Behind the Scenes

Chapter 12

Finally, she gave in.

"Ashley had to go and do some errands, but still isn't back. She was supposed to pick me up."

A frown set on her lovely face, and immediately my own expression mirrored hers. For some reason, I didn't like that she was frowning. It didn't sit right with me, even after all the teasing and antagonizing I had dealt her. Somehow, this was different, and inexplicably I cared that she was upset.

I made up my mind immediately.

"Get in."

Her eyes widened, jumping up from her phone and back to me.

"What?"

"Get in," I repeated, putting the car in park. "I will take you back to the hotel."

She watched me with an open mouth for a moment, her usually busy mind in hyper drive.

"That's okay," she stammered, her hands fidgeting. "I'm sure Ashley-"

"I'm sure Ashley would appreciate you getting out of the rain and saving her a trip back to the set," I interrupted, giving her an impatient stare.

"Really, Harry, it's okay. You don't have to-"

I looked away from her, staring forward through the rain streaked windshield. I leaned my arm on the window edge, appearing to get comfortable.

"I'm not leaving you here in the rain. So you may as well get in, and save us both who knows how long of sitting here like this arguing."

Her lips thinned in irritation at my demands, and I could see her assessing her options. There was a chance that Ashley was nearly here, and would pull up any moment. Maybe that was why I felt so rushed to get Kate in the car with me. Like there was an invisible clock counting down the seconds I had to get her alone, before yet another interrupting tore her away. I looked at her expectantly, raising a brow at her.

Surprisingly, she shoved her phone in her pocket, and ran out into the rain. She raced to the passenger side, pulling open the door and sliding into the car with a huff. Once inside, she ran her hands through her damp hair, before wiping them along the legs of her jeans.

Her whole body was tense, and I knew it was entirely because of me. To know she was this uncomfortable being around me, alone with me, bothered me. I didn't know why, but it did. More than just because I didn't want to lose to Markus.

I watched as the water decorated her white shirt with its effect, just enough to give a hint to the pale blue bra beneath. The corner of my lip turned upwards at the sight. She avoided my eyes for as long as she could, before turning to me in defeat.

"Thank you," she said softly, before puling on her seatbelt.

"You're welcome."

The drive back to the hotel was heavy in her silence. Her blue eyes were trained out the window at her side, watching the world slide by, distorted from the rain across the glass. She seemed to have relaxed marginally since first getting in the car, but had made no attempt to speak to me or acknowledge me in any way.

It looked like I was going to have to be the one to break the ice. But for some reason, I wasn't quite sure how. I was an expert when it came to talking to girls. I always knew what to say, how to say it, and how to look at them when I did. I was never unsure around them, but for some undeterminable reason, I suddenly felt just as nervous around Kate Garrett as she seemed to feel around me.

"So," I said, before clearing my throat. "How do you think filming is going?"

She turned to me, and intrigued expression on her face. And for the life of me, I couldn't figure out the meaning behind it. Which irked me to know end. I wanted to know what she was thinking.