Page 108 of The Ruse

Dreading them because I knew Asher was right there, watching it all.

Watching the way Nash let his hands roam across my shoulders and down my arm.

Watching all the romantic moments that made Asher clench his hands into fists and look like he wanted to run on stage and tear Nash away from me.

It could all just be acting, since Raoul was supposed to feel jealous and hurt when he saw the way Christine and The Phantom sang the song together, but I wasn’t so sure.

Because if he was simply acting, he wouldn’t be in such a bad mood every time rehearsal ended, right?

The part of me that liked him—and had been looking for signs all week on whether or not he liked me back—hoped that he was at least partially wishing it wasusdoing that scene.

“Man, Asher, I’ve got to hand it to you,” I overheard Nash tell Asher after rehearsal. “You’re really spectacular at playing the part of a jealous Raoul.”

We were the last people left in the auditorium and I was on the other side of the curtain from them, packing up my things, so Nash probably assumed they were alone.

“Just doing my job,” Asher said, his voice more gruff than usual. Like he was annoyed at Nash for bringing it up.

“Well, you’re nailing it,” Nash said. “So well that during that last time through, I was starting to wonder if you might actually have real feelings.”

“For Christine?”

“For Elyse,” Nash said, a hint of taunting in his voice. “You don’t have a crush on my girl, do you?”

“Yourgirl?” Asher asked.

My ears perked up, and I stepped closer to the curtain to hear them better.

Was Asher going to answer Nash’s question? Did he have feelings for me?

We had barely spoken all week, so I really didn’t know where things stood with us, aside from knowing how badly I was trying not to like him.

I wasn’t supposed to be falling for him.

My heart pounded faster as I waited for him to say more.

But instead of answering Nash’s question, Asher said, “Just enjoy this moment while you can.”

“Enjoy this moment?” Nash asked, like he didn’t know what Asher was talking about.

“Putting your hands all over Elyse,” Asher said. “Having her sing that song to you and looking at you like she wants you to do the things you’re singing about.”

“Oh, I’m definitely enjoying it,” Nash said. And then, after a short pause where I imagined a smirk lifting his lips, he added, “Elyse hasn’t been complaining about it, either.”

I gasped and had to cover my mouth to smother the sound.

Is he actually saying all this?

Was this how Nash talked about me when he didn’t think I was around?

I stepped closer to the wall so I could look at the boys through a crack in the curtains. They were both facing each other in the center of the stage, Asher’s few inches on Nash making him tower over him.

“That’s because she’s a great actress,” Asher said, looking Nash up and down as if sizing him up.

“You think it’s all just acting?” Nash scoffed.

“It could be,” Asher said. “I know she likes you, but I’ve never seen her act like that around you outside of rehearsal.”

Which I guess was true.

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