Chapter 36
Evie
The On-Screen Kiss
Fire crackled in the background from burn barrels and an overturned car.
I hauled myself to my feet, limping as I did.
My hair hung down, wild and untamed, making me even hotter than I already was.
Reflex made me want to shove it back, but they liked my hair like this, so I forced myself not to reach up and adjust it.
I clutched the jagged breakaway glass in my hand and narrowed my gaze into slits.
“Looking for me?” Skye called from behind me.
I spun around. She looked just as beaten as I did. Her clothes were torn, her skin covered in grease.
She clicked her tongue. “Tsk, tsk. Simon didn’t say turn around, bitch.” With a scream, she raised her arm, wielding Simon Says’s signature axe. She charged toward me, ready to kill.
“Cut!” Dante shouted. “Reset!”
Skye stopped inches from me, and we stared at each other before bursting into giggles.
We ran the scene again and then a third time.
Then we started the close-up fight. She tore my shirt, exposing my low-cut bra.
I was less than impressed by wardrobe, but this movie was intentionally sexy and built for the male gaze.
Although, I’d argue that Sebastian’s full-frontal scene was for the girls, the gays, and the theys.
Even if I hadn’t experienced him firsthand, I wouldn’t have denied that Sebastian Shaw’s naked form was otherworldly.
My mind drifted to the last time I’d experienced that form, and my heart sank.
Our bodies had betrayed us both. We’d been forced into a position where we had to perform for people.
It was degrading and made me rethink the excitement from the chemistry test. I wasn’t even sure I’d be able to do the sex scenes for the movie now.
I wiped the sweat from my brow and put my hair up in a ponytail as I walked off set in the direction of my trailer.
“Popcorn for your thoughts?”
Sebastian seemed to come from nowhere. I shoved my sad thoughts back when I caught sight of his smile. He felt the same as me about it all, and that was helping me work through my feelings. He was holding a brown bag of popcorn from craft services. He tilted the top to me—there were M&M’s in it.
“Nothing. Just that today has been super fun. I love the days Skye and I film together.”
He leaned against my trailer next to me and popped a few pieces into his mouth. “That’s how I feel with Bryce. You know it’s gonna be a good day when we’re both called. What are you up to tonight?”
“I’m starting with a shower to get this off.” I lifted my greasy arms. “Then a hot bath to soothe my muscles. Pretending to fight is exhausting!” I laughed.
Skye walked past, looking like hell, and waved eagerly, wiggling her fingers as she went to her trailer.
“She’s been shockingly cool about it all,” Sebastian said. “I really thought we fucked up, her being there with Fred...”
“Yeah, me too. Bryce must have known something we didn’t. I never thought I’d have a friend other than you to help, but...now I have three of you?” I shook my head in disbelief. I hated that I kind of liked it.
How did this even happen? Friendship wasn’t part of the plan.
After my mom died, I closed myself off from everyone—even my aunt Yvonne, who’d taken me in.
Thankfully, she wasn’t around much, so it didn’t seem to bother her.
I had a feeling that when I was eventually gunned down in front of the Hollywood sign, she wouldn’t even come for the funeral.
But these three? They would be the ones carrying my casket.
“Friend?” Sebastian frowned. “Is that what you’re calling me?”
I looked up at him in confusion. “What else would I call you?”
He stared, his green eyes boring into me, a strand of his black hair falling over his eyes.
I knew I’d touched a sensitive button. His obsession with keeping me here was ever-present whenever he was around.
He was obvious with his interest in me, but I couldn’t offer the same to him, even if a tiny part of me wanted to stay.
Every day that I stayed here was another day the police had to put evidence together and send me away forever.
Or worse, for some big executive shark to find out and do to me what they did to my mom.
Once I was no longer in their direct line of sight daily, my crimes would be forgotten and the cases abandoned.
I needed to leave when it was all over, but Sebastian would make it so hard to go.
“Someday, Final Girl.” He pushed off the trailer and tossed a handful of popcorn into his mouth. Spinning around, he began to walk backward. “Someday, I’m going to win you over.”
“Sure, Psycho Killer,” I teased. “Someday.”
Raissa came by to take me to set to finish the fight scene. Skye took her own cart but wasn’t far behind me. We got onto set, spoke to the stunt coordinator then began practicing. We sparred for a while and then started shooting.
“You ruined everything!” Skye, as Riley, screamed as she swung her axe.
While it looked menacing, with its metal-looking decals and crusted-on fake blood, it was hollow plastic.
Strong enough not to bend on impact, but not hard enough to hurt if I was accidently hit.
“You should have left town when I told you to!”
“Simon didn’t say leave!” I mocked.
She snarled and whacked the back of my calves, sending me to my knees. I crawled forward, rolling and dodging her axe.
“I tried to save you. This could have been peaceful. You didn’t have to die.”
I turned and glared up at her.
“I could say the same for you.” I lifted my leg and shot it forward.
“Cut!” Dante reset us and got close-ups of my sneakers coming into contact with her shin, then of her flying through the air in a harness.
Before filming the final bit for the day—the close-up, roll-around scene designed for the male gaze, where we have even skimpier clothing and do lots of whimpers and moans as we fight—they gave us a small break.
Skye bounded over. I downed a bottle of water and reached for another.
Despite having hardly any clothes on, it was hot as hell on set, and I was struggling not to overheat.
“This has been so much fun!” Skye squealed, dropping into a chair. She reached for a bottle and beamed at me as she took a small drink.
I fought the urge to slap her or roll my eyes. She did everything so effortlessly. Normally, I loved that about her, but right at this moment, as I was struggling to breathe, I needed her to choke on that water she was sipping.
“What are you doing after we wrap? I kind of want to go out, just you and me. Drinks? Dancing?” She bumped my hip playfully.
I scrunched up my nose. “I don’t know how you can even think of dancing. I am dying over here. I groaned and slumped against the craft services table, fanning myself.
“It is kinda hot,” she agreed, which only annoyed me more. There was no kinda about it.
“So, I have to ask. Last weekend...” She bit down on her lip, and I stiffened. Was she really about to talk about Fred Castle and his live, laugh, toaster bath right here, where people could overhear?
“You and Sebastian...” she finished, and relief washed over me.
I snickered and grabbed another water. I started to tell her what I’d told Sebastian earlier this afternoon but stopped short. We were still pretending to date for the movie.
“It’s complicated,” I said lamely.
“He’s like, fallen head over heels for you,” she said.
I eyed her curiously. Had he put her up to this?
“I don’t really want to talk about him. We’re...complicated,” I repeated and stepped away, returning to set.
Everyone else made their way back slowly, and we went through the final choreography.
“Hands on each other’s arms. We want to see your chests. Sorry. I know it’s crass,” Dante said. “But lots of over-the-top moans, whimpers, gasps, stuff like that.”
“Like a mediocre porno.”
He grinned. “Exactly.”
He stepped back, and we got into position.
Skye swept her foot under mine, causing me to fall.
I grabbed her ankle and took her with me.
In a flash, she was on top of me, pretending to punch and slap me.
My head went back and forth as directed.
I arched my back to make my breasts stick out farther and groaned as Skye ground her pelvis into mine.
I overpowered her and rolled on top, trading places. I tore at her hair and smeared her lipstick with a stage smack. She rolled me over again, and I pretended to struggle to regain power.
“Nice try, Lucy,” she crooned, dipping low, our noses touching.
I looked into her eyes, my own going cross-eyed. I closed them as she said, “Simon didn’t say escape.”
Suddenly, her lips were on mine, and it took me a moment to fully register what was happening.
My eyes fluttered open as uncertainty washed over me. Skye closed her eyes, her tongue darting out, probing through my lips that had parted more from surprise than eagerness. This wasn’t scripted.
I looked to the side frantically, waiting for someone to yell cut.
Finally, realizing no one was going to stop this, I moved my head and pushed her away.
I sat up and scooted her off completely.
I stood, raising my arms in frustration and confusion.
Tears flooded my vision as I looked around and saw more excited faces than angry ones.
I scanned the crowd and realized who was missing, making my stomach sink.
Heat flamed my face as embarrassment took over.
What the hell?
I looked back at Skye, who couldn’t look me in the eyes.
“I’m sorry. I-I—”
“I’ve got to go.” I stormed away, my heart beating furiously, the sweat pouring from my face no longer from exertion but from something else. Something...terrifying.
I wasn’t upset that Skye kissed me, as unprofessional as it was. I was upset because it felt like I’d just cheated on Sebastian, and I didn’t know how to feel about that.