March turned into April without Adrian really noticing.
The days blended together—work on sets, late-night workouts, constant texting with Sophie. The routine was the same but different. Better.
The project in Long Beach wrapped up at the end of March. Adrian had three days off before his next job—an athletic wear commercial that required more muscle than skill.
Sophie texted him on the second day.
Are you free today?
Yes.
Perfect. Come over to my apartment. I have something I want to show you.
Adrian arrived at 2 PM at a building near USC—old, painted a beige that had probably been white twenty years ago. He went up to the third floor and knocked on the door of 3C.
Sophie opened it almost instantly, as if she'd been waiting by the door.
"Hi." Her hair was down this time, not her usual ponytail. Jeans and a USC sweatshirt. No makeup. She looked... different. More relaxed.
"Hi."
"Come in, come in." She stepped aside.
The apartment was small but cozy. Walls covered in movie posters—Hitchcock, Kubrick, Tarantino, some Japanese directors Adrian didn't recognize. A laptop surrounded by film books sat on the coffee table. A professional camera sat on a tripod by the window.
"Welcome to my organized chaos," Sophie said, closing the door. "Want coffee? Tea? Water?"
"Water is fine."
As Sophie went to the tiny kitchen, Adrian surveyed the space. Everything screamed "film student"—printed scripts piled on every surface, DVDs arranged alphabetically, sticky notes with ideas plastered to the walls.
So, Sophie returned with two glasses of water and a smile.
"So," she said, sitting down on the sofa and patting the space beside her, "I called you here for a reason."
Adrian sat down. "What?"
"I have a project for my directing class. Short film. Five minutes. And I need an actor."
"I'm not an actor."
"Not yet." He smiled. "But you could be. It's a small role, mostly physical. A guy who practices martial arts in a park. You just need to... exist. Move. You already do that."
"Sophie—"
"Just think about it. You don't have any dialogue. Just movement. And..." he paused, "it would help me a lot."
Adrian looked at her. Hopeful eyes behind those glasses. That smile she was learning to recognize—half confident, half nervous.
"Okay."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Sophie almost jumped off the couch. "Thanks! You won't regret it. Well, maybe a little because I'm going to be demanding, but—"
"Okay."
"We're filming next weekend. And before that..." He stood up, walked over to his small bookshelf, and pulled out several books. "You need to read up on the basics."
Adrian glanced at the titles. The Art of Acting. Meisner Techniques. Acting for the Camera.
"It's OK." "Sophie, it's just a short film."
"Nothing is 'just' something." She sat down next to him again, closer this time. "If you're going to do it, do it right. That's my philosophy."
"Sounds familiar."
"Yeah?"
"It's like work. Do it right or don't do it at all."
Sophie smiled. "Then we're on the same page."
The following days were different.
Adrian worked during the day—the sportswear commercial that required more posing than action. At night, he went to Sophie's apartment.
Not to go out. To practice.
"Acting isn't about pretending," Sophie explained the first night, sitting on her living room floor with scripts scattered around her. "It's about being. About genuinely existing in the moment."
"How?"
"I'll show you." She stood up. "Stand."
Adrian obeyed.
"Now, walk toward me. But not like Adrian walking. Like... someone who's just received bad news."
Adrian walked. Normally.
"No," Sophie said. "You're walking the same way you always do. You need to feel the bad news. Heavier shoulders. Slower steps. Maybe looking at the ground."
Adrian tried again. He adjusted his posture, slowed his pace.
"Better," Sophie said. "But you're still overthinking it. You need to really feel it. Think of something sad. Something real."
Adrian thought about Shadow. That last day at the vet clinic.
He walked around again.
"There." Sophie smiled. "That was real. Did you see the difference?"
"Yes."
"Well. That's acting. Using emotional truth to create something authentic."
They practiced for hours every night.
Sophie taught him the basics—how to find your light, how not to look directly at the camera unless intentionally, how to use your body to communicate without words.
"You're good at this," Sophie said on the third night, after Adrian had executed a sequence of movements flawlessly. "Better than I expected."
"I have a good teacher."
"Flatterer." But she was smiling. "Seriously, you have something natural about you. Maybe because you're used to moving for the camera as a stunt double. But there's more to it than that. You have... presence."
"Presence?"
"Yes. When you walk into a space, people notice. Not obviously. But you're there. Grounded. Real." She leaned closer, adjusting the position of her shoulders slightly. "Some actors have to work for years to achieve that. You already have it."
His hands lingered on her shoulders a second longer than necessary.
Adrian noticed.
So did Sophie.
He pulled away quickly, pushing his glasses up. "Well, um, I think that's enough for today. It's getting late."
"Yeah."
"Same time tomorrow?"
"Yeah."
Sophie walked with him to the door. "Adrian."
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for doing this. I know it's not your thing, but... it means a lot."
"You're welcome."
They stood in the doorway, neither of them moving.
Then Sophie leaned forward and kissed him.
Softly. Briefly. But real.
When they parted, Sophie was flushed.
"Sorry, I should have asked first—"
"It's okay."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
They smiled at the same time—silly and genuine.
"Goodnight, Adrian."
"Good night, Sophie."
April became something more after that.
Not officially. Not with labels or "what are we?" conversations. Just... more.
More time together. More deep conversations. More kisses that started soft and grew more confident.
They shot Sophie's short film one Saturday in a park in Pasadena. Small crew—three classmates, one camera, Sophie directing with frenetic energy.
Adrian did exactly what they'd practiced. Slow-motion martial arts sequences. Fluid movements. Presence.
"CUT!" Sophie checked the monitor, then beamed. "Perfect. That was perfect."
They finished in four hours. The crew packed up. Sophie walked over to Adrian, still smiling.
"You did amazing."
"You directed well."
"We make a good team."
"Yeah."
May arrived with heat and steady work.
Adrian had a project in Santa Barbara—two weeks of filming for a TV series. Sophie was immersed in editing her short film.
They saw each other less but talked more. Late-night calls that lasted for hours. Constant texting. Silly photos sent back and forth.
Tyler noticed, of course.
"You're different," Tyler observed one night when Adrian returned from Santa Barbara.
"Different how?"
"More... human. Less robotic. It's weird, but good."
"Thanks. I guess."
"It's Sophie, right?"
Adrian didn't reply, but her silence was answer enough.
Tyler smiled. "Good. I'm glad. You deserve something good."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. You've been through a lot. It's time for something easy."
But nothing was truly easy, Adrian was learning. Even good things required work.
June brought new challenges.
Sophie landed an internship with a small but respected production company—a huge opportunity that meant long hours and less free time.
Adrian was working constantly—three projects in six weeks, each in a different city. They saw each other when they could. Stolen weekends. Late nights after work.
One night in mid-June, they were at Adrian's apartment—cold pizza on the coffee table, some action movie on the TV that neither of them was really watching.
Sophie was curled up against his side, her head on his shoulder.
"Adrian?" Soft voice.
"Yes?"
"What are we?"
There it was. The question they'd avoided for months.
"I don't know," he said honestly.
"Do you want to know?"
"Yes."
Sophie sat up, looking at him. "Me too."
"What do you want us to be?"
"I don't know. Something real. Something that matters."
"It already matters."
"I know. But I want..." Sophie paused. "I want to be able to call you my boyfriend. I want you to know that this isn't just casual for me. That you're important."
Adrian processed the words. Boyfriend. Relationship. Labels that made real things different. "Okay."
"Okay what?"
"Okay to be your boyfriend."
Sophie smiled—bright and genuine. "Yes?"
Yes."
They kissed, and this time it felt different. Not just attraction or curiosity. Something deeper.
Commitment.
July was good.
Despite impossible schedules, they found time. Late dinners. Early mornings. Constant texting when they were apart.
Sophie finished her short film and screened it in class. She received the highest grade. She sent Adrian a video of the professor saying, "The acting is surprisingly genuine. Who is this kid?"
Adrian smiled as he read the message. Tyler officially met Sophie in July—an impromptu dinner at Adrian's apartment that turned into three hours of Tyler embarrassing Adrian with childhood stories.
"I like her," Tyler declared after Sophie left. "She has good energy. And she makes you smile more."
"I always smile."
"No, sometimes you show your teeth. That's not the same as smiling." Tyler looked at him seriously. "Do you love her?"
Adrian considered it. Love. Big word. Terrifying.
"I don't know. Maybe. Eventually."
"It's okay not to know yet." Tyler smiled. "But I think she might be the one."
"Why?"
"Because when you talk about her, your voice changes. It gets softer. More... real."
August brought more work.
Adrian was in San Diego, filming action scenes for a Netflix action series. Sophie was in LA, working twelve-hour days at her internship.
They missed each other. They were openly admitting it now.
"I miss you," Sophie texted.
"I miss you too," Adrian replied.
Late-night video calls became routine. Sophie with her laptop surrounded by work, Adrian in generic hotel rooms.
"When are you coming back?" Sophie asked one night.
"Friday."
"Can I see you?"
"Yes."
"Good. I need you."
Those three words—need you—felt huge.
September was when Adrian realized.
He was in love with Sophie.
It wasn't a dramatic moment. No fireworks or cosmic revelation.
Just a quiet night in his apartment. Sophie was asleep on her couch, wearing her sweatshirt, hair a mess, glasses on the coffee table.
Adrian watched her and thought: I don't want this to end.
Love. That was the word.
Simple. Terrifying. Real.
He didn't tell her that night. He wasn't ready yet.
But he knew.
October arrived with cooler weather and new energy.
Sophie was considering taking a semester off from USC to focus on her internship, which would likely turn into a full-time job.
"Is this crazy?" she asked one night.
"No."
"My dad thinks so. He says I should finish my degree first."
"What do you think?"
"I think this is my chance. That if I let it pass, I might not get it back."
"Then take it."
Sophie looked at him. "Would you make that decision?"
"I already made it. When I decided not to go to college. To focus on work."
"Do you regret it?"
"No." "Then maybe I should."
"You should."
Sophie smiled. "Thank you for always supporting me."
"Always."
November was quiet.
Adrian worked steadily but locally—all in LA or nearby cities. Sophie officially took the semester off, and her internship turned into a junior production position.
They celebrated with an inexpensive dinner at their favorite Italian restaurant—the same one where Adrian had celebrated his birthday two years ago.
"To chance," Sophie toasted.
"To chance," Adrian echoed.
December arrived with a festive air.
Adrian turned twenty on December 5.
Sophie organized a surprise dinner party—small and intimate. Tyler, Rebecca, a few of Adrian's work friends. A cake Sophie had baked herself, slightly burnt but perfectly edible.
"Happy birthday," Sophie whispered that night, snuggled up to him on his couch after everyone had left.
"Thanks."
"Twenty. How does it feel?"
"Same as yesterday."
Sophie laughed. "Always so poetic."
"It's my charm."
"Yeah." She kissed him softly. "That's exactly your charm."
Christmas was simple.
Adrian spent the morning with Rebecca. The afternoon with Sophie and her father—a slightly awkward but friendly encounter. The evening with Tyler playing video games and eating leftovers.
"Weird year," Tyler commented.
"Good weird," Adrian added.
"The best kind of weird."
New Year's arrived quietly.
Adrian and Sophie spent it alone on the roof of their building, watching distant fireworks over LA.
"2018," Sophie said. "Sounds futuristic."
"Yeah."
"What do you want this year?"
Adrian thought about it. "More of this."
"This?"
"You. Work. Stability."
Sophie smiled. "That sounds perfect."
They kissed as the clock struck midnight.
2017 had been the year Adrian learned what romantic love meant. Real connection. Vulnerability.
2018 would be... something more.
He didn't yet know what.
But with Sophie, he was ready to find out.
JANUARY 2018
January began exactly as December had ended—steady work, time with Sophie whenever possible, and never-ending late-night rehearsals.
Adrian had a project in Burbank—a small-budget, ambitiously choreographed indie action film. Two weeks stretched to three.
Sophie was deep into production on a big project—something with a strict NDA she couldn't discuss.
They saw each other less but understood each other more.
"I miss your acting classes," Adrian said one night during a video call.
Sophie smiled. "Really?"
"Yeah. They were... helpful."
"Helpful?"
"And fun."
"That's the truth." Sophie pushed her glasses up. "Do you still want to practice?"
"Yes."
"Good. Because I have some new scripts you can read. Just for fun. To keep practicing."
"Okay."
On weekends when their schedules aligned, Sophie would bring scripts. Adrian would read them aloud—awkwardly at first, gradually improving.
"You have a natural talent," Sophie said after a particularly good session. "Not many people can make emotional transitions like that."
FEBRUARY 2018
February brought something unexpected: a call from Thomas, the coordinator Adrian had met in New Mexico.
"Cole. Got some time?"
"Depends. What for?"
"Project in Arizona. Three weeks. Good money. Interested?"
"When?"
"We start in two weeks."
Adrian checked his calendar. He had a small project that was ending right on schedule.
"Yes."
"Perfect. I'll send you the details."
He told Sophie that night over dinner.
"Arizona," Sophie repeated. "Three weeks."
"Yes."
"Okay." He smiled, but there was something sad in his eyes. "You're going to miss me."
"Yes."
"I'm going to miss you too."
Adrian spent three weeks in the Arizona desert, falling off horses and fighting on Western sets built to look authentic.
Sophie texted him every day. Silly photos. Videos of her complaining about her boss. Little reminders that someone in LA was thinking of him.
Adrian responded when he could—photos of the desert, videos of horses, simple messages saying he missed him.
When he returned to LA at the end of February, Sophie was waiting for him at their apartment with Chinese food and that smile that made it all worthwhile.
"Welcome home," she said, kissing him before he could even close the door.
"I like this welcome."
"Get used to it."
MARCH 2018
March was quiet until it wasn't.
Adrian was in his apartment one Tuesday afternoon—a rare day off between projects—when he decided to take a shower.
The hot water felt good after a physically demanding week of work. He took his time, letting the warmth relax his tense muscles.
When he came out, wrapped in a towel, his hair still dripping, Sophie was in his living room.
He had a key now. He'd had it for a month.
"Hi," she said, looking up from her laptop.
"Hi. I didn't know you were coming."
"I finished early. Thought I'd surprise you." She smiled, then her expression changed. "Oh, your phone was ringing. You left it on the table."
Adrian walked over to the coffee table, still with the towel around his waist. He picked up his phone.
Three missed calls.
All from the same number.
Jonathan Eusebio.
Something in Adrian's chest tightened—anticipation mixed with curiosity.
"Who is it?" Sophie asked.
"John Wick coordinator."
"Jonathan? I thought you'd already worked with him."
"Yes. On the second film."
"Do you think it's for something else?"
"Maybe."
Adrian returned the call, putting it on speakerphone as he started drying his hair with a towel.
Jonathan answered on the second ring.
"Cole. Finally."
"Sorry. I was in the shower."
"No problem. Got a minute?"
"Yes."
"Good. Because I have something that might interest you."
Adrian stopped drying his hair. Sophie looked at him curiously.
"We're preparing John Wick 3," Jonathan continued. "Filming starts in May. But this time I'm not calling you just for stunt work."
Silence.
"There's a role. Small but visible. With dialogue. With your face on camera."
Adrian's heart beat faster.
"He's the adopted son of an important character," Jonathan explained. "We need someone young, athletic, who can do their own stunts. The directors saw your work in JW2. And they saw your girlfriend's short film—yes, we found it online. Your performance was solid."
Adrian looked at Sophie. Her hands were over her mouth, her eyes wide.
"They want you to audition," Jonathan said. "A reading with the lead actress. A physical skills demonstration. The whole package. Interested?"
Adrian processed the information. John Wick 3. A visible role. Real acting.
All things he hadn't known he'd been working towards.
"Yes," he said, his voice firm. "I'm interested."
"Perfect. I'll email you the details. The audition is next week. Don't be late."
"I won't."
"Good. And Cole—this one's big. If you get him, it changes everything."
"I know."
"Good. Talk to you soon."
The call ended.
Adrian slowly lowered his phone.
Sophie looked at him, tears welling in her eyes.
"Adrian," she whispered. "That was—"
"I know."
"You have an audition for JOHN WICK!" Sophie shouted and ran to him, hugging him tightly. "This is HUGE!"
Adrian hugged her back, still processing.
A year ago, he had met Sophie.
A year ago, she had shown him he could act.
Now he had an audition for one of the biggest action franchises in the world.
"We're going to prepare you," Sophie said, pulling away but still holding his hands. "We have a week. We're going to practice every night. You're going to nail this."
"Sophie—"
"Trust me. You're going to get this part."
Adrian looked up at her—eyes shining with excitement and pride, a huge smile on his face, completely confident in him in ways he was still learning to be confident in himself.
"Okay," he said. "Let's get to work."
Sophie smiled and gave him a quick kiss.
"You're going to be amazing. I know it."
Adrian hoped she was right.
Because for the first time in his life, this wasn't just a job.
It was a real opportunity to be something more.
And he wasn't going to waste it.