“Okay, I love you guys, but I have to go to bed,” Alyx says through a yawn.
“Then go to bed,” Ella snaps.
“You’re kinda sitting on it.” He leans back into the couch, stretching his arms up, exposing a sliver of his abs. I watch Ella’s eyes fixate on it.
“You have a bed, dumbass,” she says, looking annoyed.
“I’m sleeping out here in case this one has any nightmares.” He hooks his thumb, pointing at me.
“Well, if she does, I’ll be there to help since I’m sleeping with her.”
“Nuh-uh. You’re not staying here. Ethan would kill me if he knew two of his sisters were spending the night at my place. I love the guy, he’s my best friend, but sometimes I think he looks at me like I’m only after one thing, so he gets really hung up on the idea of me hanging around you two too much. Just because I fucked around a lot when we lived together doesn’t mean I’m going to fuck anyone I see. He tends to overreact when it comes to his sisters.”
“He’s just really protective,” I agree.
Ella nods. “He practically raised us since Dad was always working. Sometimes I worry more about his approval than Dad’s.”
“So we agree, you’re leaving,” he says to Ella.
“Uh, no, I’m not.”
They stare at each other for several minutes, neither backing down until Alyx walks to his room, speaking over his shoulder. “I’m going to grab some pillows. This room better be empty when I return.”
CHAPTER 36
EMMA
It’s been a stressful week full of tech and dress rehearsals. The first several shows went well, and I’m relieved that this matinee is our final performance. Avoiding John during those has been surprisingly easy. It’s in the quiet moments of the evening, when I’m lying in bed, that my mind drifts to him. I still haven’t looked at his texts. If I don’t look, then his excuses won’t let me down. I’ve officially moved on to bargaining, with a side of ice cream-fueled depression.
We’re nearing the end of Act Four as I stand in the wings, taking deep breaths, pushing these thoughts down as I will the nerves away.
“Stage fright?” a voice whisper asks behind me. I turn to see Jeremy and offer him a small smile.
“Something like that,” I say, tight-lipped. We’ve come a long way in rehearsals, and I’ve been able to handle his touches with little incident. With some creative blocking, we were able to stage our kiss so it looks real. I’ve built it up in my head, but our actual kiss is just a quick peck. And that quick peck is all that’s standing between me and the end of the show. Once I get through this, I can go back to my apartment andsink into my bed as I wallow in my married professor-induced grief.
I shake out my hands, hoping to dispel more of my nervous energy.
“Want some water? I haven’t drunk from it yet,” he says, unscrewing the cap and handing it to me.
“Thanks.” I gulp down nearly half the bottle.
“Easy there, tiger.” He laughs as I hand it back to him.
There’s a blackout on stage, and we stand there, waiting for our cue.
Once we make our entrance, the scene moves along smoothly, the audience laughs at the appropriate parts and gasps when the hidden identities are revealed. But something feels off. I look out into the audience and make eye contact with a man in the front row. It’s hard to focus, and I suddenly feel dizzy, like I’ve been drinking. The man sitting in the front row peers up at me, clenching his jaw. He looks peeved. Wait, is that John? It looks like John, but it’s hard to tell since my vision feels foggy and he’s blurring in and out of focus. I squint my eyes, trying to make him out better.
“And since you called me “master” for so long,
Here is my hand. You shall from this time be
Your master’s mistress.”
I can hear Jeremy’s words next to me, but my gaze is stuck on the man in the crowd.
Is it him?
Jeremy yanks me against his body, and I stumble over my feet. This isn’t what we rehearsed. My mouth goes dry as I struggle to hold my head up. I look down at my arms that are trapped between us. Rough hands cup my face, as thumbs stroke my cheekbones. For a second it feels like a dream, and I shut my eyes, picturing John’s face peering back at me. But when I open them, I see Jeremy’s face coming toward mine as he leans in and kisses me directly on the lips. I feel light-headedand I try to push him away, but everything around me feels like it’s in slow motion yet quickly spinning at the same time. The kiss feels like it lasts forever, but I’m too weak to stop it.
