She shook her head before I even finished the sentence. “No, I don’t. I already have another job lined up. It’s not me I’m worried about.”

“You don’t need to worry about me. Now that I know it’s her, I’ll watch my back.”

“I’m more worried about your future.”

“Did my dad send you in here to tell me to do my homework and go to college?”

She laughed a little. “No. And even if he asked me to, I wouldn’t tell you that. I mean, you should definitely do your homework and graduate from high school. But you’re an amazing actress, Lacey, you’re getting a lot of experience if this is what you want to do with your life.”

“It is.”

“Good.” She clasped her hands and let out a breath. “I read that article.”

I sighed. That article was never going to go away. “That’s what you’re worried about? Do you think people won’t like me because of it?”

“It’s not that. You need to be less concerned about what the public thinks and more concerned about what Remy thinks. You need to talk to him.”

“I should tell him I didn’t do those things? That Amanda did?”

“Maybe. But you really need to convince him that you are a professional. He is the one other directors will call when deciding whether to give you a job. He is the one who might have a role come across his desk in the future and think you would be perfect for it. He will play a part in your career, and you have to make sure that article, that the drama on set, isn’t making him think twice about your abilities.”

“You’re right.”

“I know.”

“Thank you . . . for that advice.”

“You’re welcome.” She stood but stopped. “Can I give you one more tiny piece of advice?”

“Yes.”

“Take everything your dad says and put it through the ‘I’m extremely worried about my daughter who I love so much’ filter.”

“He’s being unreasonable.”

“I know. It’s partially my fault because I’ve told him way too many horror stories. So forgive me for that. But it’s also that you’re growing up. That’s hard for parents.”

“I’ll try to apply that filter, but he needs to apply a couple filters of his own.”

She smiled. “Good night.”

“Good night.”

As I approached Remy’s trailer the next day I heard loud voices coming from inside. I stopped and waited. I couldn’t make out what they were saying, but after a few minutes the door was flung open and Aaron came storming out.

When he saw me, the scowl dropped off his face and his eyes went to the gravel that made up the parking lot.

“You okay?” I asked.

“Fine,” he mumbled, and kept walking.

This might not have been good timing after a fight with his son, but I pressed forward. I knocked on the wall outside Remy’s trailer because Aaron had left the door open. Remy sat at a desk flipping through what looked like some revisions on the script because the pages were blue. He looked as stressed as I felt. He glanced up with the knock and dropped the pages to the desk when he saw me. He beckoned me in with a wave of his hand. “Lacey, come in. You’re my third visitor already this morning.”

It was early. Before first call. I wasn’t on the call sheet today, but I knew I couldn’t put this off. I stepped into his trailer, leaving the door open. “Third?”

“Faith, my son, and you.”

“Faith was here? Did it have to do with me?”

He waved his hand. “No. It was nothing. What can I do for you?”

“Did you read the article about me online?”

“I did.”

“They’re talking about your movie. That’s good, right?”

A toothy grin spread across his face. “No publicity is bad publicity? Is that the angle you’re going with?”

“And sticking to,” I said.

He let out a surprised laugh. “I’m remembering why we hired you. You’re spunky. I had forgotten in all your greenness.”

“I know I’m green. But I wanted to talk to you about the fact that someone is setting me up.” I hadn’t convinced myself I was going to use Amanda’s name yet. I just wanted him to know I was professional. That I hadn’t actually done all those things.

“Setting you up?”

“Someone is trying to make me look bad.”

His expression that had softened with my speech went hard again. “Lacey, I don’t need drama on my set.”

Okay, so he didn’t want to hear it; he thought I was being immature and paranoid. I would only sound more immature if I insisted I was right. That was fine. I knew who was setting me up, and I would make sure she knew I wasn’t going anywhere. “You’re right. I’m done with drama. I’m here to work. I just wanted you to know that.”

“I’m happy to hear it.”

Thirty-Two

I left Remy’s trailer and headed for my own. Amanda must have seen me out her window as I walked by because she came flying out the door. “Lacey!” She gave me a hug. “Don’t you love it up here? I used to camp with my family all the time. We should have a campfire tonight in the trees and tell ghost stories.”

I stood frozen to my spot, still not sure what I wanted to say to her.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Nothing. I’m just . . . tired.”

“You have another day off though. Lucky.” She paused, seeming to realize what she just said. “Wait, if you have today off, why did you drive all the way up here?”

“I needed to talk to Remy about you, actually.” I wasn’t one to hold things in. I knew this about myself.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I know what you did. What you took. I’m still trying to figure out why though.” A thought occurred to me. “Was it for Grant? To help him out? Were you trying to get rid of me? Hoping someone better would be put in my spot?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“I found what you took. You might as well come clean.” Maybe this wasn’t the place for this discussion with the security guards behind us and crew members walking by.

“Found what?”

She’d probably moved it by now, but I pointed to her trailer. “I’ll show you.”

“Okay.” She held her hand out to the side, inviting me to lead the way.

I marched up the two metal steps and to the small kitchen, where I yanked open the drawer half expecting it to be gone. She had followed behind me and stood looking over my shoulder. We both saw it at the same time, the unassuming red plastic case sitting there.

“What the—” She lifted it out of the drawer and immediately opened it as if to verify what it was. “I did not put this here.”

“Right.”

“I didn’t! Why would I put it here of all places? If I took this I would’ve put it as far away from me as possible.”

That logic tripped me up. “You might as well just admit it. I just want to know why. To help Grant? To help yourself?” Maybe she’d been worried about my effect on the movie’s reputation too.