204 I'll Only Warn You Once

"I'll be going to set today." Adam commented one morning.

"Oh?" Elle asked excitedly.

"Filming will be over very soon so there are a few things I need to discuss with the director and production team. They're only filming two hours out of town, so I'll go over and stay in a hotel for one night and drive back tomorrow."

"I see." It was for work so it couldn't be helped that it was on short notice, but for some reason Elle felt a bit disappointed. She felt as if she were being left behind.

"I assumed you would want to come with me but it's fine if you're not up for it." Adam added.

Elle disappointment vanished and a grin spread on her face. "You know me perfectly." She beamed. "I want to come. I rested for so long that I'm in perfect health now."

Adam smiled. "We'll go together then?"

"Yes." Elle answered happily.

The next day they both headed to the filming location towards the end of the day. Elle sat and watched the crew wrap things up while Adam stood to the side with the director, having a whispered conversation.

It had been a while since Elle had been on set but watching them wrap up for the day was exactly the same as it always was. Boring. But Elle loved every second of it.

"You're here." Chris walked over to Elle when he spotted her among the crowd. "How long have you been here? I didn't notice you at all."

"I just got here a little while ago."

"How have you been?"

Chris and Elle slipped into a light and easy conversation. Adam, who had finished speaking with the director, watched on from the side.

"You're here today." Amelia said as she came to stand beside him. "What a treat."

"I had something to discuss with the director." Adam explained.

"I see." Amelia followed his gaze and spotted Elle and Chris talking together. "Those two are awfully close, aren't they?"

Adam looked at Amelia with a questioning gaze. "I guess."

"They're the only two on set who get along so well." Amelia continued, attempting to hint at something Adam would never accept.

"Do you not get along with Christopher well?" Adam asked. Amelia hesitated. If she said no it would seem as if she was the one with the issue.

"I get along with him fine. It just seems that Elle and Chris have more than just a working relationship with each other. They're closer than that."

"You're right, they're good friends now. It's nice to be able to meet friends during work."

"But what if -" Amelia began to suggest, but Adam cut her off before she could even finish her sentence.

"I'll be going now." He said in a cold and definite voice. The meaning was clear. He didn't want to hear any more about it.

~~~

A few hours passed and Adam sat in a restaurant with the director and some other members of the production team while Elle waited for him in their hotel room.

The discussions were going well, though Adam had somewhere else he would much rather be. He was halfway through dinner when he heard his phone ding. Adam glanced down at it, thinking that it might be Elle, but he was surprised to see a picture someone had texted him instead.

In it Chris was sitting at a table in a restaurant together with a woman, and though only her back could be seen, Adam immediately recognized her as Elle. In the photo Chris was leaning towards her with a smile while his hand seemed to be in her hair. Adam's eyes narrowed as he glanced at the sender.

"Is anything wrong Mr. Hayes?" The director asked when he noticed Adam's attention had drifted.

"No," Adam replied evenly. "Everything is perfectly fine."

It was some time later before Adam was finally given reprieve. He returned to the hotel room expecting to find Elle asleep but when he opened the door all the lights were on. Elle was sitting in the bed with a book in her hands. She looked up at him with a smile as he entered the room. Adam could easily see that she had stayed awake, waiting for him to come back even though she was tired.

"How was dinner?"

"Same as always. Long and tiring but we got everything sorted out."

"Good work." Elle praised him.

"Shouldn't I be rewarded since I did a good job?" Adam teased with a mischievous smile.

Elle laughed lightly and outstretched her arms. "Come here then."

Adam happily slipped out of his jacket and into her arms.

~~~~

Adam stood on the balcony of the hotel room, an hour or two later, and looked out at the night sky. After a moment of silent reflection he took out his phone and dialed Amelia's number. The phone only rang twice before she picked up on the other end.

"I've been expecting your call." She answered.

"I'll only warn you once." Adam replied in a firm voice. "Stop doing unnecessary things."

Amelia gritted her teeth. "Unnecessary? Do you really not think they're a bit too familiar with each other?"

"Not at all." Adam replied evenly.

Amelia held back her frustration and continued to try to convince him. "Elle isn't close with anyone else on the set but she's seen Chris outside of filming more than once. It's weird, even if you don't want to admit it."

"They met each other before this project ever began and became friends with each other. Now they meet outside of work occasionally. I don't see what's so wrong about that."

"Don't be naive Adam."

"Those should be my words to you." Adam scoffed. Only then did Amelia begin to notice the cold and threatening tone in his voice.

"I'm just trying to look out for you." She quickly justified herself. "Elle could be cheating on you in this exact moment."

Adam smirked and looked over to where Elle laid, sleeping soundly in his own shirt. "Even if that's true, it's my personal business. All you need to do is play your role on this project well. Everything else is unnecessary."

"Adam," Amelia pleaded.

"I've allowed you some courtesy since you were a friend but I won't allow you to overstep your boundaries anymore than you already have." With that Adam hung up the phone, not bothering to wait for her response.

In her own room Amelia threw a pillow across the room in anger. "How annoying." She muttered.

Adam let out a heavy sigh as he looked back up at the night sky. It was a clear night with not a single cloud in the sky. The stars shone brightly and the moon reflected silver light onto the city below. Adam stood out there for a while, clearing his mind and admiring the view, before finally returning to the room.

"Where did you go?" Elle murmured as Adam approached the bed. Her eyes were still closed and her words barely coherent. Adam smiled at her sleepy state.

"I was just getting some air. I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

"I don't remember what woke me." Elle admitted.

"I'm here now. Go back to sleep."

"Hmmm." Elle hummed. She rolled over and buried her face against his chest.

Adam kept one arm around her defensively and watched as Elle drifted off once more. He stayed wide awake long after Elle had fallen back asleep.

"It seems I have a lot to prepare." He murmured to the darkness.