sit around all day moping. They still had scenes to shoot, and damage control interviews to fit in.
And then there’d only be one thing left to do. She would have to distance herself from him first. Just the thought of it made her feel sick with stress, like her stomach was full of snakes. It was the absolute last thing she wanted to do, but if she was right, he was going to go back to being the old closed-off version of himself anyway. For the sake of his own comfort, she’d give him space, and in doing so, she’d give her Leading Lady Plan another chance.
Time to get to work.
After ripping the magazine in half and tossing it back in the garbage, she headed to hair and makeup.
Her stylists were her ride-or-dies on set. Every morning after she arrived, Jasmine sat with them for hours while they worked their magic on her hair and face. Ashton usually had a slightly later call time than she did, since he required less beautification.
Today, Jasmine could sense her friends in hair and makeup were bursting with curiosity, but thankfully, no one asked her outright, “Are you and Ashton . . . ?” And since no one asked, Jasmine didn’t have to lie.
When it was time to film the interviews, Tanya had negotiated every aspect in advance, so all Jasmine and Ashton had to do was smile charmingly and repeat, “No, we’re just really good friends,” in twelve different ways. It was hard to pretend he meant nothing to her, but they were actors. It was just like playing any other role.
Or so she kept telling herself.
After the last interview, Tanya pulled them aside to debrief. “I think that went pretty well, don’t you?”
Jasmine smiled, even though her heart was a shattered shell inside her chest. “Absolutely.”
Ashton grimaced, and Jasmine was pretty sure he’d been screaming internally for the past forty-five minutes. The final reporter had asked a ton of questions, and while Jasmine had tried to field most of them, many had been aimed directly at Ashton.
“It was bound to happen sooner or later,” Tanya said. “Romance rumors pop up on every show. This should satisfy their cravings, and hopefully they’ll drop the story soon and focus on the whole show.”
“Let’s hope,” Ashton muttered darkly.
Tanya patted his shoulder. “Get some rest, you two. It’s been a big day.”
After Tanya left, Jasmine turned to Ashton. Better to get this over with.
He surprised her by speaking first. “So, this week . . .”
She raised her eyebrows. “Yeah?”
“I won’t be around,” he said, not looking at her. “I’m going to be at a music studio for the next few days, recording Victor’s songs, and in the evenings they want to get B-roll footage of me singing in a few clubs—”
“Ashton, it’s okay.” He was pulling away, as expected. What she hadn’t expected was that it would hurt quite so much. She forced herself to smile like everything was fine. “I’ll see you in a few days. Have fun recording.”
He nodded, the movement jerky, and slipped away. Just like he used to. Jasmine held back a sigh. If she let it out, tears would come next. And they might not stop.
Distance. Distance was good. Maybe it would give her some much-needed perspective and answers.
Like how to stop being in love with him.
Chapter 28
Ten minutes. That’s all Ashton wanted. Ten minutes alone with Jasmine. But when he knocked on the door of her side of their double-banger trailer, there was no answer.
They were on location in front of the building that posed as the Serranos’ brownstone in Spanish Harlem, prepping to film a kissing scene they’d practiced with Vera a week earlier. This kiss would be deeper than the others they’d shared on camera. After all they’d done together, they’d both assured Vera they were comfortable taking it up a notch. For the sake of the show, of course.
But that had been before the Buzz Weekly cover story. Before he’d convinced himself he needed time away from her. Now, he just wanted a chance to talk to her before the camera started rolling. It had been four days since he’d last seen her. With him in the recording studio and her at the production lot, their paths hadn’t crossed.
But she had been on his mind. Often.
Okay, a lot.
Okay, constantly. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her. She was in his dreams when he slept, in his memories when he worked out, and in his thoughts