“Dante Delambre,” she clarified, looking at the camera.
“Yes, Dante is directing the nextSimon Saysfilm.”
“This is his directorial debut. He’s taking over for his father, who directed the first five movies. And it will be your debut, as well, on the silver screen. Tell us about that call, Evie.”
“Well, it came about six months ago. He’d seen my YouTube channel and had just signed on to direct the film. He’d been with the franchise as long as his dad, and he had a vision for how he wanted the sixth movie to go. He wanted me to be involved.”
“I’m sure that as an expert in the genre, your insight will be welcomed on set.”
I tried to stay focused, but my mind kept drifting elsewhere. I didn’t want to be doing this interview at all, but Antoinette thought helping promote the film would help me get a bigger role, and Dante hadn’t disagreed. Nothing had been locked in yet, so this was important.
I needed to make sure I was on that set.
“Did you say yes right off the bat to being cast, or were you hesitant to return to a place so... traumatic?”
My mind returned to the room. JoJo was pushing the limit. I glanced at Antoinette, who was already poised to shut down the interview. She’d wanted me to do this, but not at the cost of my emotions. A painful memory from that night washed over me.
Sebastian begging me to look away. Me, staring as my mother’s dead body swayed from the rafters. Shoving myself out of his arms to sprint to her, tripping over set pieces as I ran, but it was too late. There was so much blood.
I looked down to find my hands shaking. No, not today. I shoved the awful memory down.
“Sorry.” JoJo cleared her throat and started over. “How long did it take him to get you to say yes to the film?” Her eyes flicked to Antoinette, who nodded her approval.
“I did sit with the offer for a while before agreeing,” I admitted. “At first, it was a hard no. I didn’t think I could handle seeing everyone again. I wasn’t sure how they’d treat me or if they even cared about my mom. Had everyone moved on but me?”
When I glanced back at JoJo, I realized I’d gotten too personal. I cleared my throat and sat up, my face flushing.
“But Dante insisted I see his vision for the movie, so I flew in from Michigan, and he was right. Reading the script and seeing his storyboards in person sold me.” I finished with a smile.
“And now you’re officially signed on as…”
I smiled. “I’m actually not allowed to say who I’ll be playing.”
JoJo smirked for the cameras.
“All right, girl, keep your secrets. What are you most excited about?”
Revenge.
Thornton. Dourif. Castle. Hodder. Englund. Bradley.
“I think seeing some of the old cast and crew will be fun, now that some of the nervousness is gone. The dynamic will be a little different now that I’m an adult and can finally go to cast parties.” I laughed. These questions had been on the list I’d been given last night. They were safe. I was prepared.
“Yes, you were on set with your mother from a young age, weren’t you?”
“I was. She started theSimon Saysmovies when I was eight, and up until—” I steeled myself, pushing the heartache back. “Up until her passing, theSimon Sayscrew was like my family.”
“Speaking of the cast, how do you feel about working with Hollywood hunk Sebastian Shaw?” JoJo’s eyes lit up, and she bit down on her lip, as if having just savored the most delicious treat.
I inhaled deeply. My stomach twisted, and my heart sped up just a fraction at the sound of his name. Even after all these years, his name elicited reactions from my heart and mind that my soul fought against. I didn’t want to think about Sebastian. In my mind, he was just like the rest of them.Hollywood.No one had cared about me after she died. They had moved on with their lives as if Lita Reyes had never existed. And I couldn’t let myself be dragged off course on my quest for payback. My mother was going to be avenged. Somehow, I’d make it happen.
Sebastian Shaw wasn’t on the list of approved questions, but damn if it wasn’t a good one.
Chapter 3
Sebastian
The Establishing Shot
