Page 59 of The Wrong Costar

I huffed out a breath and looked up at him. “It wouldn’t matter even if there was.” I sighed. “I’m only here a few more weeks, and I’ll probably never see her again.” I’d been thinking more and more about the end of the semester as my time at Lincoln High started to dwindle. Time was moving way too fast, and I wasn’t nearly ready to leave this school. I was surprised by how much I’d enjoyed my time here, and I knew I would be sad when I had to return to my regular life.

Tanner gripped my shoulder and looked into my eyes. “You’ve got to grab life by the balls, man. You should ask her out and enjoy the time you have left here. You won’t get the opportunity once you’re gone.”

Balls aside, they were surprisingly deep words coming from Tanner. I really didn’t think he had them in him. I started to smile. “Didn’t realize you were so profound, Tanner.”

He laughed. “You can call me sensei.”

“I don’t think so.” I couldn’t deny that he’d made a good point though. If I didn’t take a chance now, then I might always wonder what could have been with Teagan. I had no idea if she felt the same way about me, but that shouldn’t hold me back from at least trying.

The only problem was the strong chance that it could all blow up in my face. She might not feel anything toward me, and that would make the rest of our time doing the play together completely awkward. The last thing I wanted to do was ruin the play for Teagan, but I had to believe it was worth the risk. If I only had this small amount of time with her, surely it was better if I tried and failed than never tried at all?

Tanner had given me a lot to think about, though I couldn’t spend too long mulling it all over. I needed to make a decision sooner rather than later because my time here was running out.

I didn’t see Teagan again until rehearsal after school. We were getting fitted for costumes today, and somehow, the two of us ended up being the last ones in the auditorium having our costumes pinned by a couple of moms. We’d barely exchanged two words since our kiss in rehearsal, and she hadn’t looked at me since Mr. Randall told the whole class I was watching her today.

I couldn’t tell why she was ignoring me, but I hated her silence, and I missed her laugh. I even longed for her fiery temper and would have given anything to have her yell at me rather than suffer through this indifference. I kept glancing in her direction, but her attention remained glued to the wall and as far away from me as possible.

With every moment that passed, the distance between us seemed to stretch further. It had only been a few days since we’d been babysitting Topher together and goofing around, but that felt like a lifetime ago. So much had changed in that short time, and I knew I couldn’t stand by and watch as she slipped through my fingers and beyond my grasp. I didn’t want to spend my last few weeks here avoiding eye contact with her and not speaking. She’d started acting this way toward me after we kissed in rehearsal, and a small part of me hoped that maybe,just maybe, it was because she’d liked the kiss just as much as me.

It was clear that ignoring each other wasn’t going to bridge the distance that seemed to have developed between us, and I didn’t have time to wait around for things to go back to normal. The truth was, I didn’t want them to go back to normal. If it was going to be all or nothing, then I was definitely all in.

She finished with her costume just before me and hurried from the auditorium like she couldn’t get out of there fast enough. The moment I was finished, I raced after her, hoping to catch her before she left school. I headed straight for the parking lot, and as I pushed through the doors of the front entrance, I found her slowly walking across the vast empty concrete square. My car was the only one left in the lot, so I had no idea how she intended to get home.

“Teagan, wait up,” I called, as I jogged over to her.

She turned to me, a small frown creasing her brow. “Liam, what do you want?”

I adjusted the strap of my bag as I stopped in front of her. “We got stuck here so late, I wanted to see if you need a ride home?”

“Oh.” Her face relaxed slightly. “Actually, that would be great.”

I couldn’t help but smile. She was talking to me and being able to drive her home felt like a small victory. I somehow managed to rein in my excitement as we started toward my car. I didn’t want to looktooeager.

“So, the costumes are looking good,” I said, uncertain what to say now I’d gotten her alone. I couldn’t exactly come straight out and tell her I liked her. How on Earth did people ever get together in real life? Without a script to follow, this was impossible.

“Yeah, Hayley’s mom always does a great job,” she replied.

We both fell silent again, and I scrambled for something else to say. “I’m sorry if I embarrassed you in English earlier. I didn’t mean for the teacher to call you out like that.”

Teagan shrugged but didn’t meet my gaze. “It’s fine.” It was a cool evening and she pulled her jacket in close to her chest as she glanced at me. “Were you really watching me in class?”

I pushed a hand through my hair as my stomach gave a nervous flutter. “I might have been. But can you blame me? You’re much more interesting to look at than Mr. Randall.”

A small smile pulled at the corner of her lips, but she turned to focus on my car before I could truly get a look at it. “I don’t think he’d agree with you.”

“Probably not.” I grinned.

A light rain misted the air, but neither one of us felt the need to rush because of it. The two of us slowed as we reached my car, and Teagan turned to me once more. She seemed almost hesitant, and bit down on her lower lip as she considered me. “Why were you watching me?”

I scuffed my foot across the ground, suddenly feeling embarrassed under the intensity of her gaze. I felt exposed. Her eyes had this way of penetrating the layers upon layers of disguise I normally wore for the world to see.

“I wouldn’t know where to begin,” I admitted. “But, honestly, it’s kind of hard not to look at you.”

She swallowed and tilted her head as she looked at me. A hint of surprise had brightened her green eyes, and the wind caught the stray strands of hair that weren’t swept back in her ponytail. If she could see herself right now, she wouldn’t need an explanation from me. She was so raw and beautiful. Any guy would find it impossible not to be totally enamored by her.

Drawing in a deep breath and summoning all the courage I had, I closed the distance between us and lifted a hand to lightly skim my fingers across her cheek. Her skin was cold and smooth to the touch, and one little caress just didn’t seem enough.

“I can’t stop thinking about you, Teagan,” I said. My words came out in a rush, and I hoped she couldn’t tell how nervous I was. “I think you’re smart and kind and beautiful, and I can’t get that kiss out of my mind. There’s something between us. Tell me you feel the same way.”

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