Chapter 23: My Crew
Harper’s POV
The first thing I noticed was the silence. Not the cold, suffocating silence of a hospital waiting room after bad news. This one was warm. Peaceful. The kind that made you want to close your eyes again.
For a few seconds I simply stared at the unfamiliar ceiling, trying to remember where I was. The room smelled faintly of cedar and fresh laundry. Morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, stretching across hardwood floors I’d definitely never seen before. The blanket wrapped around me was ridiculously soft, and the pillow beneath my head felt nothing like the lumpy one waiting for me back home.
Then yesterday crashed into me all at once. Mom. The surgery. Vanessa. The argument. Justin.
I shot upright so quickly my head spun. "Oh my God."
My phone. Panic immediately settled in my chest as I searched the bed before spotting it neatly placed on the nightstand. Charging. Someone had plugged it in. A glass of water sat beside it. My camera batteries were charging too. Even my memory cards had been laid out neatly beside my camera bag.
I stared at everything for a second. He’d done all this while I was asleep. My throat tightened.
The screen lit up the moment I picked it up. Three unread messages from Emma.
Mom is out of the second surgery. Doctor said everything went well. She’s still asleep. Don’t worry about us. Please get some rest.
The breath I’d apparently been holding finally escaped. Thank God.
Then I noticed the time. "Crap."
I threw the blanket aside and swung my legs off the bed just as someone knocked softly. The bedroom door opened and Justin stepped inside carrying two mugs of coffee. He stopped the second he saw me already standing.
"I was hoping you’d sleep a little longer."
"I’ve slept enough."
His eyes briefly flickered toward the clock before settling back on me. "You’ve slept barely four hours."
"I have practice." A tiny smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "You don’t." I sighed. "You know exactly what I mean." He walked over and handed me one of the mugs. "Careful. It’s hot."
I accepted it, wrapping both hands around the warmth. "Thanks." The word came out quieter than I intended. Awkward. Everything between us suddenly felt awkward. Yesterday we’d barely looked at each other. Today he was making me coffee in his house.
"I should go." I placed the mug back on the bedside table and reached for my camera bag. Before I could take another step, Justin caught my wrist. Not tightly, just enough to stop me. I turned around.
He looked at me for what felt like forever, like he was trying to decide whether this was a good idea. Then he simply stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me. No flirting. No teasing. No audience. No pretending. Just a hug. A real one.
For one dangerous second I almost melted into it. Then Vanessa’s smile flashed through my mind. I stiffened immediately.
"Justin..." I pressed both palms against his chest and gently pushed myself free.
He let me go without resistance. I caught it that time, the disappointment crossing his face so quickly most people would’ve missed it. By the time he looked back up, the familiar Justin Hayes mask was already back in place.
"So." He shoved one hand into the pocket of his sweatpants. "What’s the plan?"
"I need to film."
A small nod. "Good choice." I frowned. "You agree?" "I always agree with anything that gets you closer to graduating." That made my chest ache far more than it should have.
He picked up his truck keys. "I’ll drive."
"You don’t have to."
"I know." He looked at me. "I want to."
Neither of us spoke again until we reached the front door. Justin rested his hand on the doorknob before quietly saying my name. "Harper." I looked up. The joking version of him was gone. "I know yesterday looked bad." I stayed silent. "I know you’re angry." Still nothing. "But I need you to believe me just a little longer." His voice cracked ever so slightly on the last word. "I’ll tell you everything. When I can."
I searched his face. There wasn’t arrogance there, and there wasn’t defensiveness either. Just exhaustion, the kind that settled behind someone’s eyes after carrying something heavy for far too long. Part of me wanted to believe him. God, part of me desperately wanted to.
Then I remembered Vanessa leaning against him in the parking lot. "I can’t." The words barely came out above a whisper.
His shoulders dropped almost imperceptibly. "I figured."
The drive to campus passed in complete silence. Justin reached toward the radio once, stopped halfway, then pulled his hand back. Neither of us tried again.
When he finally parked outside the arena, he cut the engine but didn’t immediately move. "We’re here."
"I know." I grabbed my camera bag. Just before I climbed out, Justin spoke again. "Your crew should already be inside."
I frowned. "My what?"
He only smiled, a tired one this time. "You’ll see."
His phone rang before I could ask another question. The name flashing across the screen made something change in his expression instantly. The little smile disappeared. His jaw tightened. For a second he simply stared at the screen like he was debating whether to answer it. Then he let out a quiet breath and swiped to accept the call.
"Yeah." Silence. His grip on the steering wheel tightened. "I said I heard you." Another pause, his gaze fixed on the windshield, completely unreadable. "Fine." He ended the call without another word.
The car fell silent. He didn’t throw the phone. He didn’t swear. He simply placed it face down on the dashboard, grabbed his hockey bag, and reached for the door.
"Justin?"
He paused but didn’t look at me. "We’re going to be late." And before I could ask anything else, he climbed out and headed toward the locker rooms.
I sat there for another second, watching him disappear through the arena doors. Something had happened. I just had no idea what.
The familiar sounds of the arena wrapped around me the moment I stepped inside. Players shouting across the ice, coaches barking instructions, pucks slamming into the boards. Somehow, after everything that had happened over the past few days, it almost felt comforting.
I had barely finished setting up my tripod when someone called my name. "Harper!"
I turned. Two girls from my Film & Media Production class were walking toward me with camera bags hanging from their shoulders, both waving enthusiastically. I laughed despite myself. "I know who you two are. We’ve shared classes for almost three years."
"Perfect," the taller one laughed. "That saves us introducing ourselves."
I looked between them. "What are you two doing here?"
They exchanged amused glances. Then one of them smiled. "Justin asked us to help you."
I blinked. "He what?"
"We’re your film crew now."
My fingers tightened around my camera. Even after everything, he was still trying to make sure I didn’t lose my dream.
Comments