Behind the Scenes

Chapter 23

KATE

The room was filled with chatter and laughter, bouncing off the walls and reverberating back to my ears in an endless white noise. It seemed fitting with the dimly lit room, the red walls, dark wood and mahogany tables, bringing the space to life with our presence.

We were nearing the end of filming, with little more than a week remaining before the final scene came to a close. The last few months had been a whirlwind, each day coming and going much faster than I could have ever expected. Einstein was a genius, his theory of relativity personifying all the greatest moments in our lives and the briefness in which we got to experience them. As much as the process had been trying at times, knowing that it was to end soon was bitter sweet.

There was a party scheduled for the night following the final day of shooting, but today we found ourselves gathered together in a private back room of a New York restaurant to celebrate Steven's birthday. Despite my dislike for the anniversary of my own birth, I did love celebrating others. Being able to step away from the set, the pressures of creativity and cameras in every viewpoint, we were able to come together as friends; a sense of family after spending so much time together creating something that was truly ours.

I was currently placed at the long table between Steph and Ashley, listening as the former regaled us with tales of other sets she had worked on. Of course, with that came stories of other actors, their behaviors, and iconic diva moments that had us rolling with laughter.

More than once, against my will and guided by my traitorous heart, my eyes flickered to the other end of the table, immediately falling on Harry. Each time, he was engaged in conversation with those around him, comfortable and relaxed in a way I had never seen him before. It would seem that taking him out of an atmosphere that required him to play a role allowed him to let down his walls, take off his mask, and show a little hint of his true self. Madison was perched at his side, claiming the seat the moment Harry had chosen his own. She practically knocked a crew member out of the way to ensure the coveted place was hers, spending the next few hours hanging on his every word, even when it wasn't directed at her. I couldn't tell if Harry was annoyed for the attention, or if he was simply used to it, as he rarely interacted with her directly despite her efforts.

Once, when my gaze took over and was pulled to him like he was gravity to my soul, I found him looking my way. His expression was blank, completely void of emotion, apart from a burning in his eyes that made my stomach clench. He held my eyes for several long moments, neither of us seemingly able to look away, until someone called his name and broke us from our moment. Looking away, he fell back into relaxed conversation as though our hostile stare down had never occurred.

We had spoken very little in the days following our last stand off. When we did, it was laced with antagonism, thinly veiled contempt and irritation. No longer did his eyes search for me through the crowd, breaking through my barriers and connecting to the core of me. No longer did he seek me out, for no other purpose than to flirt, tease or entice me with his presence. If anything, he seemed content to pretend I didn't exist beyond the required professional necessities. As quickly and inexplicably as we had become something more, we had fallen back into nothing.

The night ended much quicker than I would have hoped, each person standing slowly, our group taking their leisurely time making their way to the exits, still rapt in conversation and laughter. As we neared the doors, exiting our private dining space at the back of the restaurant, I could hear screams erupt from the street.

Looking forward, I stalled, my skin running cold as I noticed dozens of bodies loitering on the sidewalk, pressing against the glass of the restaurant, craning to get an glimpse of those inside. The moment Harry, Hunter and Madison came into view, the shouts and excitement rose into shrill screams and flashing of cameras. Our party lingered in the main hall, hesitant to file out, all eyes falling to the cast.