Page 88 of Forbidden Romeo
He flipped the light switch on beside him and I blinked against the harsh fluorescent lights of the hospital room. “Do you mind?” I snapped. “Duncan’s resting.”
Behind them, two cops entered.
“What’s this?” I asked, my voice coming out weak and raspy.
“This is Officer Garrison and Officer Pignoli. They need to take your statement about what happened.”
“Now?” I glance at Duncan, my stomach souring at the sight of him.
I had to lie during triage and tell them I was Duncan’s brother before they finally let me in here and told me anything useful.
He was lucky to be alive. That’s what the doctor had said.
But something told me Duncan wasn’t going to see it that way when he woke up and learned he’d be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.
Clearing his throat, my dad turned to the officers. “John, do you mind if we have a moment?”
“A quick one.” The cops nodded and left.
“Son, I know this is scary,” Dad started, “All your classmates have already given their statements and it seems obvious this was one big accident. They just need you to confirm that Duncan slipped since you were right there with them?—”
“I don’t see why this can’t at least wait until morning. He’s going to wake up soon.”
McCay pushed my dad out of the way storming towards me. “Are you fucking kidding me, Holden?” she hissed. “Your dad and I are trying to save your sorry ass right now. I could lose my fucking job over this, you know that?”
I stood up, going nose to nose with McCay. “Well, considering Duncan has lost his ability to walk, I’d say you’d be getting off easy.”
She glared at me, unsurprisingly not backing down. “You ungrateful little shit. After everything I’ve done for you? You not only get drunk during one of the most prestigious events I’ve ever set up for students, but you fuck your costar on the stage in front of dozens of my peers.”
My face blanches and for the first time since Duncan’s fall, I feel sick all over again about what I did during the performance.
“That’s not… it wasn’t…”
A smirk of triumph curved on McCay’s mouth. “Oh, did you think I wouldn’t fucking notice that? I spent half the night convincing the other directors that you were just that good of an actor. I fucking saved your ass. I even leveraged your performance into a job offer…”
I rubbed my eyes, ready to argue with her until the last words registered. “You did what?”
McCay’s smirk grew. “You heard me. You’ve been offered a part in a new show at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Jersey. Tons of new shows that start there make it to Broadway. It’s notorious.”
I glanced at my dad, too stunned to speak. “I… I’m going to be an actor,” I said. “Like for real?”
McCay nodded. “I told you had something special. Technically, rehearsals start in April, but they know you have to graduate, so you’ll be coming into the run later. And I think if you chat with your advisor, they may even be able to count some rehearsal time as credit and get you out of school faster.”
I fell back into the chair beside Duncan, still too stunned to speak. It wasn’t fucking fair. That on the worst day of his life, mine was taking off. “What about Katherine?”
There was a quick, silent exchange between my dad and McCay.
“Well, she’s not as far along in school as you. But she did have a summer internship offer with a prestigious Shakespeare festival.”
I exhaled in sweet relief.
We were going to be okay.
Katherine was going to be an actress after all. I hadn’t ruined it all by fucking up her audition with Abrams or the scene tonight?—
“Until Addison had to go run her goddamned mouth to the reviewer,” McCay added. “They pulled the offer when the article came out and now my hands are tied. I’m going to have to do something.”
Well that got my attention. I jerked my gaze back up to hers, spine going steely. “What do you mean ‘do something’?”