Evan Peters Shorts

Going Away for Dahmer

Evan sat on the edge of his daughter's bed, the soft pink covers wrinkling under his weight. The room was bathed in the warm, golden light of late afternoon, casting shadows of stuffed animals and tiny picture frames on the walls. His little girl, sat cross-legged beside him, her bottom lip quivering, big brown eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"Daddy," she whispered, clutching the stuffed bunny he'd given her last Christmas, "Do you have to go?"

Evan's heart broke a little as he watched her struggle with the words. She was only six, still so small and fragile, and the idea of leaving her for the next six months felt like a weight pressing down on him. Sure, it wasn't the first time he'd had to go away for work, but this time it was different. The Netflix series about Jeffrey Dahmer was intense, and he knew it would demand every part of him, emotionally and physically.

He sighed, brushing a lock of her soft blonde hair behind her ear. "Yeah, sweetheart, I do. But I'm going to call you every single day, okay? And we can video chat whenever you want. I won't be gone forever, I promise."

Y/d/n shook her head, the first tear slipping down her cheek. "But six months is forever, Daddy. That's so long!" She buried her face into her bunny, her small body shaking as she cried.

Evan pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her tightly, feeling the familiar ache of guilt settling in his chest. He kissed the top of her head, breathing in the scent of her strawberry-scented shampoo.

"I know it feels like a long time, but you're going to be so busy with school and playdates with your friends, it'll fly by. And when I come home, we'll have the biggest movie night ever. You can pick all the movies and all the snacks, okay?"

"But I don't want you to go," Y/d/n whispered, her voice muffled against his chest.

Evan squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, trying to find the right words. "I don't want to go either, believe me I'd much rather stay here with you. But sometimes Daddy has to work, just like Mommy. And this show... it's really important to me."

Y/d/n sniffled, pulling back just enough to look up at him. Her small face was red from crying, but there was a flicker of understanding in her eyes. "Is it a scary show?"

Evan nodded softly. "It's a little scary, yeah. But it's just pretend. Like when we play monsters, remember? It's all make-believe."

She frowned, still holding onto him tightly. "But why can't you do a happy show instead? Like the ones we watch together?"

Evan chuckled despite himself, smoothing down her hair. "I'll try to find a happy one next time, I promise. Something we can both watch."

Y/d/n seemed to consider this for a moment, her little face scrunched in concentration. Then, after a long pause, she finally whispered, "Okay... but you better call me every day, Daddy. Pinky promise?"

Evan smiled softly, holding up his pinky. "Pinky promise."

She looped her tiny finger around his, squeezing it tightly. It was a gesture so small, so simple, but it felt monumental.

Later that evening, after y/d/n had fallen asleep clutching her bunny, Evan stood in the doorway of her room, watching her chest rise and fall in steady breaths. He would be leaving tomorrow, and the thought weighed heavily on his mind. As an actor, he was used to throwing himself into challenging roles, but this time it felt different. The darkness of the Dahmer series was already seeping into him, and the thought of being away from Sophie made the shadows feel even heavier.

But he knew why he was doing this, why he always did this. He wanted to give her a life filled with possibilities, to show her that you could chase your dreams, even when they scared you. He wanted her to be proud of him, even when it was hard to understand.

As he gently closed the door to her room, Evan whispered to himself, "I'll be back soon, baby girl." And though his heart ached at the thought of leaving, he knew, deep down, that Sophie would be waiting, and that made all the difference.