Page 55 of Rebel Romeo

“Katherine, come on in,” he says.

Even though I have a strong suspicion he’s about to tell me about my new understudy, I’m still nervous as all hell. “Maggie said you wanted to see me? Something about a costume—” I look around the dressing room at a few of the outfits the costume designer has picked out for me.

“No. I just had Maggie say that because I wanted to warn you first?—”

“That I have an understudy?”

His eyes dart to mine, his face going momentarily red-hot. “Yeah,” he admits with a cough into his fisted hand. “Exactly that. Missy and my dad made a decision without me knowing until this morning.”

“I know. I’ve known it’s coming for a couple days now. I just assumed you did, too.”

He looks shocked, perplexed, his eyes jerking to mine. “What do you mean you’ve known for a couple days?”

“Nolan knew, too. Missy told us.”

“She what? How… when?”

“After our rehearsal at the Empire State Building. She waited for me outside of my subway stop in Brooklyn and ambushed me.”

Holden turns away from me, frustrated and threading his fingers through his hair. “I can’t believe she did that.” With a pause, we stare at each other, frustration and sadness ebb from him, crawling toward me like high tide rolling in. “I’m sorry, Katherine. I’m so fucking sorry.”

His voice cracks with the apology and I jerk back, so surprised by his words, I nearly stumble.

Those words… I’d longed for them for so long. I’d dreamed of the time he might look me in the eyes and apologize. “For what, exactly this time?” My voice comes out in a breathy whisper that sounds so unlike myself.

With a pained expression, he looks up at me. “For everything. For undergrad. And for ignoring you after. I could barely look at myself in a mirror, there was no way I could have looked you in the eyes. I’m sorry for getting you involved in this civil war between my dad and me. I’m sorry for bringing Missy into your life and putting a target on your back.”

My face screws into a frown. Something isn’t adding up here. “Missy’s obviously trying to mess with my head with the understudy, but it doesn’t. I mean, I was a little rattled at first, but Nolan was right. We should have understudies. I want an understudy. Sure, it’s a little nerve racking knowing someone is in the wings hoping I might sprain an ankle or something, but understudies are a way of life, Holden.”

Holden’s face goes slack, white as a sheet. “So she hasn’t told you…”

“Told me what? What’s the big deal?”

Holden held out his hands to me in what I think is supposed to be a comforting gesture. “Missy casted your understudy off the audition tapes I had on my laptop. She made the choice with my dad and together, they chose?—”

His eyes lift over my shoulder to someone behind me.

“They chose me,” A soft, lilting voice says behind me.

I curl my fingers into a fist, my spine straightening as an icy whip lashes against me.

I know that voice.

I know that voice and I hate that voice. That voice has been imprinted on my mind ever since freshman year.

“No,” I whisper, shaking my head at Holden.

It can’t be.

“I’m sorry,” Holden says. “They signed the contracts last night without me.”

I turn slowly coming face to face with her. Those same brown eyes. The same auburn hair. Same pouty lips. “Addison.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Holden

Five years ago…

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