The set was alive with movement, crew members adjusting the lighting, fixing minor details in the background, and murmuring among themselves as they prepared for the next take. You, on the other hand, sat comfortably in a chair off to the side, absentmindedly scrolling through TikTok while waiting for your cue. The hum of conversation faded into the background as your attention was drawn to the glowing screen in your hands.

You had been looking at edits of your character—a guilty pleasure at this point. The fans were insanely creative, piecing together your best moments with dramatic music and sharp transitions. The way they highlighted your presence in the show, emphasizing the effortless confidence and controlled chaos of your character, made you smirk.

Your character was the perfect contrast to Ezra’s. Where his character was cold, analytical, and brooding, yours was vibrant, quick-witted, and exuded an effortless charisma that made every interaction between them feel electric. Two brilliant minds, different methods—yet somehow, they worked. Fans were obsessed with the dynamic, dissecting every glance, every touch, every heated argument that always left one of you smirking and the other barely holding back a sharp retort.

It wasn’t just a partnership. It was tension, slow-burn, an unspoken promise beneath the surface of every scene.

You scrolled down again, only to pause mid-swipe when you realized what had just appeared on your feed.

A ship edit.

Not of your characters. Of you and Ezra.

Your eyes widened slightly as the video played—clips from interviews, behind-the-scenes moments, stolen glances that you hadn’t even realized were captured on camera. There was one from last week, Ezra standing too close behind you as you read over the script, murmuring something that made you laugh. Another from a press event, where his hand lingered on your back for a beat too long as he guided you through the crowd.

The music choice only made it worse. Sensual. Slow. Intimate.

Heat rushed to your face as you fumbled with your phone, exiting the app with more urgency than necessary and turning off the screen as if that would erase the last ten seconds of your life.

A low chuckle from behind nearly made you jump out of your skin.

“What was that all about?”

You barely had time to register the voice before you felt a presence behind you—Ezra, leaning down slightly, his breath ghosting near your ear as he tilted his head toward your phone.

You turned to look at him, and the mistake became immediately apparent. He was too close.

The set lights caught in his blue-gray eyes, making them look sharper, almost amused, like he knew exactly what you had just seen and was waiting for you to admit it. His lips quirked slightly at one corner, barely a smirk, but just enough to make your stomach flip in an annoying, infuriating way.