Albina appeared, carrying a glass vase stuffed with a shit-ton of red roses. “These are heavy,” she announced, “and they are for you.”
She plunked them down on Laurel’s table where they took up most of the space, and Laurel’s concerned gaze found mine through the mirror. Her expression screamed this wasn’t normal.
That this had to be fromhim.
Every muscle in me tensed, and I reached down to grab the vase, hurrying to get it as far away from her as I?—
“From someone named Shawn,” Albina added casually.
I froze, and Laurel let out a sigh of relief.
My brother’s stupid, well-meaning gesture had nearly given us a heart attack.
“How could you not tell me you had a boyfriend?” Albina was oblivious to the tension that lingered. “A hot, German one?”
For a moment Laurel’s face skewed as if she didn’t know how to answer it.
“My boyfriend’s not German.” She inhaled deeply and her voice went uneven. “That was his brother.”
35
LAUREL
There was no outwardreaction from Jason when I declared him as mine. Maybe it seemed trivial, given all that had happened. It wasn’t like he could argue against it right in front of Albina.
But I hadn’t asked him to give up his life and follow me. He’d volunteered to do that on his own.
He believed we belonged together. And then, for just one tiny moment, I saw the hint of a smile on his lips. He agreed with me labeling our relationship this way. It made the performance butterflies already in my stomach compete with the butterflies he created in me.
Albina glanced at him. “I should change elsewhere?”
“If you don’t mind,” he said. “I can’t leave her.”
I couldn’t tell if it carried any meaning beyond the obvious, but it only made the butterflies worse.
She collected her things while I finished putting my hair up. Once she left, I moved the vase out of my way and began to layer on my foundation. The fading bruises from my encounters with Frey shouldn’t be too difficult to cover with my stage makeup. It was powerful stuff.
Jason was quiet as I applied concealer, and the sweet perfume from the roses his brother had sent invaded every breath I took.
“This must have been expensive,” I said. People spending money on me made me uncomfortable.
“He can afford it.” He moved to drop into Albina’s vacant chair. “Think they’d mind if you wore a Kevlar vest over your costume?”
I smiled. “Yeah, I think they would.”
When the stage manager announced over the backstage speakers it was fifteen minutes to curtain, Albina reappeared in her costume. She gave Jason a pointed look and took her seat a half-second after he vacated it, so she could get started on her hair and makeup.
It was surreal to put on my pointe shoes. Last time I’d been in this room and in this costume, I’d laced them on, believing it was the true start to my career.
Now it was the end.
His hand was cold on my bare shoulder. “What is it?”
“I’m just trying to take it all in, so I can remember it.”
His hand was gone and dug into his pocket to produce his phone. “Stand up for a minute.”
He wanted to take my picture? I came to my feet, and a wide smile spread across my face. I liked the idea of my picture in his phone, especially if we were going to be separated soon.
