Change Everything

“I need you to keep a secret for me,” Asia said, apropos of nothing.

Riley blinked. “Me?” He didn’t usually get a sword, so the fact that he was in Asia’s stunt cave of all manliness was a rare event.

Asia nodded without looking at him - she was trying to fix a stray piece of armor. Riley thought that was the costume department’s job, but Asia was filled to the brim with odd skills like that.

“Okay.” Riley set down the stunt sword very carefully, lest she say something utterly shocking and he dropped the sword on his foot. “What’s your secret?”

“It’s for James,” Asia said.

Riley felt himself light up, and it took the best of his actor discipline to smooth his face into a calm, half-interested mien. This was the sort of gossip Fiona and Serena would kill for. “For him? As in I should tell him?”

“As in it’s for his benefit, but I hope for your sake you never have to tell him,” Asia said.

That was downright cryptic and, Riley suspected, not really all that romantic. But he stepped closer and lowered his voice, adopting the demeanor of one both interested and sincere. And he was interested and sincere. But he was also dying of curiosity.

“You can tell me your secret,” he said.

“If something should ever happen to me,” Asia said, “and James ever gets the feeling that he’s being...watched. Or followed. Or whatever. He’s not being paranoid. He needs to get in touch with Tobias immediately and tell him what’s going on, and Tobias will keep him safe.”

Riley raised his eyebrows. “Will something ever happen to you?”

Asia glanced up from her armor-smithing. “These are perilous times, friend.”

“Why would people start following James around if something happened to you?” What could have been immensely romantic was now just confusing. Riley resisted the urge to sigh.

“Because today I’m going to let James kiss me, and that’s going to change everything.”

(334 words)