Page 71 of Love Unscripted
Not at first—not clearly. Just something faintly off.
Aaron finished up, spoke briefly to the cameramen, then headed toward her.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Yep.” She rose and stretched, smiling. “As ready as one can be at 7 p.m. after beginning one’s day at 4:30 a.m.”
She meant it as a joke but the way he responded gave her pause.
“We can cancel if you want,” he said—too quickly.
She shouldered her bag slowly, watching him. Only then did she realize he wasn’t meeting her gaze.
“Umm. I was just kidding, Aaron. I’ve been looking forward to this all day.”
“Looking forward to what?”
She blinked, brows knitting. “Studying Esther with you. What do you mean?”
He shrugged. “Just wanted to make sure your focus is on the Word.”
“Of course it is.”
“Good. Now that we’ve settled that, let’s go. It’s late.”
The words were alright. The tone was not.
She followed him to their usual room on autopilot, her chest tightening with each step. This was not the Aaron she had come to know. Not the man she—if she was honest—had begun to care for deeply. This Aaron was distant, clipped, almost disdainful.
Had something happened?
Inside the room, she lingered by the door while he placed his things on the table and moved toward the refreshment area. When he realized she hadn’t followed, he glanced back.
“What’s the matter?”
She folded her arms and lifted her chin. “I should ask you.”
He turned away, busying himself with the coffee. She watched him—how rigid his shoulders were, how deliberately he avoided looking at her.
After a few gulps of coffee, he said, “There’s nothing wrong.”
“It’s not good to lie.”
That stopped him. He looked away, guilt flickering across his face, then headed over to the table and pulled out a chair. “Are you coming?”
“Not until you answer my question honestly.”
He sank into the chair with a heavy sigh. “There’s nothing wrong, Camille. I’m just tired. As you said—it’s been a long day.”
She stepped further into the room, stopping opposite him, sliding her bag onto a chair without breaking eye contact.
“You were fine until Ray showed up. What did he say to you that made you react this way to me?”
He looked at her impatiently. “What way is that, Camille?”
“This cold, angry way. As though I did something to you. As though you discovered some terrible truth about me and can’t bear the sight of me.”
He gave a short bark of laughter. “You really are quite dramatic, aren’t you?”
