Noah

Whatever he was jotting down, I didn't wanna interrupt, so I got back to work, and fuck it if I didn't enjoy having him here.Chapter 13

Two weeks later

"You're right." I rubbed a hand over my beard and sighed tiredly. "How did I fucking miss that?"

Tennyson shook his head and shut off the flat screen. "Give that question to the script supervisor instead."

Either way, this meant retakes. The scene that followed April's meltdown had a major continuity error, in that Sophie's character was wearing an accessory on the wrong goddamn finger. And I called it major because the ring, with a butterfly on it, would be in focus during the following scene, and it had to be on the right finger.

At least I had an excuse to cancel my last session with Dr. Kendall. This would set us back one day of shooting, so there was no way I'd have time for a shrink appointment. Which I didn't feel like I needed, anyway.

"I'll give Shawn and Lucia a call," I muttered.

"Dinner's ready, guys!" Sophie called from the kitchen. "Kayden! Ivy! Go wash up!"

"I'll go get Julian," I said, pulling out my phone. I could call Shawn on the way.

Tennyson stood up. "I heard he won his first Five Dollar Friday today."

I chuckled, peering down the hall to see Kayden and Ivy rushing into the bathroom. "He did, yeah." I faced Tennyson again. "It caught him off guard, so he followed Sophie's lead."

It was customary for directors, actors, and others who were above the line, so to speak, to give it to someone else if they won, or buy everyone a beer or whatever.

Sophie had won once, and she'd doubled the pot and drawn another name.

She was popular, and now so was Julian.

Technically, he was on the payroll as my PA now, but he hadn't started working yet and didn't feel comfortable taking winnings when—in his words—he'd cruised right on to a film set without accomplishing anything for it.

Kayden and Ivy yelled that their hands were clean, and I took my leave and headed across the hall. Shawn didn't answer his phone, so I left him a message.

Entering my loft, I was about to call out for Julian, but I closed my mouth before I did. Nicky was evidently here, and I heard them arguing in Julian's room.

This was where I was supposed to give them privacy.

Supposed to.

Instead, I was the nosy motherfucker who moved closer to his door to listen in.

"I'm just sayin', I'm getting sick of waiting," I heard Nicky spit out. "It sucks that you're depressed, but I have a life, too."

I was taken aback by that. Instantly furious with Nicky and beyond worried about Julian. I knew he was on antidepressants, but he went to Kendall. Weren't things going better?

Goddammit, I should've paid more attention.

"I can't exactly control how I feel." Julian's voice was less condescending. "I told you from the start I wasn't ready for much—"

"It's not about that!" Nicky was pissed, and fuck, so was I. If he pushed Julian, I'd have no goddamn issue putting him in his place. "You of all people should know I couldn’t care less about a relationship. I wanna have fun, and it's been months since you even touched me."

"No one's stopping you from having fun," Julian snapped. "Call one of your four other guys and screw them all you want. I've fucking told you, I'm not in that place."

You tell him, kid.

I was proud of him. Hell, I was impressed, too.

"Are you jealous?" Nicky asked.

Julian laughed. "Quite the opposite, Nick. I like spending time with you, especially when you've just been with one of your playthings. Less pressure on me."

There shouldn’t be any pressure on him. Not that kind.

"I feel tossed aside, though," Nicky said. "I mean, I went to all that trouble for tomorrow, and you turn me down like that?"

I tensed up.

Tomorrow was Julian's birthday. If he bailed on us, I'd be bummed, no lie. He didn't know we were throwing him a party, but I'd told him not to make plans elsewhere.

"I wasn't born yesterday," Julian replied impatiently. "Telling me you have a hotel room booked and a romantic dinner planned only means one thing. You want to score."

Damn straight. Christ, cheap move. Hotel room? This wasn't prom night.

"Besides," Julian went on, "you know Noah's got plans."

Nicky scoffed. "That fuckin' dude… He's no different from the other Hollywood pricks. I can forgive him for putting me out of work for no reason at all, but can't you see he's playing you?"

The fuck?

"Listen to me, babe." He lowered his voice. "He obviously needs you, and whenever he feels you slipping through his fingers, he does something to reel you back in. Now he's got you hooked on his movie. It's all you talk about."

I clenched my jaw, furious, but an insecure part of me wondered if it was true. For about two seconds, and then I shook my head. He was fucking crazy. I wanted nothing but the best for Julian. He was everything to me.