“What the fuck do you mean?”
“Are you blind?” he yelled. “He wants to fuck you.”
My eyes widened in shock, and my chest heaved. I wanted to respond, but my mind hummed blank. What could I possibly say to that? Mike could never feel that way for me. He used to take me for ice-cream after school for fuck’s sake.
Kyle sighed and held my hand. “I’m sorry I yelled at you. I’m just pissed off.”
I turned my head to the window, my heart pounding. Could that be true? Could Mike want…? I slapped the thought out of my head, but for a moment, I hoped Kyle was right.
“You’re wrong.” I finally managed to put two words together.
“Maggie, I’m a man. I know how men look at women, and I know what I saw. That man is…not to be trusted.”
PART TWO
FEVER
Scene 15
Maggie
THREE WEEKS LATER
I hunched over my laptop in my apartment, tapping a pencil on the working desk, Amanda and Raoul each on either side of me, the monitor split with three different views of the same footage.
“I hate the light in all three. We need to retake this,” I mumbled, rubbing my temples, frustration coursing through me.
“I can edit the—” Amanda said.
“No. It’s shit,” I interrupted, jabbing the pencil at the screen. “Can’t you see this fucking shadow? It’s in all of them. I need to retake this.”
Amanda stood and moved behind my chair. “Relax, girl. It’s just one shot.” She massaged my shoulders. “You got this.”
My shoulders slumped, yielding. “Do I?”
“Hell yeah,” Raoul answered. “You just need to get some rest.”
“I can’t.” I threw the pencil and rummaged through the chaos of paper and empty energy drink cans on the desk until I found my vape, my stomach clenching. Damn IBS, damn panic attacks, damn stupid shots that wouldn’t just be right. “We’re running out of time.”
He stared at me like I was insane. “We’re not. We’re ahead of schedule, Mags.”
“There’s no such thing as ahead of schedule in making movies.”
“Yes. But with you there is. You keep pushing nonstop, you crazy bitch.” He grabbed my arm, attempting to get me off the chair, motioning at Amanda for help. “You need to get out.” He snatched the vape out of my grasp and tossed it on the desk. “Inhale some air. Not weed. And eat something.”
My stomach growled. “You’re right. I’m sorry for being such a bitch.” I stood and headed to a red backpack on the floor next to the bed foot. “Let me get my phone, and we’ll get going. Lunch is on me.”
As I unzipped the backpack, my phone chimed. My eyes narrowed at the text and the website link in it. I tapped it, and it took me to Mike’s contest website. “Raoul, check your phone. I just texted you a link.”
“Whoa.” He showed the screen to Amanda, whose eyes went wide.
“No entry fee!” She high-fived Raoul.
A huge grin hurt my jaws. “It’s so freakishly awesome. Which one are you gonna submit?”
He mused for a few moments. “Black Sheep.”
“Yes! Excellent. Mike would be perfect for Sullivan.”
