Page 1 of Forbidden Romeo

CHAPTER 1

There are moments in life when the world slows down like a movie. Moments that I know, no matter what, will replay in my head over and over, imprinting on me.

Sometimes they’re moments I never want to forget. Other times, like now, I just know I’ll have to live this nightmare over and over again.

So when the beautiful brunette exits out of Holden’s dressing room, I know in my gut she’s going to change my life irrevocably. She’s wearing jeans, a simple button down top, and a nervous smile as she glances between Missy and me. “I thought we were meeting with Holden?” the woman asks.

“We will,” Missy says calmly. “But first, I wanted you to meet Kate. Kate, this is Megan.”

Confused, I give the woman a slight nod as a hello. Who is she? Why is Missy bringing her out to meet me now?

“Katherine?” Holden’s voice on the phone tries to get my attention, but my focus is locked on Megan and I can’t bring myself to answer him. “Katherine, please,” Holden begs. “Are you there?”

Megan opens her mouth to speak, regret seemingly washing over her features. “I really think we should wait for Holden in the other room.”

We.

Right then, a young boy steps out from behind her frame. He must be about eight years old or so.

He has Holden’s dark hair. Holden’s high cheekbones. And most notably, his amber brown eyes.

“Megan,” I whisper. As in Holden’s ex-girlfriend.

I drop the phone to my side as Megan shuffles herself and the little boy backwards toward Holden’s dressing room.

Missy leans in behind me, whispering, “Can’t you just see the headlines? A Comedy of Errors: The Secret Lovechild of Holden James!” I squeeze my eyes shut against the burning pain in my sinuses as she adds, “All you have to do is give me your part and all this can go away.”

Only it can’t go away. It won’t. Because I’ll always know the truth.

This… this changes everything.

My phone buzzes in my palm and I look down to see Holden calling me again.

Numb, I answer it. Not sure what to say. What to ask him. How to warn him. “I’m here,” I croak into the receiver, rubbing my burning eyes.

“Thank God,” Holden exhales. “It’s your dad, Katherine. You need to come back to the hospital. H-he, he…” He trails off and for a moment I think I lost him.

“Holden, just say it.”

He pauses once more to clear his throat. “Your dad. He passed away.”

I shake my head to clear the fog.

“What? No. I was just with him. He’s the one who told me to come here to do the show?—”

“Katherine,” Holden says again, “he’s gone. He died at 7:26 p.m. I was here in the room with him.”

My dad is dead. He died without me. My sinuses tingle and burn as tears fill my eyes.

Through my distorted vision, I look up just in time to see Megan glancing between me and Missy from the doorway of Holden’s dressing room before taking a trembling step backward, tugging the little boy with her. “This… this was a mistake,” she whispers.

I might not be able to fix or change the situation with my dad, but maybe I can save this. “Holden, I’ll call you back,” I say quickly and hang up on him. “Megan, wait!” I call out and start to run after her. I only make it a step before Missy yanks me back by the elbow.

“You’re fucking joking, right? I’m giving you an opportunity here, Kate. Leave the show and this girl and Holden’s lovechild don’t have to be in your lives ever again.”

I wrench my arm from her pinching grasp. “Do you know why I’ve made it this far in life despite people like you and Laurie trying to stop me every step of the way?” She doesn’t answer me, but her glare is response enough. Instead of shrinking back, I step forward into her space.

She’s half a head taller than me, but right now, she and I are equals. I might as well be eye to eye with her. I’m Invincible. Unstoppable. “Because people like you have underestimated me. My whole life. People like you assume that I can be scared away or bought off. And you’re fucking wrong, Missy. This is my show and I’m keeping it. And if that’s Holden’s son, we’ll figure it out. So print your stupid headlines and let’s see which of us perseveres longer in this city.”

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