"We can walk it back later. We can and we will." Lili delivered the line as she wiped a very real tear from her cheek. Cole had been eating lunch at craft services after finishing up his scenes for the day, and he was waiting for Lili to finish up as well so they could head home together.
However, he had gotten distracted from his sandwich when he heard the broken sound of Lili's voice as Betty, speaking to KJ as Archie. His heart broke as he watched her swipe at her red-rimmed eyes and tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. When the director finally called "cut" on the scene, she took a deep, shaky breath and KJ gave her a bear hug and said something that made her laugh before walking off to head back to his trailer. Cole smiled a little to see his girlfriend's spirits lifted, even momentarily. He stayed back for a moment to let her collect herself before walking softly to her and offering a hand to lead her back to her trailer.
They walked in silence, Cole knowing that Lili would need the time and fresh air to separate herself from the heartbreak her character was experiencing. When they got to her trailer door, he went inside with her and sat on her couch and scrolled instagram while she changed and washed her face, only speaking when she started collecting her things in her bag to go home.
"Hey Lil, you doing ok?"
"Yeah...Yeah, I am," she said with a somewhat-forced smile, much less bright than the usual 100-watt grin reserved just for him. "It's just that this episode has taken so much out of me. I'm just ready to get home and rest ASAP."
They still had several days left of filming that episode, so Cole was a little worried. Even the table read had had a few cast members dabbing at their eyes. But he knew that Lili's anxiety had been worse since the Teen Choice Awards. The time on the red carpet, on stage, and the exposure at the airport as they headed back to Vancouver right away had taken a lot of energy out of her. To be filming this challenging episode right away couldn't be easy on her, but he hoped that some relaxing and Netflix plus a good night's sleep would help her get back to herself.
Cole stayed quiet on the way home and even as they entered their apartment, giving her her space. Lili dropped her things, immediately heading to the bathroom. He heard the bath water start to run and he put the kettle on and got down a mug and a bag of her favorite tea. A half hour later, Lili emerged from the bathroom wearing her favorite white button down that he'd worn at Coachella along with light blue panties that he could just barely see the edges of underneath his shirt. Her hair was in a messy bun and her soft skin was pink and splotchy from the hot water. She smelled of chamomile and lavender. He smiled as he handed her the mug of tea and pulled back the throw on the couch for her to snuggle into him. He had queued up Stranger Things, and as she nestled into his side, she murmured a soft "thank you". He kissed the top of her head in response and draped his arm over her waist as she sipped the perfectly cooled tea.
No sooner than she'd finished the mug and set it on the coffee table, he heard her soft breaths even out and he knew she was out for the night. He gently extricated himself from underneath her, and turned to lift her off the couch bridal-style and deposited her into their bed. She had hardly stirred even with all his awkward movements, and he hoped that this deep sleep would help her to wake up feeling refreshed and ready to start over.
Cole had the next day off and he'd spent it at home, doing his best to recover from his own anxiety after the Teen Choice Awards. He took a walk to take a few pictures around Vancouver and played video games, and even called his brother to catch up.
He had felt a little better that morning since Lili had woken up with a smile and left for work with her usual pep back in her step. She seemed more herself and he hoped her scheduled scenes for the day would be less taxing than yesterday's. He knew she had a night shoot that evening so he didn't wait up for her. After hitting a bar down the street with friends, he crashed in their bed and sleep found him quickly, for which he was thankful because he had to be on set bright and early.
However, his dreams of sleep were crushed a few hours later when he awoke to see that the clock read 4 am. More alarming, however, was the sound of quiet sobbing coming from the living room.