Chapter 49

DAHLIA

I didn’t wait to get ready.

Didn’t care about packing my bag or fixing my hair or even changing into something more “professional”. Whatever that meant anymore.

I just grabbed my phone, yanked the name tag off my chest like it had betrayed me, and walked out of the restaurant without a backward glance. My feet moved on instinct, not direction. I didn’t even hear the voices behind me.

I walked down the street like I was chasing a fight. Like if someone even looked at me wrong, I’d break into flames.

The cab smelt like peppermints and cologne, but I barely noticed. The whole ride to the shoot location was a blur, just me chewing the inside of my cheek until it was raw and ignoring the tremble in my fingertips.

By the time I stepped onto the set, the sun had fully climbed up and was laughing in my face. Great. More heat. More exposure.

Mr. Tate was already there, annoyingly observant. He had on his usual smile, leaning against a monitor