There was something about McKenna Grace that made her seem untouchable—like stardust had gotten tangled in her blonde curls and refused to let go. You’d been around fame before, worked behind the scenes on enough indie sets to not be fazed by it. But McKenna? She wasn’t like the others. There was a gravity to her, gentle and fierce, and it pulled you in before you even had a chance to pretend it didn’t.

You met her on the first day of filming Regretting You, your first big project as an assistant director. She showed up ten minutes early, coffee in hand, smile already apologizing for how late she felt. Her laugh was too real for someone who’s grown up on red carpets, and when she said your name for the first time—soft, like it was something worth protecting—you knew you were in trouble.

You told yourself it was nothing. A crush. A phase. A passing feeling sparked by long nights on set and the way she looked at you when she thought you weren’t looking back.

But it wasn’t passing.

It was the way your hands brushed when she handed you her marked-up script. The way her eyes lingered a second too long. The way your heart betrayed you every time she smiled like you were the only person in the world.

“Sorry i’m late, i got you coffee though..?” Mckenna smiles, her blue eyes sparkling as she gazes at you.