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I pulled on the handbrake and put my car in neutral.
“Me too.”
There was a moment where we gazed at each other, his face only partially lit from the streetlight on the other side of the parking lot, and I wondered if he was going to kiss me.
But then a door slammed in one of the rooms and the spell was broken. Isaac climbed out of the car and leaned into the passenger door, holding its frame.
“Thanks for the ride.”
I put the car into gear and smiled.
“You’re welcome.”
19
KYLA
Somehow, I was able to get through the next few days without focusing all my energy on Dean and how standoffish he was still acting.
Instead, I threw myself into my role, giving it everything I had, incorporating everything I’d learned from each of the guys.
I checked my notes in the script before each scene, cried on cue by thinking about my mom, practiced making gestures and facial expressions in front of the mirror in my trailer, and found ways to keep my hands busy in every scene, so they didn’t drift up to my hair.
“Cut!” Preston called, midway through what I thought was a fantastic performance. I snapped my head around, wondering what I did wrong this time, only to see Preston marching over to Wyatt.
“Lose the hat,” he said. “It’s casting too much shadow over your face.”
Wyatt did what he was told, removing his straw hat and tossing it away. His messy blond curls were flat from being compressed, and he tousled them with his fingers.
“Better?”
Preston gave him a nod and gestured at the tiny woman with the clapperboard.
“Let’s start from the beginning. Kyla, you’re doing great.”
I could barely contain my shock that the man who was known for being a dick had not only given me a compliment, but did it in front of everyone. My eyes met Isaac’s, and he mouthed,Good work. I took my place again, ready to restart the scene and gave a performance that even I could tell was good.
I allowed my imagination to wander between takes, imagining my dad in the audience in the cinema, watching the movie, tears of pride streaming down his cheeks. And perhaps I was getting ahead of myself, but the idea of me being featured in fashion pages in magazines, walking red carpets, starring in other movies, and winning awards didn’t seem so unrealistic anymore. I pictured the long gold gown I would wear to my first ceremony and how excited I would be as the presenter held up an envelope.
“And the winner is… Kyla Wright.”
The audience would cheer as I swanned down the aisle and up the stairs to accept the trophy. “I’d like to thank my dad, who never stopped believing in me. My co-stars, who made this movie possible. And of course my husband, Timothy Chalamet.”
The fantasy kept me feeling buoyant and motivated, take after take.
After we finished filming, both Wyatt and Isaac congratulated me on how much I’d improved, but Dean disappeared again, his entire focus on his phone. His attitude pissed me off enough to march down to his trailer when the crew filmed a scene that neither of us were featured in, and rap my knuckles on the door.
“Dean, open up,” I said. “It’s Kyla. We need to talk.”
Nothing. No response, no sounds coming from inside the trailer, not even a curtain moving. Perhaps he wasn’t here, butit was the middle of the day and he was filming a scene that afternoon. Where else could he be?
I knocked twice again, each time waiting a minute or two as flies buzzed around me and the summer breeze made my hair waft across my face.
My heart felt heavy as I trudged back down the steps and returned to my own trailer. I felt used — I’d never expected Dean and I to be anything more than friends and coworkers, but I hadn’t expected him to stop talking to me entirely. Was this how he treated all his co-stars? Or was it just how he treated the ones who were dumb enough to sleep with him?
My trailer was dark on the inside and I left the drapes closed, so I wouldn’t be tempted to keep glancing outside to see if Dean had returned. I climbed on the bed and closed my eyes, figuring that a nap might help me feel better, and I was on the verge of drifting off when a thumping sound yanked me back into consciousness.
Someone was knocking on my door.
