Chapter l441

Chapter 0441

As Bridget finished her solo scene, it was time for Nicholas and me to head to the stage for our breakup scene.

“Break a leg,” Bridget said to us as we passed each other. I knew this was the traditional way of wishing someone good luck in a theater production, but my wolf still snarled inside of me like it was a threat. Fortunately, I held it back before the sound could audibly escape me.

Nicholas held out his arm for me as we reached the stairs to the stage. On the surface, it was a gesture of kindness. As a gentleman, Nicholas wanted to be sure I wouldn’t trip on my skirts on my way up the stairs.

Yet underneath, there was more to steady presence of his arm under mine. This was an apology for what was to come.

The apology wasn’t necessary. By now, we’d practiced this scene enough that I barely felt anything at all. Still, it warmed me from the inside out, knowing Nicholas cared so much.

With the stage covered in darkness, Nicholas and I released our gentle hold on each other and moved into our positions.

The lights clicked on, and the scene began.

Nicholas looked at me and said, “We have to end things between us…”

“Why?”

“There’s someone else.”

“Who?”

“It doesn’t matter who.”

“I think it does,” I said, then paused. I pushed all of my emotion into my voice. “I love you.”

In all of our practices, Nicholas hesitated here, no matter how many times Nathan and Bridget tried to correct him. So it wasn’t shocking that he still hesitated now.

“Well, I don’t love you,” he eventually said.

1

The crowd loudly gasped. One person even booed. Another cried out, “That’s just wrong!”

Nicholas and I glanced at the crowd in surprise, and then at each other. That reaction certainly had not been expected.

C

+15 BONUS

I tried to regain my composure, but I needed a few seconds before I could remember my next line. “Why would you hurt me like this?”

Nicholas’s reply took even longer. This scene was quickly unraveling. “I love her.”

“Don’t do this!” someone in the audience shouted.

“Piper is the one!” another called.

Both were loudly shushed.

Thankfully, my final line was coming up and this horrible scene would soon be over.

“I never want to see either of you again!” I shouted. Then, I turned and fled from the stage.

Here, Nathan and Bridget both thought the crowd would cheer, happy to be rid of me, the last romantic obstacle standing between Nicholas’s character and Bridget’s. Instead, the crowd was deathly silent, like the grave.

Nicholas paused, as he had been instructed to, to let the applause play out. It never came. Eventually, he cleared his throat and continued with his monologue.

As the scene ended, the audience did finally react. They politely clapped.

Nicholas found me waiting in the backstage area, at the foot of the stairs. He walked to me then clutched both of my hands in his. Gently, he brought them up to his mouth to place soft kiss after soft kiss over my knuckles.

I didn’t need the reassurance that there was no hard feelings between us. But it was nice to have it all the same. I’d never turn down a bit of extra attention from Nicholas.

In a low voice, he said, “The audience was right. My character is a cad for turning away your character’s love for a woman he just met.

I smiled. “What about true love?”

Nicholas placed another kiss to the back of my palm. “Even they could tell where truly lies.”

my heart

“Nicholas…” My heart burst with affection for him. I wished I could fall into his arms and kiss him. What I would have given to be kissed senselessly in that moment. But, people were bustling around us. Even our present touch was dangerous, threatening to give us away.