Page 51 of Rebel Romeo

“That’s not for you,” I said, trying to snatch it back out of her hands.

“Yeah, well something tells me the person it is for is going to be a little late today.”

I narrowed my eyes onto her. “How do you know that? What the fuck did you do?”

“She got a huge order of fancy lattes called into the cafe where she works right before her shift ended.”

Katherine works at a cafe before class? That was news to me.

Addison gave a little shrug and took another sip of tea, her mouth screwing into a frown. “Ugh, this is terrible. It’s like drinking dandelions. How can she like this?”

“Alright!” Professor McCay clapped her hands together. “I’d love to run Act 1 from the top and see how much we can get through.” She paused, looking around the classroom. “Still no Kate? Then Addison, you’re up. Places for the top of Act 1.”

Fuck. Where the hell was Katherine? It wasn’t like her at all to be late. Addison and I climbed the stairs to the stage with our fellow castmates, getting into our places for the first scene when the door at the back of the theater slammed open and Kate came rushing down the center aisle. “I’m here! I’m here! Sorry. I got held up at work?—”

“Sorry, Ms. Harris,” Professor McCay said. “You know the rules. We’re starting without you today. You can watch today’s rehearsal from the audience.”

“But I’m barely two minutes late?—”

Keith stepped up beside McCay and sheepishly added, “Can’t we make an exception to the late rule this one time?—”

“No, Keith, we can’t,” McCay snapped. “These rules exist for a reason. In the real world, a professional can’t roll into rehearsal late and expect the whole cast to be waiting on her. So for today, Addison is playing Julie. It will be good for her to get some time on the stage to practice, anyway.” Slowly, McCay turned her head to look at Kate. “And maybe next time, you won’t be late.”

From up on the stage, Kate turned to look at me, eyes wide with unshed tears. Those tears would be the end of me. I would kill to see them stop. I’d tear anyone limb from limb to protect her and make that frown go away.

Around us, everyone else took their places. The world as our stage continued. McCay sat in the front row while Keith heaved a sigh and moved to sit in the back row to watch the run.

Interesting. He and McCay were usually inseparable. Sitting beside each other during rehearsals, whispering and sharing notes.

Trouble in paradise, maybe?

Nate moved stage left, grabbing his prop sword. And Addison went stage right.

But without Katherine, the world wasn’t a fucking stage for me. Without Katherine, this world was nothing but an empty black hole.

Before I could stop myself, before I even knew what I was doing, I was taking the stairs, one by one, off the stage.

“Holden!” Professor McCay called after me as I walked into the audience and gathered my things into my bag. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“I’m not performing without Katherine,” I snapped, wincing as I yanked my bag up onto my bad shoulder. “So you might as well send my understudy on, too today.”

McCay’s mouth pressed into a firm line. “We don’t have an understudy for you, Holden.”

“Poor planning on your part if you ask me.” My brows lifted and I leaned in closer to McCay. “Whatever little game you’re playing might work with Kate. Toying with her emotions, trying to prove what a big, bad director you are. But that shit won’t work with me. You can’t threaten me with taking away something I never wanted in the first place.”

I turned, walking down the aisle to where Katherine stood, stunned. Frozen. I threaded my fingers into hers and gave her hand an encouraging squeeze, tugging her toward the door with me.

“If you leave now, you both get a zero for the day!” McCay shouted.

So close. We both halted midstep, mere steps from the door. I looked at Katherine, her panicked expression wild and terrified. If I were a betting man, I’d guess she’d never gotten a zero in her entire life.

“That’s right,” McCay said. “You may not want to be an actor or need my approval. But you do need an A in this class to get into law school next year, isn’t that right, Mr. Dorsey?”

Fuck me. How did she know that?

“It’s okay,” Katherine whispered. “Go ahead. Acting with understudies is just part of life in the theater.”

I shook my head, not releasing her hand. “I meant what I said. The only way I’m Romeo is if you’re my Juliet.” She held my stare with her sharp inhale, a sheen of tears filling her eyes. Smiling, I lifted my hand, brushing the tip of my finger between her brows. “Does it burn here?”

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