Page 78 of Camera Stays On

I nodded.

Asher’s eyes rolled to the ceiling as he pressed his forehead to mine. “Let him.”

Chapter 34

Andi

MY HANDS SHOOK as I stood at the end of the porch stairs, holding flowers Juliet had found for me while I was cleaning up. I took a brief moment once I reached the ground to take it all in. There were no special decorations past some trailing flower petals leading up to a thin, metal arch. There was no music, no friends or family, and the path to my groom felt more like a walk to my death than to a happy future. I glanced back at the house and wondered how to get out of this. There had to be something I could do.

“I said ‘Action!’” Sawyer growled so loudly it pulled me from my thoughts. I shook my head, took a deep breath, and looked for the camera. Gavin, playing the camera guy for the movie, stuck a handheld camera in my face, and I waved him away, forcing laughter like I’d been told to do. This was the happiest day of my life after all.

“Will you stop that, Gunnar?” I demanded of his character. Pretending I was in a happy mood—pretending we hadn’t burned a body last night and there wasn’t someone dying on the couch inside, and that I wasn’t still healing from the gunshot wound in my thigh. I stuck my tongue out and made a silly face at the camera.

“Are you nervous, Cleo? You’re about to become Mrs. Slater.” Gavin wasn’t much of an improviser, but he had memorized the script.

I rolled my eyes, which felt more real than not. It was weird to be getting really married but still using the fake names and script Sawyer had written. “Like I haven’t prepared for this for years. Are you ready? Please keep that camera steady. I want to watch my wedding video in twenty years and not get carsick.”

“Ah, sorry, I had one little drink before you got here, you know, those pre-wedding jitters.”

“What are you nervous about?” Juliet, in character, came bouncing over. She’d taken Lux’s place in the script. She beamed at me. I’d never seen her so happy. She was one hell of an actress. “It’s not you getting married.”

“Yeah, true. I’m not that stupid.”

“Thanks, big brother.” The words felt disgusting in my mouth. The idea of Gavin being my brother made me want to vomit.

Mick, dressed in priest garb and holding an oversized bible, jogged over. “Are we ready? We’re losing daylight.”

Gavin swung the camera to me, and I swallowed, nodding dramatically.

“Where’s Chris?” The name caught in my throat. There hadn’t been a Chris in the original script, but with Sawyer taking over the lead role of Ethan, he’d added a character for Asher to play. “He’s supposed to walk me down the aisle.”

That same moment between Ash and me five years ago flashed in my mind, twisting my insides.

“Your brother isn’t going to do it?” Juliet asked.

“Camera duty.” Gavin turned the camera toward Ash.

“I’m here.” Ash jogged down the stairs, and my mood soared. My hero, my savior, my… our most recent encounter flashed in my mind, and my core tightened, causing my heart to beat a little faster. What was happening? Why was my body reacting like I hadn’t just been with him half an hour ago?

“You ready?” He offered his arm to me, and I took it.

“Hey, don’t get too chummy,” Gavin joked, but the words had bite. That wasn’t Gunnar talking, it was pure Gavin.

Asher paused and leaned in to Gavin, whispering something in his ear. Gavin’s face fell, and he visibly paled.

“Why would he think that? You’re the one who—” His eyes flicked to me, then back to Ash. “You’re not serious.”

“Hard to say. He did shoot her.” Ash nodded to me. “Anyway, let’s do this. Is there music, or what?”

Juliet, still in character, ran to a small boombox and pushed a button to cue the traditional wedding march. Arm in arm, Asher and I started down the aisle with Gavin filming as he walked behind us.

“What did you say to him?” I whispered.

“I’ll tell you later. How are you feeling? You’re still limping.”

“Could be better.”

“Are you still mad at me?”