Page 100 of Catch Me
“I worked at my family’s bank for a while, but then after talking with Mya about it, she helped me find the place with Ms. Baldwin. It was cheap enough to sustain myself for a while on my savings. So, one weekend I packed up and moved to L.A.”
Though I tell him about waiting until my parents were gone, a piece of me still feels like a coward for leaving the way I did.
“I went low contact with both of them.” I snort. “I’m trying to, at least. They still take it upon themselves to contact me when they think I’m taking too long to reply to their messages.”
“Like your mom showing up out of the blue at your apartment,” he comments.
I nod.
His jaw tightens.
“They’re your parents, so I’ll keep my real thoughts about them to myself, but I’ll be honest with you, baby, if I saw you subject yourself to people who treated you this way, I might lose my nice guy reputation. Quickly.”
His tone is sharp, unrelenting.
I lean in and press a kiss to his lips before rubbing his chest.
“We both know your ‘nice guy’ reputation is about as real as your stage name.” I grin. Andreas is kind and considerate, but beneath the exterior is a man burning with passion and, dare I say, vengeance if needed.
CHAPTER 28
Ivy
“That’s a wrap onLate Nights,” Michael Keith announces through his bullhorn as he stands at the center of the nearly two-hundred-member cast and crew.
We all erupt into a thunderous applause.
It’s eight o’clock at night and we just wrapped filming ofLate Nights.Needless to say, everyone is exhausted but insanely satiated. The film isn’t done yet, of course. Michael Keith and the producers will spend the next few weeks editing to put the final film together, but for now, the actors and most of the crews’ jobs are done on this film.
As I look across the circle of people into Andreas’ eyes, my heart is full and heavy. Pride swells inside of my chest for him. I know this film is going to be a breakthrough for him. In this role, he’s obliterated any form of typecasting previous producers have tried to put him in.
The sparkle in his eyes shows that he knows what he’s done, too.
I have to look away because it also reveals he’s probably thinking of things he shouldn’t about me. Not in public anyway.
“Before we call it a night, I wanted to take the time to thank everyone who showed up everyday to give one hundred percent of themselves to this film,” Michael Keith continues.
He begins to thank, one by one, the producers and crew who helped before filming started.
“A very special thanks to Shawn, also known as Andreas Knight.”
More applause erupts, accompanied by some hoots and shouts.
“A few words,” Michael encourages, pulling on Andreas’ arm to come to the center of the circle.
All eyes land on him, and he accepts the attention with grace and an ease that shows this is the life he was born to live. He was made to be in the spotlight.
“First, I’d like to thank Michael for taking a chance on me.”
Michael waves him off, but Andreas continues.
“No, honestly, you had your pick of who to go with for the role of Shawn. The fact that you trusted me with such a pivotal role says a lot. My hope is that I lived up to the faith you placed in me.”
“We all watched that breakdown scene,” Lee, the head lighting guy, yells out. “You surpassed it,” he finishes to more applause.
“Here! Here!” Michael Keith agrees.
Andreas thanks Michael, the producers, and each of the studio departments that worked on this film, along with his fellow actors. He’s followed by a few of the other actors from the film and even more crew.
