Willa pushed herself off the side of the trailer, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she stepped closer. "I was nearby actually. My shoot just wrapped up a little early, so I thought I'd pop by and see how you're doing," she said, her tone light but carrying a quiet intention behind it.
Jack slowed to a stop in front of her, adjusting his grip on the towel around his neck. He noticed the slight smile in the corner of her lips and that little blush. She was really into him. "Well, the shooting went well. We just wrapped my final scene today."
Willa's expression shifted, something warmer settling in. "Final scene?" she repeated, a small smile forming. "So… that's it? You're done?"
"Yeah," Jack confirmed, letting out a breath that seemed to release some tension he hadn't even realized he was holding. "All done."
Just as she was about to say something, a sudden clap of thunder boomed across the sky. Almost immediately after, rain started pouring down—heavy drops striking the pavement and the roofs of the trailers in rapid, forceful bursts.
Willa glanced up instinctively, then back at him. "Well, great timing."
Jack let out a quiet breath, already reaching for the trailer door. "Yeah, c'mon in. No point standing out here in the rain," he said, pulling it open and stepping aside to let her in first.
"Thanks," Willa murmured as she stepped inside, her eyes quickly getting used to the space as she took everything in.
The trailer was tidy, though plain. A long sofa was pushed up against one wall, with a small table in front of it. Opposite that, a TV was mounted on the wall, looking brand new and spotless. The little kitchen had a small counter, a sink, and a mini fridge underneath it. Towards the back, a narrow hallway led to a closed door, and a washing machine was tucked into a corner right next to it.
Jack followed her inside, closing the door behind them just as the rain started coming down harder outside. The sound of it turned into a soft, steady background hum.
"Let me give you a tour," he said casually. He gestured lightly as he walked a few steps in. "This is the living room, kitchen, and laundry area. Bathroom's behind that door." He paused, then gave a small shrug. "Alright, tour's over. Want a soda?"
Willa let out a soft laugh as she walked over to the sofa and sat down, settling back a bit while her eyes drifted around the trailer again. "I kind of pictured it being more… you know, fancy. All expensive stuff and things you really don't need," she said, her voice holding a hint of amusement.
Jack took off his jacket, throwing it onto the arm of the sofa before running a hand through his hair. "I mostly just crash here when I'm on break," he explained. "So the only things that cost a lot are the 5-Star AC and the TV over there, though I don't think I've ever even turned the TV on."
Willa gave him a small smile, watching him for a moment.
Jack nodded toward the small kitchen area as he stepped past her. "Anyway, the mini fridge is stocked, so grab whatever you want. There are diet sodas, zero-calorie drinks, all that stuff," he said, already heading toward the back. "I'm gonna take a quick shower. I stink after that last scene."
He entered the bathroom and closed the door.
Willa waited until the sound of the shower started before she moved. She took off her jacket and placed it beside her, then stretched her arms above her head, loosening the tension in her shoulders. "Okay… that was a long morning," she murmured, rolling her neck once as she exhaled. 'Haaa... I don't even know why I came here. It's just...' She shook her head with a heavy sigh.
Her eyes drifted around the trailer again before they landed on Jack's jacket on the arm of the sofa. She stilled for a second, her gaze lingering a little too long.
A thought slipped in before she could stop it.
'Take a quick sniff. You already know he smells so good. No one is here. It's just one second.'
Her lips pressed together as she looked away, shaking her head slightly. "Don't even start," she whispered under her breath, crossing her arms like that would somehow lock the idea out of her system.
Another thought followed right behind it, sharper this time.
'He has a girlfriend. He treats you like a friend. Stay in your lane and stop acting weird. And maybe if they ever break up in the future, not that you're expecting them to break up soon after they get into a big bad fight, it's just a 'what if?' thing... Then you can snatch him away.'
Willa let out a slow breath, nodding once like she agreed with herself. "Exactly. Be normal," she muttered as she stood up and walked toward the mini fridge instead. She opened it and grabbed a Diet Coke bottle. She twisted the cap open before taking a small sip, trying to distract her mind.
It didn't work.
Her gaze flicked back toward the jacket again, almost on its own.
"This is actually stupid," she whispered, lowering the bottle slightly as she stared at it again.
Her body moved before she gave herself permission.
She set the bottle down and walked over to the sofa. Her fingers hovered over the jacket for a brief second, like she still had a chance to stop. Then she picked it up.
Willa hesitated just long enough to feel ridiculous about it, then brought it closer and took a slow, deep breath in.
Her eyes closed for a moment.
"Oh… yeah," she murmured softly, almost unconsciously, the scent familiar and grounding in a way she didn't want to overthink.
Then reality hit her all at once.
Her eyes snapped open, and she pulled the jacket away from her face like it had burned her. "What the hell was that?" she whispered, her expression shifting fast as she glanced toward the bathroom door instinctively.
The shower was still running.
No one saw her doing weird stuff.
Still, her face flushed slightly as she quickly placed the jacket back exactly where it had been, smoothing it out like she could erase the last ten seconds entirely.
'Shit… I'm a pervy creep,' she thought as she stepped back from the sofa.
She stood there for a second, staring at the jacket like it might expose her, then shook her head and turned away, grabbing her drink again and taking a longer sip this time. It was a bad idea; she had to do a long burp.
"Get it together," she whispered to herself, forcing her shoulders to relax as she sat back down, eyes fixed anywhere but that side of the room while the sound of the shower continued in the background.
...
[15 minutes later]
Jack wiped his hair with a towel before looking at his reflection. He tilted his head slightly, then pointed at the mirror with a small grin. "Looking good."
The fatigue from earlier had faded.
His eyes flicked toward the side.
"...right," he said quietly.
He had forgotten to bring clean clothes.
He opened the small closet without much thought and grabbed the first thing that looked comfortable. A fluffy blue robe. He slipped it on, adjusting it around his shoulders before rolling them once.
"Oh yeah," he said, a bit more awake now. "Nice and fluffy."
He gave himself one last glance in the mirror, then stepped out.
Willa was sitting on the sofa, phone in hand, though her attention shifted the moment she heard the door open. Her eyes lifted, and for a second, she just looked at him.
Jack was already half-smiling like he knew how this looked. "Before you say anything, I forgot to take my clean clothes," he said casually as he stepped into the room.
Willa blinked once, then let out a soft laugh as she leaned back slightly against the couch. "Honestly, I get it," she replied, her eyes still on him for a second longer than necessary before she looked away. "After a long shoot, I prefer a fluffy robe too. It feels… cozy and warm."
Jack nodded as he grabbed his water bottle again, taking a small sip. "I know, right?" he said, like it was obvious. "Feels like your body finally relaxes for once."
Another loud crack of thunder rolled through the sky, and the rain outside intensified even more. The sound against the trailer roof grew heavier, almost drowning out everything else for a moment.
Willa glanced over at the small window, watching as the rain streaked down and blurred the view outside. "Looks like we're not going anywhere anytime soon," she said, her voice light but with a quiet acceptance underneath.
Jack looked in the same direction for a moment before giving a small shrug. "Yeah, I guess we're stuck here for a bit."
He walked over and sat on the other end of the sofa, leaving a comfortable space between them as he leaned back, stretching his legs out a little.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The rain filled the silence, steady and constant.
Willa shifted slightly, tucking one leg under the other as she put her phone back on the couch and took the bottle. Her eyes flicked toward him again, taking in the damp hair, the relaxed posture, the way he seemed completely at ease now.
"You know," she said after taking a sip, her voice softer now, "you don't really act like someone who just finished a big project."
Jack raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"Most people would be celebrating, calling friends, doing something dramatic," she said, a faint smile forming. "You're just… sitting here in a robe like it's a normal day."
He let out a quiet breath, thinking about it for a second before answering. "I guess it just doesn't feel over yet," he said honestly. "It's been part of my routine for months. Waking up, shooting, repeating. Now it's just… done."
Willa nodded slowly, understanding that more than she let on. "Yeah," she said quietly. "That part always hits later."
Jack nodded, then leaned his head back against the sofa. "Probably," he said.
Another pause settled in, but this one felt different in a way that didn't need to be filled immediately.
Willa looked down at her drink, then back up at him again, like she was deciding whether to say something or not. Her fingers tightened slightly around the bottle before she relaxed them.
"So… what now?" she asked, keeping her tone casual. "Now that you're done."
"I plan to take long naps for at least two days and spend some time with Haley. Then, there's that music video shoot with you, after that movie promotion and all... Then, my next book is coming out this Christmas. So, I'll be busy for the next couple of months," Jack replied. Then he asked. "What about you?"
Willa let out a sigh, her fingers turning the bottle slowly in her hands as she thought about how to answer that.
"It's… a bit all over the place right now," she said after a moment, her tone light at first, though it didn't quite hide the truth underneath. "I mean, I'm working, so I guess I shouldn't complain too much. But finding something that actually feels right?" She shook her head slightly.
"That part's been rough."
Jack turned his head a little, his attention settling on her properly now.
Willa gave a small, almost self-aware smile, like she knew how it sounded. "Most of the scripts I get are either those cheap hacker-slasher horror things where half the plot is just people running around screaming… or stuff that's basically softcore with a thin excuse of a story."
She took a small sip from her drink, then paused for a bit before continuing...
"And when it's not that, it's tiny cameos. Like blink-and-you-miss-it kind of roles."
There was a brief pause before she added, a little more bluntly this time, "I even got offered a stripper role last week."
Jack's expression shifted slightly, not judging, just listening.
Willa gave a soft laugh, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Yeah. That one was… something." She glanced down at the bottle in her hands, then back up. "It's just… not what I want to do, you know? I didn't get into this to be background noise or… whatever that was."
Her voice softened a little as she leaned back against the sofa.
"I want roles that actually mean something. Something with depth. Something where I can do more than just… exist on screen."
For a moment, she didn't look at him. Her gaze drifted toward the rain-streaked window, watching the way the drops blurred everything outside.
"That's why this," she continued, nodding lightly toward him, "the music video… it actually feels different."
Now she looked back at him, her expression more open than before.
"It feels like I get to be part of something that has… intention. Not just filler."
A faint smile formed, more genuine this time.
"Honestly, it's kind of a breath of fresh air. I was so happy when your dad pitched the idea."
She let that settle for a second before adding, a little quieter, "And working with someone who actually takes it seriously helps too."
Her eyes lingered on him for just a moment, then she looked away again, like she didn't want to make that part too obvious.
"So yeah," she said, her tone easing back into something lighter, though the honesty stayed. "That's where I'm at right now."
After thinking for a moment, Jack nodded, pressing his lips, "Well, it's raining buckets and we've got nothing better to do, so..."
He stood up and walked over to the closet on the right. He opened it, took out his laptop bag and turned back toward her. "...would you like to read some movie scripts I've been working on? I got these scripts lined up for my next movie if 17 Again becomes a hit... So, maybe you can be my co-star? And before you say anything, it ain't charity or pity. It's just a friend extending a helping hand to another friend... Oh, in the future, if I need a helping hand and you're in a position to help, lend me a hand."
---
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