Just Like the Movies

Chapter Eighteen

By some stroke of luck, Zara sent me off on cleaning duty while she supervised the filming by herself. I didn't know how I would fare watching Sienna and Theo kiss if I was being honest with myself. It made me want to bang my head against the wooden picnic table I was bent under, double-checking to make sure no trash was left behind.

My plan of reigning my feelings for Theo wasn't going as well as I hoped it would, even after his vehement reaction to thinking I had feelings for him. Any normal, sane person would move on, but I found it difficult to. I wasn't even sure I liked Theo. What was concerning was that I found him attractive.

I sighed, straightening out, a shout of surprise escaping my lips as Rowan appeared at my side, her eyebrows raised. "Anything fun under there?"

"I'm just checking for trash," I said. "And don't point at me and say it's right here," I added dryly as I saw her hand twitch.

"You're starting to know me too well," she responded with a smirk.

I hunched my shoulders, reaching for my crutches, ready to move to the next table. "How come you're here and not with Theo?"

"I don't like watching him film romantic scenes," she replied.

Me, either, apparently. But was Rowan's reason the same as mine? I frowned, a pang of jealousy shooting through me. Another annoying side effect of this stupid attraction. I started walking away, awkwardly using the crutches.

"You seem agitated," Rowan said. "What's up?"

"Nothing."

"Is it because of me?"

I threw a look back at her, seeing her frowning back at me. "Huh?"

"I don't know, you always just seem to tense up around me. Ever since we met."

"I mean, I guess it's kind of a natural instinct?"

Her eyes narrowed a bit. "What do you mean by that?"

Where was this coming from? I paused, thinking about how Theo had said Rowan thought I'd be more comfortable with him than her. Had something happened to make her think that? "You have to admit you're intimidating," I said.

She pursed her lips at me. "Intimidating, huh? That's how you want to put it? What makes me so intimidating to you?"

What was up with her? Did she really not know why I felt that way? Did she ever look in a mirror? "Partly because of the way you always tease me," I started, feeling a little embarrassed, "but mostly because you're really pretty."

She blinked. Then blinked again. "...Huh?"

"Don't make me repeat it," I muttered.

"You think I'm intimidating... because I'm pretty? That's the reason you sometimes act like I'm going to attack you?"

My face flushed. "Well, come on. You have to know how good-looking you are! I don't know what to do with myself sometimes."

She barked out a laugh, her hand shooting to her mouth to cover it. "Wow, you're actually serious, aren't you?" Another snicker passed through her lips, her hand barely muffling it. "Wow."

"It's not funny!"

"I thought it was because of something else," she told me, still grinning.

"Is that also why you thought I wouldn't want to stay with you last night?" I asked. "Because, I assure you, I feel the same way about staying with you as I do with Theo."