Chapter l434

Chapter 0434

Bridget made Nicholas and I redo our breakup scene. With his apology fresh between us, I didn’t feel so hurt anymore, and the words from the script bounced right off of me without taking root in my heart.

After the scene, Nicholas and I smiled at each other, then I made my way down the stage to rejoin Julian and Elva in the crowd. Julian winked at me as I came to stand beside him. I rolled my eyes, but smiled too.

My heart felt so much lighter than it had for days. Things weren’t all the way better between Nicholas and I. There was much to talk about, and things to make clear. But the hurt wasn’t so powerful anymore.

Of course, now that the breakup scene between Nicholas and I was done, it was time for his love scene with Bridget.

Susie had her one line, and then went to ‘check‘ the door as Nicholas climbed in through the window. This time, unlike our previous rehearsals, the set designer and his staff had completed the display, and Nicholas climbed through an actual window built into the wall of the backdrop.

They shared a few words. I thought of covering my eyes, or Elva’s, so we couldn’t see. My too soft heart was not strong enough to watch Nicholas kiss someone else..

Yet when the moment arrived, when Bridget threw her arms around him and tried to press herself up onto her toes to reach his mouth, Nicholas turned his head. Bridget’s lips found his cheek instead.

Bridget tried again. Nicholas turned his head farther. Then, Bridget huffed as she took a step backwards.

“Nicholas. We have to practice this scene,” she snapped, her face twisted in unhappiness. So much for a love scene.

“No,” Nicholas said.

“No? I’m the professional here,” Bridget said, “And I’m telling you that we can’t

go into

this scene unprepared. You might think it’s just kissing, but I swear, to be believable, it can’t be the first time. We’re liable to look like two fish eating each other.”

Beside me, Julian snorted a laugh.

On his shoulders, Elva looked down at me. “What’s happening, Mommy?”

+15 BONUS

“Just a little spat between the actors, honey,” I told her. Inside, I was pleased.

at a one-

Bridget might have had a good point, if this were an actual set or theater and not just a off event made up of mostly high–class women and two princes. I knew for a fact that no one was going to accuse Nicholas of being a bad actor, no matter how badly he did.

They could look like two fish eating each other, and the crowd would still roar with applause.

But I suspected, and I wondered if Nicholas did too, that Bridget might be pushing so hard to practice the kiss just for the sake of kissing Nicholas.

Or maybe Nicholas was oblivious, as he seemed to be with everything else Bridget. Maybe his hesitance was more out of consideration for me. I liked to think that was true, anyway.

Possibly, he was simply being considerate to all the girls, Olivia and Lilliana too. Kissing Bridget in the play would have given her even more of an unfair advantage.

Bridget, regardless of Nicholas’s reason, was absolutely furious.

“No,” Nicholas said again.

Bridget huffed. “Fine. If you refuse, maybe we should try a stand–in instead.” Her eyes fell down over the crowd. “Julian?”

Julian stilled.

Bridget called again. “Julian, come up here please. Let’s show Nicholas how this is supposed to go.”

“You don’t have to,” I whispered to him. He was so strong earlier, refusing to help her shift the props pointlessly around on stage.

Julian looked at me, and I could see in his eyes that he was breaking. “I’m a weak man, Piper.”

He had been strong until now, but he was not strong enough to ignore a chance to kiss. Bridget. I was disappointed but I understood. His heart still yearned for her.

Slowly, he lifted Elva off of his shoulders and lowered her down to the ground. She wouldn’t be able to see anymore, but maybe that was for the best.

Julian turned from me and headed for the stapp

walking toward Bridget..

Quick as lightning, he was up upon it,

Bridget didn’t say a word past that point. She just opened up her arms and he slide between them. Then, his mouth was on hers.

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+15 BONUS

They didn’t look like two fish eating each other. They looked like two people in love. Bridget. was a very good actor, and Julian didn’t have to be. His arms curled around her waist. One of her hands cupped his cheek.

It was tender and gentle and made me blush.

“I can’t see!” Elva said.

“They haven’t started again yet,” I told her.

When the kiss ended, Julian moved forward like he wanted another, but Bridget, not so gently anymore, shoved him away. She turned to Nicholas instead.

“See? That’s what we need to do,” Bridget told Nicholas. “It will only look natural if we practice like this.”

Julian, meanwhile, blinked a few times, like he was waking from a trance – or a dream.

I wasn’t sure when the truth of what was happening hit him. He was a smart guy, cunning, but Bridget seemed to make all of his wires crossed.

If he wasn’t love blind he would have known going up that Bridget’s main intent with this display was to make Nicholas jealous. Deep down, maybe he did know that.

Maybe he had been hoping that an actual kiss would change things, make her realize that he was the one who had always been worthy of her love, not Nicholas.

Whatever lies he told himself to get up onto that stage were shattered now. He turned,

rushed down the stairs and headed for the ballroom exit.

‘Stay with Veronica,” I quickly told Elva. Veronica nodded at me, then accepted Elva’s hand. “I have to check on Julian.”

“Okay,” Elva said.

With Elva safe, I rushed through the crowd to find Julian. I caught him right before he could leave the room. We were far enough from the others for our whispered words to be private.

“Don’t ask me anything,” Julian said. He wasn’t smiling, not even to pretend. His eyes had a haunted, faraway look to them.

“We don’t have to talk,” I said. “But it seemed like you needed someone near you.”

“Someone I trust, you mean,” he said.

I nodded. “Someone you trust.”

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+15 BONUS

He looked at me and his eyes focused somewhat. “Piper…”

“We don’t have to talk,” I said again.

He had Bridget’s smeared lipstick smudged at the corner of his mouth. Slowly, telegraphing my every move, I reached up and wiped it away with my thumb.

“Thanks,” he said. He laughed once then, bitterly. “Guess you think I’m the world’s biggest idiot.”

“No,” I said. “I think you are a man in love with a woman who doesn’t know what she has. And that kind of love is hard to ignore, even harder to let go of.

Julian nodded. “Like I said, the world’s biggest idiot.”

“No,” I assured him. I meant to say more, but as I glanced toward the stage, I paused as I noticed the piercing gaze of only one person watching us.

From this distance, I couldn’t read her face, but she was definitely staring straight at us, seeing our every gesture and movement.

Bridget.

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