Author's Note: Somehow this entire chapter went missing....... Thank you to @merrykatie for pointing it out!!

I didn't see Theo again after that. Filming wrapped, and I was so drained from walking up and down the mountain path all day, I'd gone straight to my cabin to pass out while others left the grounds to go to the hotel that had been rented out for the crew. We'd been offered which one we'd prefer way back before filming, and I'd selected the cabin, but apparently, most people selected the hotels because I had mine all to myself.

Which sounded great at first.

Until I realized how terrifying it was to sleep in a cabin in the woods by yourself, even though you knew there were people in the other cabins close to you— but those cabins weren't close enough. Mine was a little further out into the forest and every creak and gust of wind that blew twigs against the window had me hiding under my blanket.

I didn't think I'd ever fall asleep, but I must have, because the next thing I knew, someone was pounding at the door.

I jolted awake at the sound, my heart jumping into my throat. It took me a second to recognize my surroundings, and when I did, I jumped out of the bed, hurrying up to the door. I opened it slightly, peeking out to see Theo standing there, hair and make-up already done, wearing a white t-shirt and pair of Adidas sweatpants.

"Maisie, Zara is looking for you," he said urgently. "It's almost seven. We're going to start climbing to the film site soon."

"Crap," I said, eyes widening, suddenly feeling one hundred times more awake. "I didn't set an alarm."

"I'll stall for you," he said. "Can you be ready in fifteen minutes?"

I nodded. If I wanted to, I could be ready in five. Theo left and I quickly dug through my backpack, grabbed whatever clothes I saw first, and then booked it for the outdoor showers. After setting a record speed for showering, I brushed my teeth, yanked a brush through my hair, and then took off for the mountain path, where everyone gathered to start the climb together. We had gone quite a way up yesterday during filming, and we were almost ready to film the scenes at the top.

"There you are," Zara said, raising an eyebrow as I all but sprinted up to her and Theo. As I drew closer, her eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Are you feeling okay? You look a little pale."

I tried not to grimace. Everyone always thought I looked tired when I didn't put any make-up on. But to be fair, I was tired. "I'm good. I just couldn't sleep last night."

"Not comfortable?"

"No, I was just scared—" I cut myself off, cheeks burning, noticing how Theo's gaze met mine as I spoke. "I mean, uh, I have trouble sleeping in new places."

"If you're scared, I can ask the production coordinator if there are any available hotels tonight so you don't have to sleep there again," Zara said, unhelpfully repeating what I'd try to steer away from.

I wanted to disappear as Theo's lips curved down. I probably sounded like a child. Shaking my head, I offered Zara a small smile. "Nah, I'm good. Thank you, though. I'm sure the hike up will rejuvenate me."

Or destroy me.

After going up steadily the day before, I didn't realize just how much effort it would be to make a straight climb to our previous location. We were climbing for at least thirty minutes, and I wasn't meant to be that active. My breaths came quick and short, a pain developed in my side, and sweat beaded at my forehead— and I wasn't even carrying anything. I couldn't imagine the poor camera crew...because they were about a hundred yards ahead of me, chatting and laughing, having absolutely no trouble with the hike.

Theo wasn't much further ahead of me, walking along with Rowan, Sienna, and Aliyah, the four of them also seemingly not bothered by the strenuous hike, their voices echoing down the trail to me as they chatted. With each step, Sienna walked more diagonally, until she brushed into Theo's side, their hands grazing each other.

Theo immediately jerked away, the force of his motion causing him to lose his balance, pitching toward the side of the trail. With incredible reaction time, Rowan had moved to grab Theo as he began to fall, catching him by the hand, and pulling hard to right him before I could even take an extra step toward them after gasping.

Sienna's hand shot to her mouth, her brown eyes widening. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to startle you."

Theo recovered, putting more space between Sienna and himself, offering her a polite smile. "It's okay."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he assured her, in a kind voice laced with professionalism, one that I'd never heard him use before.

It distracted me so much that I tripped on a root and ate shit.

And there was no Rowan to catch me.

Rocks dug into my palms as I grit my teeth in pain, pushing myself to my hands and knees. I couldn't even be mad about it. I'd let my eyes leave the ground, and nature was an unforgiving force sometimes.

"You okay?"

I didn't have time to respond before someone was lifting me from the ground. Like, arms around my waist, lifting my entire body weight to set me on my feet properly. I gasped loudly as I was manhandled, drawing attention from the group in front of me. Once set down, I spun around to find Levi grinning at me.

"Yo."

I gaped at him. "How...did you pick me up like that?" Maybe I should have been annoyed that he touched me like that, but I was more impressed than anything. He'd lifted me so easily, like I weighed a feather when in reality, I weighed more than average for someone my height.

He flexed his arm. "I work out sometimes."

I squinted at his arm.

"What— hey! Now that's offensive!" he cried, struggling to shove the sleeve of his t-shirt further up so he could flex his muscles at me again. They were there, and well-defined, but his arm was still slender.

I couldn't hold back a small laugh. "I'm just kidding. You must be strong."

"Should I do it again?"

I considered it. "If you can carry me up the mountain."

"Who are you, Madame Zeroni?"

I blinked in surprise as I understood that reference. In fact, my Levi and I referenced it quite a bit. "You know that movie?"

Levi smirked, and with as much ease as he'd picked me up off from the ground before, I was slung over his shoulder. "If only, if only, the woodpecker sighs," he quoted, making a show of walking up the next few steps on the trail.

My entire body must have turned red as I laid over his shoulder, his arms wrapped around my upper thighs, keeping me steady. Fortunately, I'd been the tail end of the crew on the trail, so no one was behind us, keeping my anxiety to a minimum. "Put me down!" I demanded, gripping the back of his shirt for support.

"The bark of the tree was as soft as the skies," he continued, speaking louder.

Oh, God. He was going to get Rowan and Theo's attention. "Levi!"

"While the wolf waits below, hungry and lonely, crying to the moon..." he trailed off, coming to a dead stop.

"If only, if only!" I finished for him impatiently. "Now put me down!"

He did, lowering me to the ground in front of him, and I basically slid down his body, our chests pressed together as I landed. I glowered up at him, my heart beating frantically in my chest. "Okay, that crossed the line, Levi."

He wasn't looking at me though, his gaze on something behind me. "At least you'll get strong now if you drink water from up here," he murmured, and that definitely was to me.

I stepped back to put space between us and turned around to see Theo only a few feet in front of us, Rowan and the others still heading up the trail. One of his feet was a pace in front of the other like he'd stopped mid-step. A brick dropped into my gut, although I didn't know why. Levi and I weren't doing anything wrong. Theo's gaze was locked on Levi, though, his expression unreadable.

"Do you want to be carried, too? Or something..." Levi offered hesitantly.

"No," he said gruffly, dark eyes briefly meeting mine, before turning on his heel, and heading back up to the others.

Levi waited for a second before cocking his head at me. "What was that about?"

"Maybe he dropped something?" I said dismissively. What had Theo been doing? He couldn't have been approaching me, right? "Anyway," I continued, clearing my throat, and tearing my attention away from Theo's broad back. "Please don't pick me up without my permission again. I don't really like being touched that much."

Although, for some reason, again, I almost felt comfortable with Levi. I didn't mind him doing that, despite what I said, which was odd in itself, because had it been anyone else, I would have panicked. What was it about him that made me so...

Levi gave me a sheepish grin, clasping his hands behind the back of his head. "Okay. I'm sorry. It was just so tempting."

I stared at him hard. He avoided my gaze in return, humming to himself, cheeks tinging the slightest bit pink. I couldn't quite place it, but there was something familiar about him. And if I could figure out what that was, then maybe it would make more sense why I felt the way I did around him. Even the fact he could recite the scene from Holes made me take pause with him.

Maybe because, aside from his flirty nature, he kind of reminded me of my Levi.

The thought had me swallowing, but there was no way, no way, he could be my Levi. I would have known if Levi was an actor. He kept his work life a secret, sure, but he was around way too often to lead the busy life of an actor. Right? I had to be reaching. I just felt this way because their names were the same.

Right?

"Do you know me?" I asked him slowly.

He tensed a bit, eyes snapping back to mine, forehead crumpling. "Okay, okay. I get it. I won't do it again. No need to be so cold."

"No, I meant—" I closed my mouth. Obviously, if he didn't understand what I meant, then it wasn't what I was thinking. "Let's just go."

I barely had time to rest when we reached the filming site, Zara quickly instructing me to do our pre-filming task list. And once that was finished, filming began, a tense rush to finish filming before the sunset. We eventually made it to the top of the mountain where the final scene would be filmed. I had to admit I was excited to watch it. It was the first almost-kiss scene. As in all the tension of the kiss, but no actual kiss. It would really show the chemistry between Theo and Sienna, too.

Evie, Sienna's character, would get hurt at the top, and Jun, Theo's character, would check on the wound, kneeling down close to her, helping her wrap it, before lifting his gaze to her lips, and the tension would seep into the air and—

"Cut!" Marco shouted, snapping me out of my daydream, which was a good thing, because I realized a horrific second after the fact, that I was imagining that was me and Theo in my imagination, not Evie and Jun, not Sienna and Theo.

I slapped my cheeks hard. What the hell? I didn't even write the book as some self-insert thing! I stomped over to the cooler that had been brought up and dug for a water bottle, taking a long, cold drink. That scene would be filmed next. Good. I needed to replace that image in my head with Sienna instead of myself. No more daydreaming.

When the scene began, silence surrounded us, as if the sounds of nature also quieted to witness the tension. Theo kneeled in front of Sienna, where the make-up artist from the special effects department had created injuries on her arm and face, correlating with a fall down the mountain path. Theo moved slowly, adding to the anticipation of the scene, holding Sienna's arm gently as he cleaned the fake cuts.

I was almost forgetting to breathe, so captivated. And when he moved to the cut on her face, gently cupping her cheek, lifting her chin to gaze into his eyes, I had to resist the urge to look away. It looked so intimate, even though it was acting. Sienna's lips parted, her eyes never leaving Theo's as he brought his head closer to hers.

And then, with the force of what I believed being hit by a bus would feel like, jealousy crashed into me.

My heart pounded, my fists clenching at my sides, as wave after wave of jealousy crashed into me. Their lips were centimeters apart now— it was supposed to stop there. But it didn't. Sienna leaned forward more, her eyes fluttering closed.

"No!"

Several heads turned my way, and Theo's eyes met mine. I ripped my gaze away from his, following the direction that everyone else looked, seeing Marco shaking his head, scowling.

"Cut," Marco continued after his outburst. "Sienna, there's no kiss here. You'll break the tension if your lips touch his."

"Sorry!" Sienna called. "I didn't mean to!"

"Come on, reset the scene, let's try this again," he said, clapping his hands.

"Everything else was really great!" Director Ahn said encouragingly.

I put my hand over my heart, suddenly feeling light-headed. That'd scared the shit out of me. I thought I'd been the one to yell. I wanted to bang my head against the nearest tree. What was wrong with me?

I needed to do something about this. Why did I keep feeling jealous about Theo? Was it because he was the only man in my life? Maybe everyone felt jealous over their friends? And if not that, then...

Theo's cold expression flashed in my mind.

Nope. I couldn't like him. I didn't want him to kill me.

I decided to turn away as they filmed the scene again, and again, and again, Marco not letting us move on until the take was perfect. The sun was beginning to set, though, and we didn't have much time left. Fortunately, he called cut shortly after, and we didn't have to worry about the sun's position in the sky.

"Alright everyone, we're filming at the lake tomorrow, so take your time here if you want to explore the summit," Director Ahn called. "We don't have a reason to climb up here again. But make sure you get down before the sun goes down fully. It'll be a rough descent in the dark."

"It's so nice up here," someone spoke from my side, and I glanced over to see Aliyah smiling at me.

"Oh, yeah, it is," I answered, finishing my last comment on the script notes, and then holding the folder to my chest. "You're filming at the lake tomorrow, right?"

"Yep, finally. I didn't have to show up until tomorrow, but Sienna and I wanted to hit up this local restaurant tonight," she told me, her braids swinging slightly as she rocked on the balls of her feet. "So, do you think Sienna and Theo have good romantic tension?"

The question almost made me choke on air. Where had that come from? Aliya studied my face seriously, expecting a response. "I think they do," I told her. "I mean, it made my heart race watching them." Whether I wanted it to, or not.

Aliyah's expression fell a bit. "Really?"

"They're actors, so I'm sure it comes naturally," I said, frowning a bit. "I'm sure it doesn't mean much more than that."

Her face lit up a bit again. "You know, you're right. I didn't think about that."

"Even though you're an actress?" I couldn't help but tease.

Her cheeks darkened. "I don't have as much experience as Sienna and Theo. I wonder if I could be that convincing during a romantic scene. You know. Enough so people watching think it's real."

"I saw your audi— I mean, I've watched your other scenes," I corrected, insides twisting as I'd almost told her I watched her audition tape. "I know you could. I should have written in more romance for you."

Her head tilted to the side. "You should have?"

"Convinced the scriptwriter to, I mean," I forced out, although my entire body tensed.

"My time to shine comes in the sequel, anyway," she responded happily. "Watch me then and let me know."

"Of course," I told her, but knew that the sequel wasn't guaranteed yet. I'd received the option, but not the green light.

Her attention was drawn away from me as Sienna began to walk toward us, and I decided to use the distraction as my escape, heading across the summit, and finding the best places to take photos as I took in the views.

I snapped one of the lake below and then sent it to Levi.

Check this out.

A phone chime came from behind me.

Confused, I turned around, seeing not-my Levi standing there, his phone in his hand. "Want me to take your picture?" he offered, holding his phone up higher.

"Did you just get a text?" I asked him.

He glanced at his phone screen. "Nope."

That was weird. I swear I'd heard the sound an iPhone made as the default text setting as soon as I'd hit send on my text to my Levi.

Unless...

Levi held his phone sideways, snapping a horizontal picture of the lake as well, then turned to direct his camera over to the mountain range to the west.

I texted another photo to my Levi, never taking my sight off his phone.

Levi's phone alerted me again, and this time I saw a banner drop down.

My heart skipped a beat. "Is that someone from the crew texting you?" I asked, trying not to be too obvious, but also wanting to see if I could catch him out in a lie. If this wasn't my Levi, then I was being nosy...or maybe I was being nosy, no matter what.

He shook his head, ignoring the message, resuming his photo-taking. "Nah. It's nothing. Let's take a photo together."

My stomach knotted up as he walked over to me. Was that really a coincidence? I supposed it was possible, but what if it wasn't? What if this Levi was my Levi, but was hiding it for some reason? Why would he? As Levi winked at me as he drew closer, though, my thoughts turned. The Levi in front of me seemed like an entirely different person than my Levi. Nor did I think my Levi would pretend like he didn't know me—we were best friends.

"I don't really want my photo taken," I said, stepping back as he went to pose by my side. "But I'll take your photo."

He gave me a curious look but handed me his phone. "Really? You look really pretty against the sunset, though. But sure, get some good shots. I'll post them on my Instagram."

The way he easily handed me his phone also led me to believe he couldn't be my Levi if he was trying to hide it. He posed against the lake backdrop and I snapped a couple of photos, putting effort into the angles, using my limited knowledge of the camera settings to get the best photos for him.

We ended up taking almost an entire photo session, and by the time Levi was satisfied, we were almost the last ones on the mountaintop, the sun low in the sky, threatening to sink below the horizon before we made the journey back down.

I took one last look around, my eyes catching on Rowan and Theo in the distance, sitting on some raised rocks, deep in conversation. As if he felt me looking at him, Theo's head snapped toward me. I immediately turned away, nearly smacking into Levi as he scrolled through the photos I'd taken.

"You've got a good eye," he complimented.

"I actually have two."

Silence stretched as Levi kept scrolling, but then he paused, blinking at me. Then he burst out laughing. Loudly. "That was so cringy," he said in-between laughs.

"No, it wasn't," I argued, feeling my neck grow hot. "Don't laugh so loudly! It really wasn't that funny."

He held his side, his laughter dying out. "It's because I didn't expect that from you. It caught me off guard."

My phone vibrated in my hand, and I glanced down, seeing a text from Theo on the screen.

Can we meet later?

I immediately shoved my phone into my pocket, not wanting Levi to see the text. "I'm going to head back down before it gets dark," I said.

"I'll come, too," he responded. "I'm good here."

We made our way back down the trail, Levi keeping up a steady stream of conversation, not minding that I barely responded, focused on not falling on my face again. We broke apart as we returned to the campground. I went straight for the food trucks, opting for a hamburger and fries this time, but walking all the way back to my cabin instead of eating at the picnic tables.

I'd told myself I'd try to get some writing done, and that's what I was going to do. I changed into a long-sleeve shirt and a pair of shorts, taking out my laptop, and sitting at the desk in the corner of the cabin.

I opened up a blank Word document and stared at it blankly for the next few hours.

Eventually, I gave up and closed it. It didn't seem like today was the day I'd be starting my new book. Instead, I checked some e-mails, seeing if there was any news from my agent about any of my books or upcoming opportunities, but nothing had changed from the last time I'd gotten updates. I ended up flopping onto my bed, watching some game update videos on Youtube, and connecting to my phone internet to do so.

I was half-asleep when someone pounded on my door, and for a moment, I thought I'd slept in again, but a glance at the window showed me it was still nighttime. I made my way over to the door, hearing someone shouting my name. When I swung it open, Marco was standing there, two flashlights in his hand.

"Maisie," he said, panic in his voice. "I need your help."

"What's wrong?"

"Theo hasn't come back from the mountain yet. Some of the crew climbed to the top to find him, but he wasn't there. We're worried he got lost, and a thunderstorm is rolling in."

As if to prove his point, a low rumble of thunder came from the distance. I immediately went and put on my shoes and grabbed my phone, joining Marco within seconds, not bothering to change out of my sleeping shorts. My arms wrapped around myself as we crossed the campground, worry coursing through me. "Did you call search and rescue?"

"We're trying to avoid it," Marco said. "We don't want to make a big deal out of this if we don't have to."

"But Theo could be in danger!" I argued.

"It's for Theo's sake," Marco responded, shooting me a look. "Theo is the type of person who likes his privacy. Imagine if an article got out about this? We will call them if we have to, but for now, everyone here will do a search for him."

I didn't agree with that, but I kept my mouth shut. I knew Theo valued his privacy, but I valued his life more. There weren't many people left on the campgrounds, most of them having returned to their hotels for the night long ago. Marco handed me one of the flashlights. "Maisie, I want you to walk up and down the trail in case he returns. Everyone else will search off the path."

"Is that a good idea? What if someone else gets lost?"

"We'll go in pairs. You just stay on the trailhead. Go."

"Marco, I don't—"

"Maisie, just go!" he snapped at me.

I still didn't think it was a good idea for me to go off alone, but I didn't want Marco to yell at me again, or seem like an asshole for not wanting to search for Theo, so I nodded, heading to the base of the mountain. Clouds covered the moon, leaving the only light the beam from my flashlight as I swung it in front of me, checking the woods surrounding the paths, calling out for Theo as I moved up the path. I'd forgotten to ask if Rowan was missing too—or was she also out searching for him?

Goosebumps spread across my skin the further I climbed, the darkness swallowing me. I had to keep my mind off the fear of being alone in the dark, distracting myself with my concern for Theo. But my mind kept playing tricks on me, seeing images in the corner of my eye. I tried it ignore it. In the distance, I could hear other people calling for Theo, and I knew at least if something happened, someone would hear me screaming. Though the sound of thunder grew closer and closer, sometimes masking the voices of the others.

I knew I couldn't be on the mountain when it hit— whether I'd found Theo or not. I couldn't put myself in danger, too. I would have to go back down the mountain and call search and rescue. The only thing stopping me, for now, was the fact the thunderstorm wasn't here yet. I would respect Theo's privacy for as long as it took to arrive...but even I knew lightning could strike anywhere you could hear thunder.

"Theo!" I called, my voice echoing around me. "Theo! Can you hear me?"

My lungs burned as I made my way up faster than I had all weekend, a pain stitching in my side, but I pressed on, fueled by the desire to Theo. I was nearly to the top in under twenty minutes this time. I took out my phone, deciding to text him, even though I knew someone else had likely tried that already.

I came to a dead stop as I saw a text from him I hadn't seen earlier as rain began pelting from the sky.

Meet me on the lakeside trail gazebo at 10:00PM.

My phone clock read 9:55PM.

I attempted to call him, but the call didn't connect. Confused, I checked my service, seeing only one bar. Shit.

I attempted to text him, but those wouldn't send either. I tried Marco, too, and by some miracle, my text got through, maybe due to the fact he had an android. Going on the hope Theo was at the gazebo, I twisted on my heel, deciding to head back down. A loud crack of thunder sounded directly overhead, scaring me so bad I jumped. My foot landed on a stone, slick from the sudden downpour, and I lost my balance, letting go of both my phone and flashlight.

"Shit," I swore, landing on my ass with a sting of pain.

I reached for my phone first, making sure the screen wasn't cracked. Then I looked around for the flashlight, the darkness making it impossible to see anything. I used my phone flashlight to help, but it barely illuminated anything. It eventually caught on the handle of the flashlight and I picked it up again, switching it back on, only for it not to work.

I slammed my hand down on it. "Don't do this to me," I said out loud, rain steaming down my face, soaking my clothes and hair.

Another boom of thunder had me abandoning trying to make the flashlight work, using my phone flashlight again to start making my way back down the path. It was nearly impossible. I slipped on the wet rocks and mud, trying to remain calm as lightning streaked across the sky. One misstep had me skidding nearly two feet down the path, sending me pitching forward, but I managed to keep my balance. Fear made a lump appear in my throat as a bolt of lightning lit up the sky, reminding me I wasn't even nearly halfway back down.

I froze as I heard a branch snap to my left. I wanted to turn my head, but I felt rooted to the spot, panic seeping my ability to move. Another snap had me bolting forward, nearly slipping with every panicked step, the rain now causing rivulets of water to run down the path alongside me. The wind began to pick up, causing an eerie, low howl to sound throughout the woods. Water soaked my shoes and socks as I increased my pace, taking in shaky breaths of air, the air feeling colder and colder on my exposed skin.

One brilliant flash of lightning had me looking up, seeing it fork across the sky, creating a brilliant branch of sheer power.

My leg moved forward, but my foot didn't, getting caught on a root.

The world spun as I stumbled forward, nearly falling straight on my face, letting out a startled yell. I managed to throw my hands out in front of myself to keep from faceplanting completely, my nose nearly an inch from the ground. Pain radiated through me, my knees digging hard into the rocks, and I stayed there a moment, biting my lip hard.

The sound of a branch snapping came from in front of me, making me tense up in fear again, my eyes squeezing shut.

"Maisie!"

No sooner had my name been called did a pair of hands clasp my shoulders, a body appearing in front of me as they knelt down in front of me. I lifted my head, barely able to see through my soaked bangs, my gaze first landing on lips I immediately recognized as Theo's. I wrenched my gaze up, meeting his gaze. "Theo?" I asked, shocked.

"Are you hurt?" he asked, voice low and worried. "Can you stand?"

"Where were you?" I responded, letting him help me to my feet, the fear of the woods disappearing as I took in his strong form. "Everyone was worried— ow." My left ankle throbbed sharply as I put weight on it.

"Why did you come up here alone to look for me?" he asked, his hands not leaving my shoulders.

"Marco told me to."

His jaw clenched, his voice taking on a sharp edge now. "Are you serious? You should have told him no. Don't you know how dangerous it is for you to be out here alone?"

I stared at him for a moment. Was he getting angry right now? At me? "I came out here because I wanted to find you. I was worried."

"Didn't you get my text?"

"I didn't see it until I was already up here."

He opened his mouth to respond, but thunder rattled the sky above us, and I jumped again. Theo abruptly let go of my shoulders. "Let's go."

I grit my teeth together, not understanding the attitude, and took a forceful step forward. Pain immediately shot through my ankle again and I staggered to the side, sucking in a sharp breath of air. Theo's hands were on my waist in an instant, holding me steady.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

I wanted to ignore him and push through the pain, but as I tried to put weight on it again, I grimaced in pain. "I think I twisted my ankle," I admitted. "Can you go back down and—"

Without a word, Theo knelt down, offering his back to me. "Get on."

"No, I'm wet and dirty—"

"Maisie. Get on."

I shivered, but whether it was due to the rain, or his voice, I didn't know. Sucking up my pride, I draped myself over his back, wrapping my arms around his neck as he stood, slipping his hands under my bare thighs to take my weight. He made his way down the path with slow and steady steps as I held my phone out for light, realizing Theo didn't even have a flashlight on him. He'd climbed the trail in the dark...just to find me?

His body felt warm against mine, his hands hot on my skin, and I found myself clinging closer to him, letting a slow breath out into his neck as I closed my eyes, tension leaving me. Under me, though, Theo stiffened, and it caused me to open my eyes again, my stomach lurching, thinking something was wrong. But nothing stood out in front of us, and the moment passed, Theo picking up his pace as the slope began to even out.

Rowan came into sight a moment later, rushing up to us, her hair matted to her forehead from the rain. "There you two are! Theo, what the hell? Why did you run off? You should have waited for me!"

"It's fine," he said shortly. "I'm bringing Maisie to the hospital."

My eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. "Hospital? What? No! Absolutely not!"

"You're injured—"

I struggled to get off his back, panic overtaking me, my hands pushing against his shoulders. "No, you don't understand, I can't go! Put me down, Theo! Right now!" My voice grew with every step Theo took toward his parked car in sight across the clearing of the campground. He didn't stop and I gripped his shoulders hard, digging my nails into his skin. "Theo, please! Put me down!"

"Leave us alone for a moment," he said to Rowan.

Without warning, he veered paths. Instead of heading toward his car, he now headed toward the cabins lining the woods. I shut my mouth, but my heart threatened to beat out of my chest, anxiety causing my breaths to come in short, raspy gasps. I didn't even feel the rain anymore, my entire body feeling numb, even though it pelted down so hard it washed most of the mud off of me.

Theo all but kicked open the door to what I assumed to be his cabin, closing it roughly with his heel, but still pausing long enough to lock it. He walked over to his bed before lowering himself to the ground, letting me drop onto the mattress. I quickly grabbed his hand before he could walk away, holding it tightly. "I'm on my parents' insurance still. If I go to the emergency room, they'll know. I can't go."

His back was still turned to me as he spoke. "Even though you're injured?"

"Can you leave a room unlocked even if you know for sure that you're alone?" I countered, my pulse rushing through my ears.

He turned now, his eyes narrowed, fists clenching at his sides. "That has nothing to do with this."

"Yes, it does. Just like you have a reason for needing to know that your doors are locked, I have a reason for not wanting to go to the hospital."

"You're saying if you were in a car accident and bleeding out, you wouldn't go to the hospital?" he said flatly.

I gripped the fabric of the cotton blanket on his bed, leveling him with a look. "That's different. This isn't an emergency. I probably only twisted my ankle a bit. It's not broken."

A terse moment went by as we stared at each other as if daring each other to argue more, but he eventually heaved a heavy sigh, pushing his wet hair up and out of his face. "You're so... At least let the set-medic look at it."

"That's fine," I agreed quickly, some of my anxiety disappearing as the threat of the hospital did.

"If Marco ever tells you to climb a mountain to find me again, say no."

"If it's about your safety, I'd do more than climb a mountain," I muttered, stretching out my leg to check on my ankle, finding it red and swollen.

Theo's body appeared in my field of vision as he knelt down in front of me, his large hand enclosing around my calf, his fingers almost meeting as they curled around it. "I don't understand why you would do that for me. We barely know each other."

I swallowed as he lifted my leg higher, examining my ankle, his hair falling in his forehead as his head angled down, the lines in his neck appearing more prominent. "If you're going to say it like that, then why did you try to rush me to the hospital so fast? When we barely know each other?"

His dark eyes flicked up to mine. "You got hurt because of me."

"And I went looking for you because I was worried you were hurt. And I would do it again. Even though we barely know each other."

His hand trailed over the skin of my calf as he lowered it to gently hold my ankle, sighing softly. "I shouldn't have said it like that. I just don't want to owe you anything."

"Owe me?" I frowned. "I didn't go to help you so you would owe me something, Theo. Why would you think that?"

He didn't say anything, his head still bent down, the muscles in his shoulders tight.

I hesitated, trying not to jerk my foot back as he began to move again, propping my foot on his knee as he moved his hands to untie my shoelace. "I thought we considered each other friends," I eventually said.

"...We do. I do." He finished untying my shoe, removing it from my foot, giving my inflamed ankle room to breathe, still not looking up at me. "I'm sorry. I'm just...not used to this."

"Used to what?"

He carefully set my leg back down, pushing himself back to his feet, looking down at me with an intensity that set my pulse off. "You."

"What—"

"I'm going to find the medic," he said, cutting me off. "Stay here. Don't move."

He was out of the room before I could say anything else. I blinked after him, my hand going to my chest, feeling how hard my heart pounded. What was that about? How was he not used to me? What did that even mean?

It didn't take long before Theo returned with the set medic, Kenadee, and Rowan in tow. A quick assessment of my ankle revealed only a slight sprain, and although she suggested having a doctor check it if the swelling didn't go down within a few days, I knew I wouldn't be doing that. As long as it wasn't broken, then I wasn't worried, and I wasn't going to take the chance of using my health insurance. She wrapped it for me, gave me an icepack, and promised to search for a pair of crutches for me to use tomorrow on set.

I doubted I would use them. That would draw way too much attention to myself, but I still smiled and agreed.

Rowan escorted her back while Theo started organizing his bed as I sat on the chair at the desk in his cabin, having moved to it when getting my ankle checked out. He propped two pillows up on top of each other at the foot of the bed, keeping only two at the headboard. I tilted my head as I watched him, confused. "What are you doing?"

"You're supposed to keep your foot elevated to reduce pain and swelling."

"Oh, okay. But that's your bed," I pointed out.

Seemingly satisfied with his work, he turned back to me, a hand going to his hip as he frowned. "You're going to stay with me tonight."