Hehe. Haha.
In the bedroom, the sounds of a playful scuffle between the young couple bloomed like fireworks.
In front of the monitor, there was complete silence—
This scene wasn't in the script.
Mackie and Eric, who had poured countless hours into perfecting the script, knew it inside and out. They both knew that these actions weren't scripted.
Yet, neither Mackie nor Eric interrupted the filming:
Everything flowed so smoothly, so naturally, like it was meant to be.
The happiness radiating from the screen was so simple, pure, and intense that it broke the fourth wall, drawing everyone around the monitor into its embrace, blurring the lines between reality and fiction.
Finally, Rachel gave in, "Oh, my toes, my toes are numb."
But Evan's thoughts were elsewhere, meticulously analyzing every detail of Rachel's expression, searching for the hesitation and struggle hidden in the joyful glow of her eyes.
Swallowing hard, Evan tried to stop himself. He didn't need to speak, nor should he disrupt this moment of beauty and happiness, but the words slipped out anyway.
"Do you think…"
"We'll be together forever?"
His voice trembled.
It held fear and hope, worry and happiness, hesitation and excitement… all these conflicting emotions tangled together, spilling out in a whisper that gently landed on her heart, impossible to describe yet so real as it left his tongue.
Involuntarily, she began to tremble too.
Rachel froze.
She noticed the confusion and struggle in his eyes, her heart tightening. She shifted back against the headboard, adjusting her gaze to meet his, her face showing panic and hesitation as she looked into his blue eyes.
"That's our plan, right?"
Rachel couldn't find the reassurance she was looking for in his eyes, panic creeping in as she had to remind him again.
"No matter what, till the end of time?"
He wouldn't have forgotten their promise, right?
Or was he like every other man, spouting romantic vows only to forget them, leaving women to foolishly believe in those promises?
Rachel's pupils darted anxiously from side to side, searching his handsome face for a familiar expression, hoping her heart would calm down and her breath would return to normal.
Evan was stunned too—
Till the end of time?
He couldn't remember, not at all. His mind was a blank slate, unable to recall when, where, or in what context he had made such a promise.
He shouldn't have opened Pandora's box.
But now it was too late.
He quickly realized his expression had given everything away. What should he do? How could he cover this up and move past it?
"Right, of course, right."
"I just wanted to make sure."
His mind was a mess, too rushed to think it through, offering a hasty response. But Evan knew he hadn't convinced her.
She remained wary and suspicious, her eyes full of confusion.
Clearly, she didn't know what was wrong, but she knew he seemed particularly strange today.
How could he explain?
Hey, Keller, I just went back in time to prevent a tragedy, but I didn't anticipate that the butterfly effect would lead us to be together. This is everything I've ever dreamed of, and now that it's actually happening, I can't believe it. I'm afraid it's all just an illusion. Did I really change the past? Are we really going to have a happily ever after like in a fairy tale?
Obviously, that wouldn't work.
His mind was racing with thoughts, but in the end, he pushed them all aside.
He looked at Keller, his eyes, his mind, and his heart filled only with her, the happiness he longed for right within his grasp.
Then.
Instead of trying to explain, he looked deeply into Keller's eyes—
He couldn't remember when or where he made that promise, but it didn't matter. He could make it again right now because he knew how he felt.
His gaze locked onto Keller's.
"Till the end of time, right?"
Light, yet full of emotion.
Sincere, yet fragile.
His voice, like a butterfly, gently landed on her heart.
Nothing else mattered anymore.
She could see into his eyes, into the passion and sincerity burning deep within his soul. That vow, like a brand, etched itself deep within her soul, making her heart race uncontrollably.
Just like that, she fell.
Rachel nodded lightly, whispering softly in return.
"Till the end of time."
Their hearts beat as one, and Rachel lovingly cupped his face with her hands, drawing closer and closer until their heated breaths intertwined. Then, skin met skin, and sparks flew from the friction.
The entire room was silent.
Dry mouths, pounding hearts, people tried to look away but couldn't help sneaking glances back at the monitor, greedily absorbing the warmth, the breath, the touch, with their eardrums buzzing.
Mackie was actually a bit panicked—
Such a scene was overwhelming for someone who spent his days quietly writing at home. He didn't know what to do with his hands and feet.
Moreover, this scene had been altered.
Not just the dialogue, but also the emotional state and development. Everything had subtly changed.
Mackie wasn't used to it. His mind constantly sounded alarms, reminding him they were off track; but reason applied the brakes, telling him that this interpretation wasn't wrong. Even if he couldn't articulate why, it felt like this approach was better, that the actors were in the right state.
More importantly, his brain was flooded with emotions, unable to function or think.
So, he just went along with the flow, bewildered.
When he finally snapped out of it, the scene was playing out again.
But what should he do? What comes next?
Mackie's mind was still blank, his attention already drifting to some unrelated corner of the universe, swallowing hard as he watched the scene on the monitor.
Until—
"Oh no, nosebleed."
Eric's panicked shout broke the silence. Looking down, his hands were covered in blood, and his face was smeared with it too. Shocked and confused, he looked around, unsure of what to do.
Mackie saw the blood still dripping from Eric's nose and began to panic too, his thoughts finally returning to reality as his feet felt the ground beneath them again.
"Cut."
Mackie shouted.
It was only then that he realized the scene had already been shot, and they should've stopped filming by now. Otherwise, the two actors would just keep… getting closer.
"Cut!"
"Stop filming!"
"Uh, uh, we need to take care of this nosebleed."
In the bedroom, they finally heard the call to stop filming, allowing them to catch their breath and pull away from each other.
Moments ago, lost in the intimate atmosphere, both actors had dazed expressions, unable to distinguish reality from fiction; but the sound of the walkie-talkie brought them crashing back to earth, leaving them exchanging confused looks, neither with an answer.
Wait, did the director just say there's a nosebleed situation outside?
…A nosebleed?