Just friends

1

"You're joking right?" I say to the room full of people staring at me. 

Olivia, one of the scriptwriters, glances up at me from the page we were just reading. "Nope," she pops the p making my eye twitch. 

"I don't understand," I shake my head looking around at everyone else at the table. 

Mason, one of the co-writers, lets out a sigh before putting down his script. "We've decided to take the chance and put you guys together."

I glance over at Liam who's lying back in his seat without a care in the world. The picture of nonchallance he's watching me with his arms crossed over his chest, his script placed on the table and a smug grin on his face. Did he know before I did? Does it bother him at all? 

When I first started The Trouble With I was so unbelievably excited. It was my first real big role and I had no idea how popular the young adult show was going to get. I was so nervous when I came into auditions, looking around at all of the talented actors and then there was me, new to the game and not another acting role under my belt. But apparently, I had it because they asked me to come back the next day and then a week after that I was doing a chemistry read with five other actors. Noah Kent ended up getting cast as my on-screen love interest for the first season before his character, Matt Sharp, cheated on me with my best friend in the finale. 

 It wasn't until the second season that my character, Shawna, drifted toward the in-crowd. You know the ones, the group that everyone fawns over and wants to hang out with. The ones with the hot guys you drool over and the girls everyone wants to be. 

That's when Liam and I started to get close. His character, August McClaren, was part of that popular group but Shawna and August hated each other. But Liam and I had so much fun filming together. We were always serious when it was time for set but behind, Liam always made me feel happy and excited for the day. Any time I would mess up he'd laugh it off with me or purposely mess up his lines to show me that it was okay. It was like he knew I would beat myself up over it later and he didn't want me to.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't end up harboring a crush on him during that season. Six-foot tall, strong, sharp jawline, messy brown hair, and the darkest blue-grey eyes I've ever seen. Who wouldn't, especially when he had a wonderful personality to boot? I tried my best not to show the small crush I had on him during that season and luckily when he started dating our co-star and his on-screen love interest, Ava Macky, my crush was snuffed out and he was thrown strictly into the friends zone. 

Ava and I weren't particularly close but after Liam and I had gotten so close it was hard not to see her every time I wanted to hang out with him when we weren't filming. I watched the way the two were together and knew deep in my bones that I would never be Liam's type, nor would I want to ever interfere in whatever relationship he had, so I buried my feelings deep down and focused on other boys in my life. 

When Ava and Liam broke up in the middle of season three, I was shocked to find out that I didn't feel anything besides sorrow for my friend who was hurting after the break-up.  Liam had found Ava screwing one of the regular extras from the set when he surprised her at her apartment for their anniversary. Needless to say, poor Liam still had to show up at work every day and make out with his ex on-screen until the end of season three when the writers decided Liam's character August was going to go through the same thing he did in real life. 

Season three ended almost four months ago with August showing up at Shawna's door with glassy eyes and a bottle of liquor. I was shocked when I read that script considering the two characters hated each other. But I figured they were making him have a desperate moment because they didn't want August to turn to any of his friends in the group, letting them know what Ava's character, Lana, had done.

Liam and I thought nothing of it and even celebrated that night after we finished wrapping. He was so good. So raw and emotional in that scene that I ended up crying in the blooper reel because I just wanted to hug him. 

But never did I expect the writers to put August and Shawna together in season four. I knew enemies to lovers was a thing, but I didn't expect it between these two. Between us. And after reading the script for the first episode, my heart is beating like a stampede running throughout me because if this is how they want the season to go, then I have no idea what the fuck I'm going to do. 

"So you want to open the season with us ripping each other's clothes off and August going down on Shawna?" My eyes are wide and frantic as I look around the room. No one seems the least bit bothered by any of this and after four years, maybe I shouldn't be either. The show has had some really raucous sex scenes play out (think Game of Thrones meets Euphoria) but I've never had to be in any of them. 

I know I should be more professional but I'm freaking out here. I look back over at Liam who's watching me with a little glint in his eye as if this entire thing is amusing to him. Why! Why does he not see anything wrong with this?

Liam leans forward, elbows on the table as he looks me in the eyes, "Take a breath, Addie, it's not like I'll be licking your pussy for real in front of everyone."

He smirks as my mouth drops open and I stare in bewilderment at those gorgeous blue eyes.