But that didn’t stop the electricity between us every time we crossed paths on set.
I felt him before I saw him — the way my skin prickled, the way my stomach flipped, the way the air seemed to shift. And then there he was, striding across the lot, leather jacket slung over one shoulder, sunglasses pushed into his messy hair, lips pulling into that slow, wicked grin when his eyes locked onto mine.
“Hey, Brit,” Ace murmured as he passed me near the trailers, voice low enough only I could hear. His fingers brushed mine for half a second — barely a touch, but enough to set my entire body on fire.
“Hey,” I breathed back, heart hammering.
We kept walking, didn’t look back, didn’t stop — but my cheeks were already warm, my pulse already racing.
Corinne was waiting for me near the wardrobe truck, arms crossed, brows lifted. “Okay, what’s really going on?”
“Nothing!” I said again, a little too brightly.
She narrowed her eyes. “You and Ace have been… weird. You’re acting like two magnets on opposite ends, pretending you’re not drawn to each other when literally everyone can feel it.”
My stomach dropped.
“Corinne, it’s nothing,” I tried again, forcing a laugh. “You’re reading too much into it.”
But Corinne just smirked. “If you say so.”
---
By the time we wrapped for the night, I was bone-tired and jittery all at once.
I peeled off my costume, ran a brush through my hair, and tried to shake off the nerves crawling under my skin as I stepped outside.
Ace was already waiting by his car, leaning against the hood, arms crossed, head tilted back as he looked up at the stars.
When he saw me, his face softened — something I was quickly learning was only reserved for me.
“Hey,” he murmured as I approached.
“Hey,” I said softly, tucking my hands into the sleeves of my sweater.
For a second, we just stood there under the hush of the night, the lot mostly cleared out, the air cool and sharp.
And then Ace reached for my hand, lacing our fingers together as he pulled me closer.
“Want to get out of here?” he murmured, voice brushing against my skin like a caress.
I swallowed hard, heart thudding. “Yeah. Yeah, I do.”
---
We ended up at his place — quiet, dimly lit, the faint hum of music playing from the speaker on his shelf.
I toed off my boots by the door, feeling strangely shy as Ace shrugged off his jacket and ran a hand through his hair.
He turned to me slowly, a small, almost uncertain smile tugging at his lips.
“Want something to drink?” he asked, moving toward the kitchen.
“Sure,” I breathed, fingers twisting nervously in the hem of my sweater.
He came back a minute later, two glasses of wine in hand, passing one to me.
We sat on the couch, cushions soft under my legs as I curled up, glass balanced between my palms.