Contract Marriage: I Will Never Love You-Chapter 148: A Ho-

Josh

I rub the back of my neck, trying to ground myself. The heat of Riley’s lips is long gone, but the discomfort still lingers, coiling tight in my chest. That wasn’t supposed to happen. Not now. Not ever.

I glance toward Hailey, who’s turned away, camera shielding her like armor. She’s not looking at me. That’s what stings the most.

"Josh," Marcus calls out, beckoning me toward the monitors, but I shake my head.

"Give me a sec," I mutter.

I walk off the set, past Riley, who looks far too pleased with herself, and toward the far end of the studio where the lighting is dimmer and no one’s watching too closely. My hands clench into fists at my sides. I’m angry. Not just at Riley, but at myself. For freezing. For not stopping it fast enough. For how Hailey looked at me afterward...like she wasn’t sure what she saw anymore.

I let out a breath and sat on the edge of a prop bench, elbows on my knees. What the hell was that? I will have to talk with Riley about this. Ever since she came here, she had been trying to flirt with me despite knowing I was into Hailey.

I look back toward the set. Hailey’s still pretending to review shots. Rebecca’s hovering beside her like a guard dog, arms crossed, mouth tight. Riley’s flipping her hair and sipping whatever iced nonsense she likes to drink.

I push to my feet.

"Hailey," I say after I walk to her. "Can we talk?"

She lowers the camera slowly. Her expression is unreadable, guarded in a way I’ve never seen before. That hits harder than anything else.

"About what?" she asks, her voice flat.

"About what just happened."

Rebecca mutters something under her breath and walks off, probably to avoid witnessing the trainwreck.

Hailey sighs and sets her camera down on a table beside her. "Go on, then."

"She kissed me. I didn’t know she was going to do that," I say quickly, firmly. "It wasn’t in the plan. It wasn’t in the script. I didn’t want it."

"I know," she says.

I step closer, trying to meet her eyes. "I didn’t kiss her back."

"I know," she repeats, softer this time. But she still won’t look at me.

"I didn’t want her to touch me. Hell, I told her to keep it professional."

Finally, she looks up, and I see it—underneath the calm surface, the flicker of hurt.

"I believe you, Josh," she says. "It’s not about that. It’s about how I felt watching it."

Her words land heavy between us.

I nod slowly, guilt pressing against my ribs. "I get it. And I hate that it happened. I hate that she put you in that position."

There’s a long silence. I want to reach for her, but I don’t. Not here. Not yet.

"I like you a lot," she says at last, voice quieter. "A lot more than I expected to."

I feel something loosen inside my chest. "Me too."

"I just..." She trails off, then shakes her head. "Let’s just finish this shoot. We can talk after."

I nod, even though every part of me wants to keep the conversation going. I want to fix this now, to erase that kiss and everything it stirred up. But I know we are here to work.

"Okay," I say gently. "After the shoot."

She gives a small nod and picks up her camera again, her fingers steady even though I can see the tightness in her jaw. She’s putting the wall back up, one careful brick at a time.

I step back and turn away, jaw clenched, only to find Riley staring at us from across the room. Her smile is smug, like she knows exactly what she did and she’s proud of it.

That does it.

I march over to her, catching her just as she’s pretending to scroll through her phone.

"We need to talk," I say, voice low but sharp.

Riley blinks innocently. "About what?"

"You know exactly what," I snap. "You crossed a line."

"Oh, come on, Josh. It was just a kiss," she says, rolling her eyes. "I was giving the camera what it wanted."

"No. You were trying to get a reaction from Hailey or from me, I don’t know. But it was unprofessional, and it was out of line."

Her expression shifts and hardens. "You’re overreacting."

"No, Riley. I’m not. You don’t get to do that just because you’re used to getting your way." I take a breath, lowering my voice again. "Don’t try anything like that again. This shoot is already tense enough."

For a moment, she says nothing. Then she shrugs, cool as ever. "Fine. Whatever you say."

But I can tell she’s not sorry. She never was.

I walk away, needing distance, needing air. Needing Hailey. But I have to wait. I have to be patient.

Back on set, Marcus is barking instructions again, trying to refocus the team. Hailey is already in place, camera up, professional mask back on like nothing ever happened.

When I step back under the lights next to Riley, I do everything I can to create space between us, physically and emotionally. I keep my expressions neutral, my body language distant. If Marcus notices, he doesn’t say anything.

Hailey’s voice is calm as she directs us. "Josh, just angle your shoulders a little left. Good. Riley, don’t lean in too much."

When Marcus finally calls for a break, I walk off-set and grab a bottle of water.

I twist the cap off and drink deeply, grateful for the cold against my throat. Rebecca appears at my side like she’s been summoned by my misery.

"That was... uncomfortable to watch," she says, wincing.

I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand. "Tell me about it."

"Hailey’s doing her best impression of someone who’s totally fine, but I know her. She’s hurt."

"I know," I say, guilt gnawing at my insides. "I tried to talk to her, but—"

"Not here," Rebecca interrupts, nodding toward the crew. "Too many eyes."

She’s right. The studio feels like a fishbowl, everyone watching, waiting for the next bit of drama. I catch Riley glancing our way, her lips curved in that same self-satisfied smirk.

"What’s her deal anyway?" Rebecca asks, following my gaze.

"She is Marcus’s pawn, that’s it," I mutter.

Rebecca’s eyebrows shoot up. "Of course."

Before I can say more, Marcus calls for everyone to return to the set. I straighten my shoulders, steeling myself for another round.

"Just get through this," Rebecca whispers, squeezing my arm. "Then take Hailey somewhere quiet and fix it."

I nod, grateful for her blunt encouragement.

The second half of the shoot feels endless. Riley keeps "accidentally" brushing against me, her fingertips lingering on my arm, my shoulder, anywhere she can reach. Each time, I shift away, but I can feel Hailey’s eyes through the lens, catching every movement.

Finally, Marcus calls the last shot.

"That’s a wrap, everyone," he announces, clapping his hands. "Excellent work."

The tension in the room dissolves as crew members begin breaking down equipment. Hailey lowers her camera, her shoulders sagging slightly with what might be relief or exhaustion or probably both.

I make my way toward her, but Riley intercepts me.

"We should celebrate," she says, trailing her fingers down my arm. "For old times’ sake."

I step back, removing her hand. "No thanks, Riley."

Her smile falters. "Don’t be like that. We used to be so good together, remember?"

"I remember," I say flatly. "And I also remember why it ended."

Her eyes narrow, the mask slipping for the first time. "You think she’s better for you?"

"It’s not about who’s ’better,’" I answer, voice low. "It’s about who matters to me. And that’s not you."

She scoffs, flipping her hair like she’s brushing off the rejection. "Whatever. You’ll come around."

"No, I won’t," I say, stepping past her.

She doesn’t follow.

I find Hailey by the lighting crates, coiling up a cord.

"Hey," I say softly. "You ready to get out of here?"

She looks up at me, eyes tired. She doesn’t speak right away, but after a beat, she nods.

"Yeah. I am."

We walk in silence down the back corridor, away from the noise and the buzz of the studio being dismantled.

"I meant what I said earlier," I begin. "That kiss... it wasn’t mutual. It wasn’t wanted."

Hailey looks at me for a long moment. "I know."

I search her face. "Then why does it still feel like you’re mad at me?"

She exhales, folding her arms over her chest. "Because I am mad. Not at you, exactly. I’m mad that she is such a...such a...." She trails off, shaking her head. "Never mind."

"No," I say, stepping closer. "Say it. Please."

She hesitates, then lifts her gaze. "A hoe!" she exclaims.

I burst out laughing.

Hailey blinks at me, then covers her face, half-groaning, half-laughing. "Oh my god, I can’t believe I said that."

"No, no," I say, still grinning. "You absolutely needed to say that. Honestly, I needed to hear it."

She peeks at me through her fingers, a reluctant smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. "It’s just... she knows exactly what she’s doing. And the way she kept looking at me, like she was winning..."

"She wasn’t," I cut in, serious now. "She didn’t win anything."

Hailey sighs and lets her arms drop. "I know. But it still sucked."

"I know it did. And I’m sorry. I should’ve reacted faster. I should’ve pushed her away the second she got too close."

"Josh," she says gently, "You did what you could. It’s not your fault she doesn’t respect boundaries."

I nod slowly. "Still, I hate that it hurt you."

Her eyes soften. "I am okay."

We stand in silence for a moment. Then I can’t help myself. I grab the back of her head and press my lips on hers.