Zac's POV
We'd finally gotten our scripts for LA Love after months of waiting, and I was ready to get back to work. This time, though, it was different. I wasn't just going to set with my co-star. I was going with my woman. My baby. The love of my life. There wouldn't be any need to fake chemistry between us because everything Fatima and I had was as real as it got.
I was flipping through the pages, trying to imagine how our characters' would play out on screen, when I heard a familiar voice behind me.
"Taylor, you know you're fucked up, right? You know I was in love with Fatima," Taj said, stepping into my trailer like he owned the place.
I sighed, already knowing where this was going. Taj had been harboring this bitterness since day one, and I could see the way he still looked at Fatima whenever she walked on set. I set the script down and leaned back in my chair. "My bad, bro, but that was never gonna happen anyway," I said, trying to keep my tone neutral.
Taj's face twisted like I'd just slapped him. "Man, you're really something else," he said, shaking his head. "You knew I had feelings for her, and you still went for it."
I met his glare without flinching. "Look, Taj, let's not play this game. The moment Fatima walked on set, yeah, I saw you looking at her. Hell, I saw everybody looking at her. I mean, have you seen my woman? But what y'all don't seem to get is that she wasn't interested in any of that. She came here to work, not to get caught up in some on-set romance."
I paused for a moment, letting my words sink in before continuing. "But then we started talking. Getting to know each other. And it just... happened. I didn't plan it, and neither did she. It's real, man. And I'm not about to apologize for that."
Taj scoffed, leaning against the doorway. "Yeah, real convenient for you. She didn't want to mix business with pleasure, but clearly, that goal didn't last long."
I smirked, shrugging. "Guess not. But I don't think you're mad about what she did. You're just mad it wasn't you."
Taj glared at me, but he didn't have a response. Deep down, he knew I was right. Fatima had made her choice, and it wasn't him. It was never going to be him.
"Look, man," I said, standing up and grabbing my script. "I get it. She's amazing. But she's also mine. So do yourself a favor and move on. We've got a job to do, and I'd rather not spend the next few weeks dealing with your attitude."
Taj didn't say anything else, just stared at me for a moment before turning and walking out of the trailer. I watched him go, shaking my head. I wasn't worried about him, Fatima and I were solid. But I couldn't help feeling a little annoyed that I even had to have that conversation in the first place.
As I headed toward the set, I saw Fatima waiting for me, flipping through her own script. When she looked up and smiled, everything else faded away. Taj, the tension, the drama, it didn't matter. All I cared about was her.
The first set we were filming for the new season was a scene where Fatima's character, Naomi, and I, as Aiden, were supposed to be attending our kids' parent-teacher conferences. Our son was acting up in school, and the script called for a tense conversation between Naomi and Aiden about their parenting styles. The problem? My character, Aiden, wasn't supposed to take it seriously, and I knew Fatima wouldn't be able to keep a straight face.
"Don't you get in front of these cameras and start laughing," I warned her as we walked onto the set.
She smirked, flipping through her script. "Me? Laugh? Never."
I gave her a look because I knew better. Fatima had a habit of breaking character when something struck her as funny. And with Aiden's sarcastic lines in this scene, I knew it was only a matter of time before she lost it. The worst part? The director loved it when she laughed because it added this unscripted, natural chemistry to the scenes. A couple of episodes from last season had her cracking up for real, and they'd kept every single take.
