I headed into the building and was sent to change and prepare for stunt training.
“Bout damn time!” Bryce, my old friend and co-star for five, soon to be six,Simon Saysmovies, greeted me when I made it to set. He did a double take when I came closer. “You look like hell.”
I raked my gaze over him. Bryce had an aloof cowboy style, which made it easy for him to maintain a put-together appearance, even if he wasn’t. His blond hair was longer, going to his shoulders, which were broad. His body shape was similar to mine, although he’d gotten his from farm work, and mine came from attending the gym daily. Working with him today was going to be brutal.
“I’ve been worse.” I drank the water Connor had given me, tossed the bottle into the trash, and raised my fists into a fighting stance. “Let’s fucking go, big boy.”
The morning was spent sparring. At lunch, I checked in on Evie, but she was still in PR training across the lot. I took a quick shower in my trailer, letting the hot water soothe my screaming muscles. Returning to set after, I was rigged with a harness and dragged, tossed, blown back, all the things they’d potentially be shooting in the next two months. This wasn’t new to me, and I grew bored fast.
“You all right there, kiddo?” Bryce asked as we wrapped for the day.
Stunt days were typically short so we didn’t hurt ourselves. We exited the sound stage and walked to the trailers, rather than drove. “You seemed out of it most of the day.”
“It’s just been one of those days.” I shrugged off his concerns.
Bryce was like an older brother. He was about fifteen years older and had always been protective of me when I was a kid on set. When I grew into an adult, we started hanging out after work on occasion. He was probably the closest person I had in this world, other than Evie.
“I’m just trying to get out of here. I have things to do.”
“Things? Or people?” He chuckled, then shuddered. “It’s weird seeing Evie back and all grown up. Kinda makes me feel like some deadbeat dad.”
I laughed. “What the hell are you talking about?” Bryce was always two thoughts ahead of everyone else. He often had conversations in his head, forgetting to let us in on whatever the topic was.
“Well, I watched you two grow up on set. You were basically toddlers when we met. Considering neither of you had father figures, or well—good ones.” He cringed, and I waved him off.
My dad was like the rest of them: money hungry. I hadn’t actually spoken to him since I was eight. My mom was long gone by then, having ditched us for a boyfriend when I was a newborn. That left my dad to raise me, but when I started theSimon Saysmovies, it was clear that he didn’t care about me. He just wanted the paycheck. Heather, my agent, ended up taking him to court to get me emancipated. At the time, the courts thought having Heather around in place of my dad would keep me safe. They were wrong.
You can’t be a kid and be safe in this town.
“I was eight,” I clarified. “Which would have made you what, twenty-three?”
“Yeah, I guess so. Man, how time flies. I’d love to be twenty-three again, although I will say, I make thirty-six look good.” Bryce laughed and then stopped, his smile fading. “I kind of took on a protective role. I liked watching over you guys, making sure no one was hurting you. I just... wish I could have done that for Lita too.”
Sadness washed over us momentarily as we thought of our lost castmate and friend.
“Anyway, I kind of think of you two as the kids I’ll never have. I’m glad she’s back.”
“Me too.” Just as we got to our trailers, I spotted Evie getting off a cart, her assistant in tow. “Hey, I’ll catch you later,” I said to Bryce as I walked off.
“Maybe we can all get pizza or something soon!” he shouted after me.
I didn’t respond, my brain too focused on Evie. Even with tired eyes and slumped shoulders, she was the prettiest woman I’d ever laid eyes on.
“Hey. How was PR training?” I asked when I reached her.
She didn’t look my way. Instead, she kept walking.
“You can go get your stuff. I’ll be ready soon,” she said to Raissa, who quickly fell back and went the opposite direction.
“Evie? Is everything okay?” I reached for her wrist as she made it to her trailer, the one next to mine.
She stopped and turned. “Yes, I’m just tired. I didn’t sleep last night,” she reminded me.
I nodded. I knew once I got home, I’d crash out myself. Right now, I was energized from the excitement of being near her. “I’m having Raissa take me home in a bit. The moving company picked up the van earlier.”
My mood fell slightly. I wanted to be the one to drive her home.
“Do you want company? We could talk about...things. I can come over later.”
