With my mind made up, I threw on some yoga pants and a T-shirt and headed out. By the time the class finished I felt a million times better, and I scolded myself for not checking out that list sooner. Practicing always had a way of making me feel in control again.
The following morning the group were filming at El Retiro, a gorgeous public park in the middle of the city. It boasted a large, manmade pond where people could rent boats and go paddling. I was busy procuring two such boats, because Barry wanted to get some shots of the group in the pond to add to the episode. I watched from the sideline as Trev, Callum and Paul took one boat, while Leanne, James and Isaac took the other.
When they were done filming at the pond Barry called for a break, and I handed out soft drinks and sandwiches. When I sat down on a step to eat my own, a shadow fell over me. Glancing to the side, I saw Trev looking at me with a hesitant expression.
“Can I sit?”
I gave him a warm smile and waved a hand at the space beside me. Somehow, my feelings weren’t as raw as they were yesterday. Having the night to digest everything and mentally move forward had helped. I knew his heart had been in the right place, even if it did turn out to be a clusterfuck. And I still loved him. That hadn’t changed. “Go ahead.”
He sat and there was a moment of quiet before he spoke. “This place is pretty cool, huh?”
I swallowed a bite of my sandwich and nodded. “Yeah, I took a little look around the gardens earlier. They’re really beautiful.”
“You’re beautiful,” Trev blurted, like he couldn’t hold back the words. His expression was so full of adoration that my chest felt too tight.
I flushed and tucked some hair behind my ear. He watched the movement with rapt attention, his bright eyes translucent in the midday sun. “Thanks,” I replied, my voice a little breathy.
Trev glanced back over at the pond, where tourists rowed boats through the water. When he returned his attention to me his voice was tender. “You’ve got a gig tonight, don’t you?”
“Yes, you can come if you like,” I said, hopeful. Before I’d always been wary of him coming to see me play, but now I wanted it. I felt like after yesterday, we needed to reconnect. Maybe I could finish that song I started writing for him.
His expression was regretful. “I promised Isaac we’d go for a run, but I can cancel—”
“No, don’t do that. It was just a thought.”
Trev’s face brightened then, like he just remembered something, “I completely forgot to tell you, Karla and Lee are coming to see us when we hit up Barcelona. Alexis and King, too. Lee and King have been planning the surprise for a while.”
“Really?” I exclaimed at the news. It seriously cheered my spirits to know I was going to see my friends. I’d especially missed Karla. She was the person I always spoke my feelings to, so it made me happy to know I’d be seeing her sooner than I thought. “That’s great. I can’t wait.”
Trev’s eyes crinkled in an affectionate smile. “Yeah, I thought so. Apparently, King and Alexis have some friends performing at a circus there, so they’re killing two birds with one stone.”
I nodded. “Right, yeah. Alexis told me about that place. King’s older sister is like the ringmaster or something.”
Trev’s brows shot up at that. “No shit? Now I definitely need to tag along.”
I chuckled. “Yeah, he actually travelled with her for a couple years.”
“You learn something new every day,” said Trev, just as Barry’s assistant came to say the director needed him for the next shot. He surprised me when he pressed a soft, loving kiss to my lips then went to get back to work.
I ate a bite of my sandwich and noticed Callum standing nearby, casting me side glances as though waiting to be invited over. I smiled, wondering what he was after, and called out, “Want to join me, Cal?”
He pulled off his sunglasses and nodded, all casual. “Oh yeah, sure. Didn’t see you there.”
I shot him a funny look as he took the step just below mine. “This place is gorgeous.”
“It is. You should’ve come out on the boats with us. Paul was freaked by the water because he can’t swim.”
I was sure my expression showed surprise. “He can jump between buildings but he can’t swim? That’s crazy.”
Callum chuckled. “He kept thinking he was gonna fall into the pond.”
“And I bet you teased him relentlessly for it.”
“Hey, I’m not a complete arsehole,” he said, defending himself then winked. “I only teased a little.”
My expression sobered as I studied him. “That’s not how I think of you, you know.”
He arched a brow. “No?”
“Well, not anymore,” I allowed.
“What changed?”
I shrugged, not about to get into everything Trev had divulged. “I dunno. I guess after a while you start to see people clearer.”
Callum stared at me for a minute, then slid his sunglasses back on. He cleared his throat as he asked, “So, uh, does Leanne ever talk to you about me?”
I held back a smirk. Was he fishing for info? “Not really.”
His lips flattened in a frown. “Oh.”
“You sound disappointed.”
“Just thought you could give me some insight.”
“Into?”
“How she’s feeling about me these days,” he replied and I saw his attention wander across the park to where Leanne was being filmed with Trev and James.
“Ah, I see,” I said, shifting in place. “Well, she doesn’t really talk to me about personal stuff, so I’m not sure I can help you there.”
“I love her, you know,” he blurted, his shoulders sagging. I couldn’t read his eyes with the dark sunglasses covering them, but judging from the tight line of his jaw I guessed he hadn’t exactly meant to say that.
“No, I didn’t know,” I said softly, reaching out to touch his shoulder. He flinched ever so slightly, not expecting the contact. “Maybe if you told her…”
His scoff cut me off. “I have told her. She doesn’t believe me.”
I paused for a second, thinking that sounded about right. If I were Leanne, I probably wouldn’t believe him either. “Maybe it’s not about telling, but more about showing. If you want her to know you love her, you have to start acting differently. And you definitely have to stop flaunting random hook-ups in her face.”
“I haven’t done that since Brussels.”
I chuckled. “Brussels was only two weeks ago. You’ll have to stick it out longer than that. Show her you’re trustworthy. Sometimes you can portray love with actions far more ways than with words.”
He looked like he was thinking about what I said. I ate the last few bites of my sandwich as we sat in silence. Callum was the one to break it when he said, “I feel awful about what happened in Paris. When I fell.”
His candidness took me off guard. I swallowed and tried to reassure him. “At least no serious harm was done.”
“Yeah well, I just wanted you to know that I’m sorry. It can’t have been easy for you seeing Trev fall.”
My throat constricted as I remembered the fear. “No, it’s wasn’t.”
“I wasn’t myself that day.”