Her Fear Of Falling Again

~ Three Weeks Later ~

"Hey, that was amazing, Cassie! You were so compelling!" Michael cheers, his voice booming across the set as the crew starts to wrap for lunch.

The soundstage lights are blinding, a low hum of chatter filling the air. Cassie's chest rises and falls, adrenaline still buzzing through her veins.

"Really? You felt that?" she asks, trying not to grin too hard, though her eyes give her away. The praise feels good — too good — especially coming from Michael B. Gordan.

"Yeah, yeah! I don't understand why you even quit acting. You would've been huge by now if you'd stayed on," he says, walking with her toward their trailers, his energy light and effortless.

Cassie laughs softly, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. "Heh, you wouldn't believe it if I told you."

"Well, try me," he teases, stopping mid-step, eyes playful.

She hesitates. "Okay, maybe sometime," she says, laughing it off, though there's a flicker of something behind her eyes — a shadow that passes too fast for him to read.

"I'm free now. You and I don't have scenes for the next six hours. Let's go grab something to drink," he says casually, hands in pockets.

It's been two weeks of working together, and Cassie can already sense the pull in his tone — the charm, the subtle glances, the warmth that lingers a second too long. She likes him — who wouldn't? But the thought of liking anyone again feels... wrong.

"That sounds nice, but I was hoping to catch up on my... uh... stuff," she says, searching her mind for an escape route.

"What stuff?" he asks, eyebrow raised, half-grinning. He knows she's dodging.

"I... uh... I gotta go," she blurts out, darting into her trailer and shutting the door behind her.

Inside, the silence hits her like a wave. She leans against the door, exhaling. Her heart's steady, not racing — that's how she knows she's not ready. The idea of someone else caring for her, looking at her that way... it's not something she can give back yet. Maybe not ever.

Outside, Michael stands for a moment, confused but trying to play it cool. He doesn't want to push. He likes her — too much, maybe — but Cassie Rowan is a puzzle he can't quite solve.

Sebastian sits at his desk, surrounded by neat stacks of case files, but he hasn't read a single line in the last hour. The faint buzz of the city hums beyond the glass walls of his office, but his mind is elsewhere — across the ocean.

He finally got a number. Cassie's father. It took calls, favors, and a few awkward conversations to find the hospital Anthony worked at.

When Anthony's voice came through the phone, Sebastian almost forgot what he planned to say.

"I think you should let her finish her work and get back. You can talk to her then," Anthony says evenly. "She doesn't need the distraction from you right now, Sebastian. She's happy and focused on the movie."

"When does she get back?" Sebastian asks.

"In six months."

"Six months!" he echoes, disbelief in his voice. "I can't wait six months. I really need to see her."

Anthony doesn't flinch. "Then you should've thought about that when you left her heartbroken for months."

The words hit harder than expected. Sebastian doesn't even argue. Because Anthony's right.

He should have called sooner — no matter how angry he was, no matter how betrayed he felt. But instead, he'd let silence do the talking, convinced distance would dull the pain. It didn't. It only made him realize that being without her was far worse than anything she'd done.

The memory of seeing her again last month won't leave him — her face pale, her eyes distant, her smile forced. It haunts him. Was she happier now? Was someone else making her laugh?

He hates that she doesn't have social media — he'd check every day if she did. Anything to see her. Anything to know she's okay.

"What exactly is your game here, Rowan?" Michael asks as they head toward the next set, his tone half-joking, half-curious.

"What are you talking about?" Cassie asks, clutching her script.

"You told me I was your celebrity crush, you got all excited when we met, and now that I'm clearly showing interest, you completely blow me off."

"I'm not blowing you off," she says quickly, eyes flicking to the floor.

"Okay, then go out with me."

She stops, caught between guilt and panic. "I just got out of a relationship, Michael. I'm not in a ready-to-date type of place."

"Your relationship ended months ago," he reminds her gently. "And you said you guys were only together for, what, three months?"

"It's not that easy," she murmurs, looking down. The truth is, it's never that easy when your heart hasn't healed right.

"It's not easy 'cause you haven't tried," he says. "Let me take you to dinner tomorrow night. We'll take it slow. I don't want to rush you, but I really like you."

Her breath catches. His confidence is magnetic — it almost makes her smile.

"Oh wow," she says, eyes wide. She's not used to someone being so... direct.

"Yup," he says proudly, owning every word.

"Are we gonna be one of those people who date in the movie and also in real life?" she teases, a small laugh breaking through the tension.

"We could be," he says, winking. "It would be really good for press too."

Cassie laughs again — the sound light and unguarded — but deep inside, a quiet ache reminds her: she's not ready. Her heart still beats in the echo of someone else's name.

~ Two Weeks Later ~

"Sebastian! You won't believe what I found!"

Katie bursts into his office like a storm, phone in hand, her face glowing with excitement.

Sebastian looks up, startled. "What is it?"

"Look!" She thrusts her phone toward him — an Instagram post from E! News. The headline flashes:
"Cassie Rowan Joins Cast of Paul Thomas Anderson's Upcoming Film — Shooting in London!"

His stomach flips. The image shows Cassie on set, surrounded by cameras, hair tied up, that familiar half-smile on her lips.

"Do you want me to call him for you? Paul owes you a favor, right?" Katie asks, still grinning.

Sebastian's pulse quickens. A dozen thoughts crash at once — relief, fear, longing. "No, I'll call him. Book me a flight to London tonight. Cancel my meetings. I'll tell my sister."

Katie's smile widens. "On it!"

As she leaves, Sebastian sinks back in his chair, staring at the photo.

Cassie.

Six months was too long. He couldn't wait anymore.