Chapter Ten — First Kiss, First Leak
(Sienna's pov)
The studio smelled like varnish, old books, and nerves.
It was the day we were filming the scene every fan of The Last Page had been imagining since the announcement: the library confession — the first real moment between Nora Quinn and Calen Rivers, the point where the story teetered on the edge of "just friends" and "everything changes."
I clutched the script, my heart hammering. Twenty-two, and still, the butterflies didn't go away.
Axel stood across the room, calm as ever — his dark hair slightly mussed, the edge of his coat brushing the floor. He glanced at me once, the smallest lift of an eyebrow, and I nearly melted right there.
Miles called, "Places! Camera one, rolling on dialogue. And… action!"
I stepped forward as Nora, voice trembling just the right amount:
Nora: "You don't understand, Calen. You can't just… appear and—"
Axel cut me off naturally, just a flicker of emotion in his voice:
Calen: "I don't care if you're ready or not. I'm here. That's what matters."
My throat tightened. He moved closer than the script demanded — dangerously close. Every inch closer made my pulse spike.
Nora: (softly) "Calen…"
Calen: "Nora."
The world fell quiet.
I could feel the warmth of his hand as it brushed mine while reaching for the book on the counter — accidental or intentional, I didn't know. But when our eyes locked, I knew: this was the moment.
And then Miles yelled, "Kiss her!"
My heart skipped. Axel's eyes met mine for a microsecond — steady, calm, intense — before his lips met mine in the character's first kiss.
Soft, deliberate, cinematic.
Time slowed. My body went electric.
I was Nora.
He was Calen.
And somehow, in that split second, Sienna and Axel disappeared entirely.
The camera rolled over the moment like it knew what it had captured — that raw, messy, beautiful chemistry that couldn't be faked.
"Cut!" Miles shouted, but nobody moved. The crew sat frozen, mouths half-open.
Even Axel's jaw slackened just slightly. He pulled back, clearing his throat, voice low: "You okay?"
I blinked rapidly, trying to separate character from reality. "I… yeah. I'm fine."
The cameras stopped, but the rumor had already started. One of the set assistants had snapped a phone photo behind the scenes. Within minutes, it leaked online:
#NoraAndCalenFirstKiss trending worldwide.
#SiennaAndAxel trending harder.
Fans went wild — edits, reactions, theories. Clips and photos circulated faster than we could react.
I groaned, burying my face in my hands. "Of course."
Axel caught my elbow gently. "Hey. Breathe. That's… good. Really good."
I peeked at him. He was smiling faintly — that damn calm, perfect smirk.
"Don't smile," I said. "It makes it worse."
"I'm not smiling," he said innocently, though the crinkle at his eye betrayed him.
Lunch break didn't feel like lunch. My phone vibrated constantly. Social media notifications, DMs from fans and friends, screenshots of the leaked BTS kiss. Even Ember was freaking out:
"Sienna!! The kiss is everywhere! It's… everywhere!"
I groaned. "We didn't even finish the first day yet."
Ember shrugged. "Welcome to the internet, legend. Also, you and Axel are breaking it."
Axel leaned against the table, observing the chaos quietly. "We should expect this," he said. "Anyone who's anyone would die for a BTS photo like that."
"Die?" I scoffed. "You mean cry into their iced latte while tweeting it out."
He chuckled. "Exactly."
By the afternoon, the tension on set was palpable.
Every glance between us was scrutinized, every hand movement analyzed. Fans were dissecting the kiss — our expressions, our breathing, even the angle of the shot.
I hated it. Loved it. Resented it. Thrived on it.
"Take thirty-two!" Miles called. Another scene. Another close moment.
Axel's gaze lingered just a second too long. I caught it, a flicker of something under his usual composure — uncertainty? Curiosity? Maybe recognition of how close we were to crossing that line off camera.
We filmed the library scene again, and again, and each time the tension grew. I felt my chest tighten when his hand brushed mine, felt my stomach flip at the smallest accidental contact.
And through it all, we knew Inara Solace wasn't watching.
She had left yesterday, quietly. Not a word, not a glance, but the weight of her presence still lingered. It was like she had set the tone and vanished, leaving the rest of us to navigate it.
By the end of the day, I was exhausted. Hair frizzed, makeup smudged, heart racing. Axel approached as we exited the set, his coat slung casually over one shoulder.
"You survived the internet today," he said.
I groaned. "Barely. And I think they want another kiss, maybe a confession scene next. I'm doomed."
He smirked, that infuriating, charming smirk. "Welcome to your life. Fame, chemistry, and fans who live to overanalyze your every breath."
I laughed, shaking my head. "I can't believe I get paid for this."
"You love it," he said softly, just loud enough for me to hear.
I opened my mouth to deny it, but he only grinned.
And I didn't.
By the time I got home, my notifications had doubled. Videos, memes, fan theories, screenshots — all of it spreading like wildfire. My first kiss as Nora Quinn wasn't just a scene anymore; it was a global event.
I stared at the ceiling, phone buzzing endlessly beside me.
Somewhere deep inside, a small thrill pulsed alongside the panic.
Axel Reeve, viral fame, and a fictional kiss that felt too real… maybe this is exactly where I'm supposed to be.
But I also knew: tomorrow, the cameras would roll again. The fans would be watching harder. And this time, every glance, every touch, every spark would be under a microscope.c
And somewhere in the back of my mind, I wondered if Axel felt it too.
Because if he did… there was no going back.