Page 40 of Nico

When I'd asked him earlier if he had the day off too, I hadn't really had any plans in mind. I'd mostly been taking a chance that he'd say yes.

"Logan told me to take the day off," Isaac explained as we started walking. "Although I only agreed on one condition."

"What's that?"

"I stay on the film site."

There was something almost endearing about the fact that Isaac couldn't quite stay away from his brother, even when Logan himself was the one telling him to take a break.

Still, I wasn't complaining. I was just happy I got to spend more time with him. It was only when we started walking that I properly noticed what he was wearing.

I was so used to seeing Isaac in his bodyguard clothes that my brain had apparently filed away the image of him in a suit as simply what Isaac looked like. Seeing him dressed down like this was almost disorienting.

Instead of his usual fitted jacket and crisp shirt, he wore a T-shirt that stretched comfortably across his broad shoulders and chest, while his denim jeans did absolutely nothing to disguise the fact that the man spent a ridiculous amount of time at the gym.

I dragged my attention back to his face before he could catch me staring. I followed him toward a golf cart parked nearby and climbed into the passenger seat after he took the wheel.

"So, what are we doing today?" I asked.

Isaac smiled as he started the cart. I waited for him to answer, but instead, he reached under his seat and held out a muffin wrapped in baking paper.

"Didn't know if you'd had breakfast yet."

"I didn't," I lied.

"It was the only one they had left when I stopped by the cafeteria. You should eat up. We've got a lot of ground to cover today."

I unwrapped the muffin. It was the same kind I always picked up from the cafeteria. I looked up at Isaac. He was clearly focused on the road, but there was a faint flush creeping up the back of his ears.

"Thanks." I bit back a smile and took a bite instead.

I polished off the muffin as we reached the first location. The moment we stopped, I nearly forgot how to breathe. It was the tavern set.

I climbed out of the cart and stared. "Oh, my God."

Isaac glanced over at me, amused. "You sound excited."

"I am." I couldn't stop smiling. I was finally standing in front of one of the locations from the game I'd loved for years.

In Shadowfall, the tavern was one of the most important locations in the early game.

It was where Ailwyn made some of his shadier deals, where the player first started piecing together the political factions surrounding the kingdom, and, later, where the uprising chose to crown him.

Even knowing it was only a set, there was something almost magical about seeing a place I'd only ever known through a screen brought to life.

I took a few steps closer, already looking for all the little details I recognised from the game, but unfortunately, we didn't make it very far.

"Sorry," one of the set staff called as he stepped toward us. "You can't go in there right now."

He pointed toward the damaged section of the set, and I immediately saw what he meant. The storm had done more damage than I'd realised.

Part of the roof had shifted, and several sections of the surrounding structure were being temporarily supported. Debris was scattered across the ground, making it clear why they weren't letting anyone inside.

"It's not safe yet," he explained. "We're still assessing everything. Nobody's allowed inside until we clear it."

"Oh." I tried not to sound too disappointed. Safety obviously came first, but having to stay outside was still a little frustrating.

"Can we at least look around outside?" Isaac asked.