Page 26 of Hate To Be Mine

“I’m trying to create art here!”

“Showing up hungover and making things up as you go isn’t art!” The words exploded out of me before I could stop them. “It’s irresponsible! It’s exactly what everyone was afraid you would do! You’re proving every single person who doubted you absolutely right!”

The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted them. They hit Sebastian like I was throwing actual daggers at him. I could practically see him flinch when the sharp edges sliced into his gorgeous body. His cocky exterior cracked, and for just a second, I saw something underneath—something hurt and vulnerable and raw.

His jaw tightened and his eyes went hard. But not before I saw the flash of pain.

“Fuck this,” he said quietly. “Everyone take fifteen!”

He stormed off in the opposite direction from where Clarissa had gone, heading toward a tent further down the trail. I could see the set of his shoulders. Gone was the cocky swagger. He was pissed.

And every single person on that crew turned to stare at me.

The photographers looked disgusted. The lighting crew shook their heads. One of the other models, Tempest, actually mouthed the word “bitch” at me.

I stood there, still holding the branch, feeling like I’d just kicked a puppy in front of a crowd of animal lovers.

“Bernadette.”

I turned to find Annika approaching, her expression calm, but I could definitely see anger flashing in her eyes. She’d been overseeing the wardrobe setup, but she’d clearly witnessed the whole thing.

“Was I out of line?” I asked her quietly, even though I knew the answer. I had been. I’d been right about the safety issue, but I’d delivered it in the worst possible way.

Annika sighed and guided me away from the staring crew members, toward a quieter spot near some rocks. “I know you have a job to do,” she said gently. “And you’re right to be concerned about safety. But Sebastian has a job to do too. He’s under enormous pressure to make this campaign successful. His family is counting on him. Elizabeth is counting on him. And if you two can’t figure out how to work together, this whole shoot will fail.”

“He wanted to put that girl on a crumbling cliff edge,” I protested.

“And you were right to stop him. But there are ways to handle these situations that don’t involve humiliating him in front of his entire crew. He’s one of them. He’s a model, and for him to suddenly be the boss, it’s hard enough. He needs them to respect him.”

I looked down at the branch in my hands and tossed it away.

“I don’t know how to do this,” I admitted quietly. “I’ve never been in the field like this. I usually work from an office, reviewing documentation, and writing policies. I’m not good at… people.”

“You just need to remember that everyone here wants the same thing. We all want a successful shoot where no one gets hurt. You and Sebastian are on the same team, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now. A safe, successful shoot can be fun as well. It doesn’t need to be so uptight. I think a private conversation would help eliminate a lot of this tension.”

I sighed and shook my head. “He doesn’t listen to me.”

“And you don’t trust him. So you’re at an impasse.” She squeezed my arm. “Talk to him. Really talk to him, not at him. Figure out how to communicate. Otherwise, these two weeks are going to be miserable for everyone.”

She walked away to check on Clarissa, leaving me alone with my regret. I’d hurt him. I’d meant to stop him from making a dangerous decision, but I’d hurt him in the process.

And now the entire crew hated me.

Day one wasn’t even started, and I’d already become the villain.

Annika was right. I needed to figure out how to work with Sebastian, not against him.

I just had no idea how to do that without compromising the safety standards that were the entire reason I was here.

Two weeks suddenly felt like an eternity.

11

SEBASTIAN

What the fuck? What in the actual fuck was that woman thinking? How dare she do that to me?

I wasn’t going to force Clarissa to do something dangerous. Bernadette could have mentioned it calmly, though. She could have shown a little tact. But no. She had to make sure everyone knew just how stupid I was. She had to talk to me like a fucking child in front of the whole crew.