Page 4 of Rebel Romeo

Real. She was going to say real, but caught herself.

“Well… it is. But I’m going to try, Mal. I swear. I’m going to try to get down there.”

Even though she doesn’t sigh, I can hear the urge to in her voice. “It’s fine, Kate. Just… come visit when you can. Soon.”

“I’ll talk with—” I almost say Holden, but stop myself. Mallory knows all about Holden. Or rather, too much about Holden. And I don’t want to get into that right now. “I’ll talk with my director and get back to you today. But can you text me Dad’s room number? I want to call him.”

“Yeah. I’ll text it to you.” She pauses. “Kate? Really try, okay. It would mean a lot. To everyone.”

I hate her implication that under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t really try. But then again, getting home to the town I ran away from and the family I’d disappointed has never been much of a priority for me. So I guess I also can’t blame her for that statement. “I’ll try, I swear. I’ll do everything I can.”

After we hang up, I slowly make my way back into the theater and I’m shocked to find the meeting already over. Nolan’s on stage, warming up with Amy.

“Katherine,” Holden’s voice booms from the back row of the seats. “You’re late.”

“How can I be late to something that didn’t have an official start time?” I challenge, grabbing my bag and warm tea from the since abandoned production meeting table.

I take a sip of the lemon-ginger black tea, letting the much needed hit of citrus and caffeine encase me like a security blanket.

“Our official start time was after the meeting ended. And you weren’t here for that. According to equity guidelines, you get docked for fifteen minutes of pay, even if you’re one-minute late.”

I narrow my eyes, my grip on the paper cup tightening. “You know, I think Actor’s Equity Alliance would like to hear about the standards of which these rehearsals have been running.”

Because the truth is, even though I wasn’t yet contracted with the show for the previous two weeks of rehearsal, Holden was working me longer than Equity guidelines allow without breaks.

And based on the flash in his amber eyes, he damn well knows that fact, too.

Senator Dorsey appears between us, with a briefcase clutched in his hand. He wears his slimy politician smile as easily as he wore his Brooks Brothers suit. “Oh, Holden. I think today’s rehearsal was an extenuating circumstance wouldn’t you say? We can let this lateness slide. Just this once.”

With that, Senator Dorsey glides out the door. I glare after him as the door shuts behind him. Sliding in to pretend he’s a good guy saving the day for me? His tactics don’t fool me.

He’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing and Holden and I both need to keep our eyes on him.

Holden’s jaw ticks, the muscles taut like a pitbull’s. “Start warming up with Nolan,” he says. And with that one statement, I’m dismissed.

I give a curt nod, dropping my things in a chair in the audience before turning to head to the stage.

“And Kate?” He doesn’t wait for me to turn to look at him before saying, “Don’t be late to another one of my rehearsals again.”

I don’t know what brought about this aggressive change in his tone toward me. But it sure as hell is going to make asking for a couple days off from rehearsal that much harder.

“Is that a threat?” I ask, my voice so low, I’m not sure he hears me.

After a long beat, he responds, “No. It’s a fact.”

CHAPTER THREE

Holden

Five years ago…

My mother was talking to Katherine outside of her dorm rooms. My mother. With Katherine. After Katherine mysteriously quit our show and was trying to transfer out of the class entirely.

No. This couldn’t be happening to me again. My parents promised after Megan that they would never interfere with my love life again—and my mom didn’t know half the shit my dad pulled with that relationship. I hadn’t believed them, either of them, which was why I avoided anything other than a random hook up here and there.

But here we were again. Despite the fact that my mom had drunkenly expressed such regret over how she treated Megan just a few days ago.

It was all bullshit.

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