Take Four (24 page)

“I was thinking about that.” She had a way of listening with her whole body.

The lack of judgment, the acceptance he could feel from her allowed him to finish his story. “I moved to Los Angeles after graduation and got an agent. Sort of like Dayne, things went great from the beginning. NTM cast me in their new series, and the whole success thing was sort of overnight.”

“America’s heartthrob.” She smiled at him, careful that her eyes never left his. “What happened…with your parents?”

“After I was on the cover of
People
the first time, my dad wrote me a letter. Told me he’d been wrong. He was sorry. Asked for my contact information so we could talk.”

Bailey waited, letting him tell the story at his own pace.

“I figured it was easy for him to be genuine when I’d already made it,” Brandon still felt disgusted by his dad’s effort. “He quoted a bunch of Scripture in the letter, talking about how wrong he’d been.” Brandon shrugged. “A few months later I talked to my mom on the phone. She started crying, told me she was sorry too. They’d been wrong…yada, yada, yada…” Brandon furrowed his brow, working once more to keep from letting his feelings spill into his eyes. “She told me God wanted His people to forgive.”

She’d been listening so intently that at that part she sat up straighter and raised her brow, shock working its way across her expression. “Wow…like you’d be interested in God after that.” She clasped her hands in front of her and stared out at the lake, almost as if she were praying. Or maybe she simply had no idea what else to say.

“That was three years ago.” He could feel himself pulling out of the memory, finding his center again, remembering who he was. He was Brandon Paul, Hollywood’s favorite movie star, voted best-looking young celebrity by
People
. His parents couldn’t hurt him now. He breathed in slowly, working his way back to the moment. “Two things came of that time.”

She turned to him, and in her face he didn’t see pity, but rather
a strength and support. Her smile told him she understood. “You don’t go to Sunday school…”

“That too.” He chuckled and stared out at the lake. The sun was high overhead, splashing light across the surface and warming his shoulders. “But, yeah…I swore I’d never have anything to do with the two things that made up my life back then—Christianity,” he turned to her, “and my parents.”

Bailey nodded slowly. “Which is why you didn’t want to think about
Unlocked
as a Christian film.”

“Right.” He’d come this far with his heart. No reason to stop now. “I thought about pulling out. Right up until I flew out here for the screen test with you.” He smiled, and the heaviness from earlier lifted. “You changed my mind—whether you know it or not.”

“Come on.” She laughed, waiting, knowing there was more to the story.

“Seriously. Before I came here, I looked you up on Facebook.”

“I remember…you friend-requested me.”

He grinned and again the mood between them felt light and magical. “It was more than that.” He put his arm around her shoulders, careful once more to make the moment feel like two friends sharing an afternoon, nothing that might threaten her. “I saw something in your eyes, something I was missing.” He was confused by his own feelings. “I’m still mad at God…because how could He make my dad say those things?”

“Brandon…” Bailey’s voice was more gentle than the sound of the lake against the shore. “You don’t think that.”

“I did.” He searched her eyes. “But with you…I’m beginning to think I was wrong. I don’t know.” He angled his head so he could memorize her, the deep blue eyes that shone with goodness and truth and a love he had never really believed in. As much as Brandon wanted to hold onto this moment and not inadvertently push her away, he suddenly couldn’t stop himself
from going further. He brought his free hand up along her cheek and gently kissed her.

At first he thought she might return his kiss, because she didn’t pull away or complain or walk off angry. But she carefully removed his arm from her shoulders and took both his hands in hers. Slightly breathless, she searched his eyes. “Brandon…no.” She wasn’t mad, but the passion and intensity in her voice took him by surprise. She stared at him, as if she were willing him to understand her the way she’d understood him. “Don’t you see?”

“I see that I want you,” his voice was deep, thick with desire. He ran his thumbs over the tops of her hands. “Is that wrong?”

She gave a quick shake of her head. “God brought you here because of your soul…not your senses.” She angled her face, never breaking eye contact. “You don’t want me…you want the peace I have. You want my faith.”

“Not when I’m this close to you.” He hung his head, because if he looked into her eyes another moment he’d kiss her again. “All I know…all I feel is that I’ve never met anyone like you, Bailey. God…if there is a God…must’ve brought me here because of you.” He allowed himself to look up again.

“There is a God. He brought you here to be around me, yes. But not just me. He has you here with Katy and Dayne, Keith and Lisa…” she smiled. “Even Danielle, the caterer. All because He’s calling you back to Himself.” She was talking quieter than before, but she implored him with her tone. “God loves you, Brandon. He gave you the ability to act.” She laughed, a quick laugh full of a childlike awe. “And you’re a tremendously talented actor.” She paused. “Can you imagine how this world would be changed if someone like you really lived for God?” She shook her head, dizzy-like. “There’d be no way to measure the number of people you could touch.”

Brandon hadn’t thought about that, but the responsibility seemed overwhelming. “That’s a lot to ask…from anyone.”

“The responsibility is there whether you want it or not.” She still seemed to be practically bursting in her attempt to make him grasp what she was saying. “You influence people one way or another. That’s how celebrity works. Especially now.”

He still wanted to kiss her, but the impulse of the moment had passed. “If God’s really calling me…if you’re right, then can you do me a favor?”

“Of course.” She squeezed his hands, her smile shining through her eyes.

“Ask Him to show me, okay? Because right now…I still don’t see it.”

Bailey agreed, and they both decided it was time to get back. They walked together to her car and, on the ride to Dayne and Katy’s house, they laughed about some of the scenes they’d filmed today. Before she dropped him off, he thanked her. “What I told you out there…that’s just for you, okay?”

“I know.” She put her hand on his. “You can trust me.”

He smiled and then he jumped out and jogged toward the front door without looking back. Katy and Dayne and Sophie were gone for the evening, which was good. He went out back and sat on the deck, staring at the lake once more. He was grateful he’d seen the beach, grateful for his time with Bailey. But he was still angry about God. If God loved him, why had He allowed his father to be so mean? The man’s rejection stayed with him every day, no matter how well he pretended to be over it. And something occurred to him as he sat in the afternoon sunshine thinking about all he’d told Bailey and the truth about his past. If God wanted to reach him, He’d have to do more than reach the famous Brandon Paul.

He’d have to reach the kid inside him, the fourteen-year-old who was still sitting on a sofa being mocked and cut to pieces by a father who thought he was gay.

B
AILEY TREASURED HER DAY AT THE
lake with Brandon, and afterwards she saw him as more than her costar or someone to pray for. He was her friend. Often in the final weeks of the shoot she remembered their time on the shores of Lake Monroe, his painful honesty and the horrible truth about his past. She cared not only for the guy he was now, but for the boy inside him who had never moved past that terrible time.

She tried to imagine a father inflicting that sort of emotional pain on his son, just because he didn’t play sports. Her own dad was a professional football coach, but not once had he ever pushed the boys to play. Their dad was no more proud of Connor now than back when he was acting on a CKT stage. It killed her to imagine Connor hearing a comment like the one Brandon’s dad had given him. Often when she watched Brandon delivering yet another stunning performance as Holden Harris, she was reminded of his talk with her at the lake that day. She wondered if some of the inspiration for the character of Holden hadn’t come from his own days feeling locked in the prison of rejection. Either way, his honesty would stay with her.

And of course she often remembered his kiss.

For a few fleeting seconds, she wanted him to kiss her, wanted to involve herself in the moment as if nothing else mattered in all the world. But the truth shouted at her before she had time to enjoy herself. Thankfully, God had given her the words so he would understand the truth. His involvement in
Unlocked
had nothing to do with her and everything to do with God.

The way God was calling him.

But even so, as the weeks ran by in a blur, and as Brandon kept reading his new Bible with Katy and Dayne, little seemed to come from it. Brandon was kind and funny, and the two of them were rarely apart on set. He had found a close friend in her, and Bailey was certain that much would remain long after the movie wrapped. But he hadn’t talked again about God, not since their time at the lake.

On the last day of filming—two days before Thanksgiving—the producers gathered the cast and crew in the same classroom, the one where they’d had that first meeting, which felt like just a few minutes ago. Brandon and Bailey entered the room together, and he gave her a teasing smile. “Can I sit by you?”

“You better.” She slipped her arm around his waist, and they walked to the same seats they’d had that first day. “I can’t believe it’s the last day.”

“Don’t worry. You can’t get rid of me that easily.” He whispered close to her as they sat down. “We’ll have reshoots and the premiere of
The Last Letter—
here in Bloomington, I believe.”

“It is. The day after Christmas.” She laughed. “You mean you’re coming?”

“Hard to believe, but yes…I made the list. Like I said…” his look was intended to melt her heart and it did—though in a different way than he probably meant. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Bailey was glad for a reason to see Brandon again. She hadn’t fallen in love with him over the last six weeks, but he’d carved out a place in her heart. She had a feeling no one knew him as well as she did, and she realized the privilege came with great responsibility. It was why she still prayed constantly for him.

“Okay,” Mr. Ellison looked weary, but he beamed with joy all the same. They’d climbed a mountain together and here, today, they’d reached the top. “Everyone take your seats.”

The cast and crew were friends now, but their respect for
Keith Ellison drew the room to an instant silence. People sat down and Bailey and Brandon, along with the others, turned their attention to the front of the room. Rumor had it they’d be treated to something special today, and Bailey could hardly wait. She was exhausted emotionally from all she’d given to the film, and she knew the others felt the same way. Giddy to have made it this far, sad to see the process end, and certain they could be proud of their work here in Bloomington.

Andi’s dad wore his usual—jeans and a buttoned down shirt, nothing too flashy. “Six weeks ago I told you about my vision for
Unlocked
. I asked you to look around the room at what I believed was a very special cast and crew.” He smiled, and his eyes shone with emotion. “I was right.” He paced along the front of the classroom, making eye contact with each cast member, each person on crew. “I told you that over these weeks you would give performances you didn’t know you could give, that you would witness chemistry on film that would take your breath away.”

Chills ran down Bailey’s arms.

Mr. Ellison stopped and faced them. “I was right about that.” He grinned at Dayne. “My co-producer and I believed…we believed with everything inside us, that once in a lifetime does a chance like this come along, a chance to be part of a work that might define you.” He nodded and looked at Brandon, pride emanating from his whole face. “I believe we were right about that, too.” He stepped to the side and pointed to a cameraman at the back of the room. “Take a look at this.”

Someone hit the lights, and a video began to play on a screen at the front of the room. The message read:

Cast and crew of
unlocked
…here’s to you!

The words faded and the screen came to life with emotional music and a sequential series of highlights from the last six
weeks, footage that wasn’t exactly a trailer, but some of which was bound to make the cut when the trailer was made.

From the opening scene, where the couple playing Brandon’s parents receive the diagnosis of his autism and they realize they’ll never again have their toddler the way he once was, the footage was gripping. Bailey leaned over her knees, and she barely noticed as Brandon put his arm around her back. The story jumped from that early diagnosis to Holden Harris’s high school years. The director and director of photography had done a brilliant job getting inside the prison that was Holden’s mind, helping the audience see how strange and sometimes beautiful it would feel to go through a crowded high school corridor trapped inside the prison of autism.

Scene after scene, the performances were so gripping Bailey had to remember to exhale. The impact brought tears to her eyes. Around the room she could hear people sniffling, and she knew everyone was feeling the same way. Especially during the Holden Harris scenes, the way Brandon had brought his character to life. She put her hand on his knee and squeezed it in a way that told him she was beyond impressed. “Amazing,” she whispered.

“You were my inspiration,” he whispered near her ear. “How could I miss?”

The compliment warmed her to her core, but she refused to believe it. Brandon’s performance was all part of what God was doing here on the set. What He wasn’t finished doing.

After five minutes, the piece ended and the lights came back up. Around the room people were drying their eyes, looking at each other in disbelief and rising to their feet. At first a few began to clap and then several more, until the entire room was standing in wild, raucous applause for what they’d just witnessed. Bailey hadn’t been part of a movie shoot before, but she couldn’t believe this was normal—that at the end of six weeks it was this clear they’d been part of something unforgettable.

From the back of the room someone shouted out, “Incredible work, Brandon!”

Another person shouted his name, and then another, and the applause continued—loud and intense mixed with a cheering that made Brandon wave at the others. Then he gave Bailey a crooked smile and a slight shrug, as if to say he didn’t know what all the fuss was about.

Bailey gave him a side hug, holding on longer than usual. If he was capable of a performance like that, then certainly God was working within him. His heart was being changed by the living Word of God. It would only be a matter of time before he admitted it and turned running back into the arms of Jesus.

Mr. Ellison took the front of the room again. “So you see…when we said people would talk about this movie for generations to come, we meant it.” Tears glistened in his eyes, and he laughed to ease the intensity of the moment. His words were now slower, deeply deliberate. “I’m so very, very proud of each of you. No matter who gets talked about and who receives top billing, you’re all stars in our eyes.”

Dayne came to the front of the room and stood beside Keith. “I’ve been acting for more than a decade, and that,” he pointed at the wall where the video had just been shown, “is more special than anything I’ve ever seen.” He nodded, smiling at each of them and finally giving Mr. Ellison a hearty side hug. “Congratulations!”

The room erupted into hugs and laughter, everyone beyond excited, but sad to see the shoot come to an end. Bailey and Brandon had only a few brief scenes that day, so they spent most of their time working with the assistant director on the list of shots that would need slight additions or even partial reshoots.

That night Danielle, the caterer, made a steak and seafood feast, and after an hour the producers hurried everyone to the school gymnasium. There Bailey could hardly believe her eyes.
As a surprise to the cast, the producers had secretly decorated the place like a high school prom, complete with massive pink and purple streamers and a DJ playing from the stage.

But more than that, the entire room was filled with family and friends of the cast and crew. Some had clearly flown in, and as Bailey walked in, her brothers ran up to her. Brandon had been to the house a few times, so they knew him and they gave him high fives. “Isn’t this the best thing ever!” Ricky spun around. “I’ve never been to a prom!”

Bailey and Brandon swapped a look, and they both laughed out loud. Her parents joined them and the buzz continued through the night, with people reflecting on all they’d accomplished, and the DJ bringing everyone onto the floor for the chicken dance and the twist. Bailey was pretty sure her brother Justin was going to throw out his hip from twisting so hard, but instead he fell to the floor laughing.

She and Brandon danced much of the evening together, but always one or more of Bailey’s brothers was with them—keeping the group feel to the night. Around the room the cast danced much the same way, in groups. Some people had no family or friends along, so they joined in with those who did, and the evening took on the feel of a reunion.

Only once, when the DJ played the song “Gravity” by Sara Bareilles did Brandon take her into his arms and insist that they deserved this one slow dance together. As the words began, he sang them to her, his lighthearted laughter in his eyes replaced with something far deeper and more meaningful. “Something always brings me back to you…” his voice was smooth and on key. “You hold me without touch…keep me without chains…”

He knew every line, every lyric and he sang each word straight to her. When the song reached the part where the singer cries out, “Set me free…” Brandon brought his face close alongside hers and sang, “Don’t set me free…”

She smiled, appreciating his efforts and moved by them. When he finally gave his heart to Jesus, she wondered if her feelings for him would change, if she’d be able to resist him the way she could still resist him now. As charming as he was, as great a time as she’d had these past six weeks, he still didn’t share her faith.

And he wasn’t Cody Coleman.

At the end of the dance, he looked at her like she was the most precious treasure, and he leaned close and kissed her on the cheek. “I’m not giving up, Miss Bailey.”

She hoped her eyes told him how much his kindness meant to her. She would never think about mocking his efforts or disregarding his attempts to make her fall for him. She cared far too much about him for that. “I’ve had fun, Brandon…every day. I won’t forget it.”

He gave her a quick, meaningful hug—nothing that could’ve been taken by anyone in the room to be more than a show of deep friendship. “It’s not over yet.” Again he smiled at her. “Now let’s get your brothers and your parents out here.”

Two hours into the party, the group gathered for a showing of the blooper reel, also put together by the directors. The cast laughed until they cried, and Bailey was grateful at the end when they were each given a gift bag with both the highlight reel and the bloopers, along with a custom coffee mug that read
Unlocked
across it, a T-shirt with the same, and a thank-you card from the producers. Memories of a six-week period in her life Bailey was certain she would remember forever.

But as the night ended and she returned home with her family, it wasn’t the movie or Brandon or the cast party that consumed her mind. It was one simple truth—now that the filming was done she and Cody were going to share Thanksgiving. Cody could explain about the Cheyenne girl, whoever she was, and he could tell her why he’d stayed so completely away. And if things
went the way she prayed they would go, they might find common ground again, and pick up where they left off.

As if nothing about the strange break between them had ever even happened.

The police had captured Benny Dirk. The arrest happened last night, and the detective called Cody within the hour. They had evidence that he was linked to three murders and more drugs than they had imagined. With Cody’s mother’s testimony and the evidence against him, Benny was going away for a long time. He was no longer a threat to Cody or to Bailey.

Cody stretched out on his bed. He was supposed to be studying for a physics test, but thoughts of Bailey made homework impossible. His heart was still raw over all he’d missed out on…and all that laid ahead. He had read in the paper that the filming for
Unlocked
was wrapping that day. The cast was probably celebrating somewhere in Bloomington, maybe even there at the school.

I miss her so much, God…help me get through this…

His room was quiet, a bunch of empty boxes lining his wall. He’d made his decision. He’d sent his resume to six high schools in Indianapolis over the past few weeks, and the athletic director at one of them—a new Christian school—had offered to make him the head football coach in the coming year. He would have to live there, of course, find an apartment near Iu’s Indianapolis campus to finish his degree.

There was more to his decision. He wanted to be closer to his mother, and he needed time to think about his life, his future. Bailey was moving on without him—at least it felt that way. The most loving thing he could do was let her go—which meant the move to the city was the right decision from every angle.