Page 85 of Love Me Not
Why would I be so important that he’d go to such lengths? He didn’t just make sure the drama club could keep going. He made sure everyone could.
With a heavy sigh, she bent until we were eye to eye and lowered her voice to a near growl. “That man is head over heels for you and if you don’t get out of your own way and lock him down right now, you’re an idiot.” Straightening, she added, “Don’t be an idiot.”
There was no need to be so aggressive about it. “You can stop saying idiot, okay? I get it. He likes me.” Gnawing on my thumb nail, I said, “But for how long?”
Carole returned to the seat beside me. “There are no guarantees in life or love, Lindsey, but that doesn’t mean you don’t take the risk. Isn’t that what this play was about? Making choices, even when they’re hard? Follow your heart, woman. That’s the only way you’ll get an answer.”
That was the message of the play. I picked it for the kids, but maybe I needed the reminder myself.
When I nodded, trying to breathe around the weight in my chest, she stood, kissed the top of my head, and whispered, “You’re worth fighting for, my dear. Remember that.”
While I did my best to absorb her words, she walked off, and the buzz around me fell away, drowned out by the voice in my head. The one that insisted that I not fall for this trick. That I not get my hopes up or even consider the possibility that maybe I was not the problem. That I might not be so unlovable after all.
Maybe it was time to tell that voice to go to hell.
“Come on, woman,” said Josie as I walked down the corner steps off the stage. “We’re all headed to this party at Trey’s house.”
Speaking of… “Where is Trey?” I asked, looking around and not spotting him anywhere.
“He went to find you. Have you not seen him?”
“No, I was sitting off stage talking to Carole.” Processing what she said, I turned her way. “Did you say a party?”
“Yeah, he told Miles we should all head over to his place, and then he went looking for you.” She waved to Miles at the back of the auditorium, then held up a finger to say she’d be there in a minute. Turning back to me, she said, “Do you want me to help you find him? He has to be here somewhere.”
“No, that’s all right.” Remembering I didn’t actually know where Trey lived, I said, “Text me his address though.”
Blonde brows shot up. “You don’t know his address?”
“I haven’t had a reason to know it, and until five minutes ago I didn’t think I would.”
“What happened five minutes ago?”
I needed to talk to Trey first. “I’ll explain later. Just text me, okay?”
“Will do,” Josie said as I headed back to the stage. She was right. He had to be back here somewhere.
I found several in the cast still milling about and I realized I had yet to tell them how amazing they were. I normally would have done that by now, but the newspaper and then the talk with Carole threw me off.
The first person I found was Emma. “You were great up there. How did it feel?”
As the most experienced member of the cast and the female lead, she could give me the most feedback on how the production felt from the inside. If we should make changes before tomorrow night, I needed to know now.
“Ms. P., that was the best experience ever. It didn’t even feel like performing. We were just living it.”
Definitely not making any changes. “That’s how it felt watching as well. I’m so proud of all of you.”
“That was so much fun,” Kaitlyn said, rushing up to join us. “Is it true even the newspaper was here?”
“The newspaper?” Emma repeated.
“It’s true,” I assured them. “They said we’ll be in the online edition in the morning.”
The pair, who’d grown closer over the last few weeks, danced with joy.
“This is so cool. Our first newspaper review.” Emma stopped dancing. “You don’t think they hated it, do you?”
There was no way to know for sure, but the reporter didn’t give that impression. “I have no doubt whatever they post will be all good things. And hopefully, it’ll put even more people in the seats.”