Page 59 of Broken Romeo
Lucky for me, I didn’t give a fuck about the theater department. At least not until I got my A for the term. But the idea that this lowly theater professor thought she could ruin me?
I smirked to myself. Think again, McCay.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
There’s a knot in my back the size of the Washington Monument. It’s so damn tight that no amount of stretching, yoga, or Icy Hot is easing the pain.
On my hands and knees in the center of the stage, I warm up my spine and body with some cat/cow yoga poses, trying to center myself; to focus for today’s rehearsal.
But my mind’s far from focused. Instead of being in Skyler’s head, I’m staring at the gray dust gathering on the knees of my black yoga pants.
I inhale deeply through my nose and release it slowly out of my mouth.
Inhale. Exhale. Focus.
Inhale. Exhale. Focu—
“Hey,” a soft voice breaks my concentration. Well, it breaks what little concentration I had scraped together.
When I glance up, Nolan’s standing over me, his eyes on my ass.
A blush heats my cheeks, and I sit up on my heels, tugging my t-shirt down over my yoga pants. “Hi.”
It’s just so weird. Guys like Nolan don’t desire girls like me. I’m small—and not in the sexy, fit kind of way. I’m just petite with the body of a tomboy high school girl still waiting on her period. My hair is a weird shade that’s not quite blonde and not quite brown. Jill says that people pay a ton of money to get natural highlights like mine, but she’s full of shit. I’ve been around enough actresses to know that none of them have my caramel undertones. They go bold—all-in blonde or all-in brunette.
The really ballsy girls go redhead.
“So,” Nolan says, flashing me a sheepish grin. “About last night. I have to ask… are you and Holden—”
“No. God, no.” Leveraging my weight on my knees, I push to stand in front of him. Which does very little to actually bring me to eye-level with Nolan considering he’s a whole head taller than me. “Holden and I are not… um… you know.”
“Fucking?” he asks bluntly.
Jesus. Are all men this crass? I clear my throat. “Yes. I mean, no! No, we’re not fucking.”
“But you used to?” Nolan pushes.
I gulp and Holden’s voice rings in my head from our first day of rehearsal. It’s probably best that no one knows we used to date. Wouldn’t want them thinking that’s why you got this part.
I wouldn’t have to lie if Holden had just kept his shit together the other night when we all went out. Or better yet… if he hadn’t shown up at all.
“Kate.” Nolan chuckles and takes my hand. “It’s okay… God knows you’re not the first person to sleep with their director—”
Oh, God. I think I’m going to be sick. Holden was right—everyone thinks I slept with him to get this part. My throat tightens and my sinuses burn.
“Because that’s the only conceivable way that Holden would cast me and not Missy Howl, right?” I interrupt him.
Nolan blinks, surprised by my accusation. “I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to.”
I turn away from him to grab my script. No matter what happens between Nolan and I, we still have to work together and fall madly in love with each other every night on stage.
“Kate, wait.” He grabs my hand, stopping me from walking away. “I wasn’t talking about you when I said you’re not the first person to…”
His voice trails off and I lift my brows. “Are you telling me you slept with Holden?”
Now, that would be a surprising turn of events.