director, the other two producers, and fellow cast members. Julius felt Hillary tense slightly beside him, her hand tightening on the strap of her bag.

“Julius, Hillary, welcome!” Vera smiled and gave them a wave. “Hillary, you’ll find your script and name there,” Vera pointed to the seat just in front of her. “I’m certain Julius spent no time explaining this to you.”

He wanted to flinch away at the truthful words. He’d not wanted to spend a moment talking about business last night, but in hindsight, it might have helped Hillary.

She didn’t go ramrod straight, but she tensed beside him. “He did not.”

Julius placed a gentle hand on the small of Hillary’s back, guiding her toward two empty chairs. He leaned in close, his breath stirring the wisps of hair at her temple. “You’ve got this,” he murmured, giving her an encouraging smile.

Hillary returned the smile, gratitude shining in her green eyes. She slid into her seat, arranging her script on the table before her. Julius settled beside her, his knee brushing hers under the table.

“While lofty, our goal is an entire read through. Skip the commentary if we can, we only have this conference room today and I’d rather not bring a table read to set.” Vera nodded at the camera man. “Thanks to social media, there will be a cut of this out in the real world, watch what you say, it could end up other there.”

Julius snickered and was pleased to see that Hillary gave a small laugh as well.

“And with that, welcome to the table read for Starborn Alliance.” Vera’s voice rang out loud and proud.

Hillary had the first line in the movie, and he watched as her hands settled around the pages, lifting the script as if she wanted to hold it upright.

“There is little time left to say the words. My planet needs him and only my mother can speak the words that will unlock this chamber.”

Julius was captivated by the way she perfectly captured the essence of her character, her voice carrying a hint of breathlessness as if she had truly run down a long corridor as the stage directions said her character will have. He could picture her graceful figure dashing through the halls, her hair trailing behind her. He allowed himself to be transported into the scene, feeling the rush of adrenaline and excitement along with her character. The attention to detail in a single line left him impressed and in awe of her ability to be so natural at something she feared so much.

As the read through continued, he waited for his moment, captured by the skill she held. She breathed life into her character, her voice clear and expressive. When their characters shared a scene, their chemistry was palpable, the dialogue flowing effortlessly between them.

Julius caught Hillary’s eye during a particularly emotional exchange, a silent moment of connection passing between them. Her gaze held a vulnerability that made his heart ache. He wanted to gather her in his arms, shield her from the doubts he knew plagued her.

Instead, he poured his admiration into his performance, delivering his lines with a sincerity that drew appreciative nods from the director. Hillary’s answering smile was radiant, her confidence growing with each scene.

As the read-through drew to a close, Julius reached over to give Hillary’s hand a quick squeeze under the table. She squeezed back, her fingers warm and soft against his.

“That was amazing, Hil,” he whispered as the room erupted in applause. “You were incredible.”

Hillary ducked her head, and he knew the flush came as he had hours ago in the hall. “Thanks to you,” she murmured back. “I couldn’t have done it without your support.”

Julius shook his head, his thumb brushing over her knuckles. “That was all you, Hillary. All you.”

He held her gaze, trying to convey the depth of his pride and admiration. For a moment, the rest of the room faded away, leaving only the two of them, connected by a bond that seemed to shake both of their worlds.

“All right everyone! That’s a wrap on the table read!” Vera’s voice boomed and was followed by an eruption of cheers and clapping, the spell between Julius and Hillary broken. “Now, this is a bit unconventional, but seeing as how we are more than a few new-to-the-business names on this roster, we’re going to be unconventional.” She turned her gaze to Hillary. “Hillary, your hardest challenge is not filming, but rehearsing. I’d like you, Dan and Greer to run through the opening scene. Two of you are new to the world of acting, and I think there’s great benefit in starting early. Meet downstairs in ten minutes.”

Hillary turned to him, her eyes round like a deer in the headlight. “She’s already worried I’ll make a mistake.” She whispered.

Her fear was damn near palpable and he reached out to take her hand. “No, she’s trying to give you more time to get used to things. It’s not abnormal. I promise. We don’t usually film in order, but Greer is new as well, it will be fine.”

She jabbed her finger into his arm. “I’m trusting you.”

“You’ve been doing that the whole time. This is just what comes next.”

Julius watched from the sidelines as Hillary took her position on the set, the script clutched tightly in her hands. Even from a distance, he could see the tension in her shoulders, the way her fingers fidgeted with the pages. It was her first blocking rehearsal, and despite the successful table prior, her nerves were clearly getting the best of her.

Vera gave instructions and Hillary nodded, her brow furrowed in concentration. She moved through the motions, but her steps were hesitant, her delivery stilted on the same line she’d delivered flawlessly four hours ago. Julius’s heart ached to see her struggling, the confidence she’d shown during the read-through now buried beneath a layer of self-doubt.

“Hillary, that’s not the wall where the door will be,” Vera called out, pointing behind Hillary. “And Greer is still beside you, look at her before you run off to open the chamber and save your planet.”

“Sorry,” Hillary squeaked and repeated the motion of the silent scene.

So much had to telegraph in the moment when a mother was going to take her last breath. Hillary gave that in the table read, being up and moving shouldn’t stop her.

“Now, when you look at your mother, you need to look up at the camera, I need emotion dripping off every inch of your face because they’ll do a tight close up.”

“A what?” Hillary asked.

Julius flinched as Vera pinched the bridge of her nose. He respected vera more than most directors, but she was not the best when she worked with greener actors.

He zoned out as Vera began to explain, not wanting to see or feel Hillary’s upset anymore or he’d rush out there and try to save her.

She hadn’t asked for that.

When Vera finally called for a break, Julius made his way over to her. “Hey,” he said softly, placing a gentle hand on her arm. “You okay?”

Hillary looked up at him, her green eyes clouded with uncertainty. “I don’t know,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “I thought I had it, but now I feel like I’m getting everything wrong.”

Julius shook his head, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on her skin. “You’re not getting anything wrong, Hillary. It’s just nerves. Everyone goes through it.”

She sighed, leaning into his touch. “I know. I just don’t want to let anyone down. Especially not you.”

The vulnerability in her words tugged at Julius’s heartstrings. He caught her gaze, holding it with quiet intensity. “You could never let me down, Hillary. Never. You took a leap of faith because some knucklehead tricked you into auditioning because he sees the star behind those glasses.”

A flicker of hope danced in Hillary’s eyes, a small smile curving her lips.

He squeezed her arm, his own smile warm and reassuring. “Anytime. Now, take a deep breath, and remember—you’ve got this. Just like at the table read. Just like always.”

Hillary nodded, her shoulders relaxing slightly. “Okay. I’ve got this.”

“Places,” Vera called, and Julius stepped away, watching as Hillary squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. The determination was back in her eyes, the fire that had drawn him to her from the very beginning.

Pride swelled in Julius’s chest as he watched her move through the scene with renewed confidence. She might stumble, she might falter, but he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she would find her way.

Julius watched with his breath held as Hillary stepped into the scene, near perfection in the gaze that she turned outward a moment later.

Keep going.

“There’s no need to run far, your stunt double will take over seconds after you leave the room, let’s pick up at the chamber door.” Vera nodded, her arms crossed but no tension in her expression.

Hillary nodded, and then stumbled over her line, her cheeks flushing as she tried again. The words seemed to tangle on her tongue, and Julius could see the frustration building in her eyes.

It hurt him to see the confidence she’d shown at the table read slipping away with each misstep. He wanted nothing more than to rush to her side, to whisper words of encouragement and reassurance. But he knew better than to interrupt, knew that she needed to find her own way through this.

As the scene went on, Hillary’s nerves seemed to get the better of her. She missed a cue, then another, her eyes darting to the director with growing anxiety. Julius clenched his fists, fighting the urge to speak up, to defend her. She was trying so hard, and it killed him to see her floundering.

“Let’s pick this up tomorrow,” Vera called out.

Hillary practically fled the second the words were out. Julius started to go after her, his heart in his throat, but before he could take more than a step, the assistant director called his name.

“Julius, while you’re here, let’s run through the chase out of the chamber. Just you, I want to make certain you don’t embody a certain elf when you run as a badass bounty hunter.”

He hesitated, torn between his duty to his job and his desire to comfort Hillary. But he knew he couldn’t leave the crew waiting. With a sigh, he turned away, his thoughts still swirling with worry.

As he took his place on set, Julius tried to push aside his concerns and focus on his own performance. But even as he delivered his lines, a part of him remained attuned to Hillary, wondering if she was okay, if she’d managed to shake off the nerves that had gripped her so tightly.

He could only hope to connect with her later and do anything to take her mind off what happened. She had this, he wasn’t wrong about her.