Page 18 of Don't Love the Boy Next Door
But if I don’t say anything soon, I might lose the only chance I have to make things right. Pinning my eyes on her, I say, “We need to talk about what happened.”
She slowly lifts her eyes to me.
“I can’t handle what’s going on between us, Katie. We’re ruining things with the band. Rehearsal was a total wreck. I just…” A heavy sigh seeps out of my lips as I toss some hair away from my face. “I don’t understand what’s happening.”
She tears her eyes from me and stares at the spot before her. I can only see her profile, but I catch a mix of emotions passing over her face. They fly by so quickly I can’t make sense of them. I do manage to pinpoint one. Confusion. Almost like…she herself doesn’t understand what’s going on, either.
I don’t know how much time passes, but it feels like hours. Maybe she doesn’t plan on answering. She might just march through the doors without saying a single word to me. I don’t want to think about what that’d do to me.
But she doesn’t leave. She slowly turns to me, regret burning in her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she whispers.
“I’m sorry, too.”
Her brows spring up in confusion. “What are you sorry about? You didn’t do anything wrong.” She twists her face back to the spot she stared at before. “I was the one who freaked.”
I shift in my seat. “Um, what exactly did you freak out about? I didn’t…” I squeeze my eyes shut. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“No, of course not,” she quickly assures me. “I told you, you did nothing wrong. I guess…” A breath escapes her nose. “I guess I’m a little overwhelmed and stressed. I mean, I wanted Belle so badly, but now that I got the role…I don’t know, I guess I didn’t realize how much pressure I’d feel. Coming in so late in the game and having to replace Harper…”
“I get it,” I say, offering her a smile. “It can’t be easy. Is there anything I can do to help?”
She looks up at me, and for the first time I don’t see the panic and anxiety she’s been carrying around the past couple days. It makes me feel like a huge load’s been lifted off my shoulders. “Thanks, but I don’t know if there’s anything you or anyone can do. I think this is something I have to figure out on my own.”
I nod. “Okay. But just so you know, you have Belle’s character pinnedperfectly. I don’t think you need to stress about it—you’ll be amazing opening night.”
Her cheeks growing as red as Phoenix’s hair, she drops her gaze to her lap. “You don’t have to say that.”
“I’m not trying to flatter you or butter you up. Honest. I’m really excited to share the stage with you.” I lean forward with a grin teasing my lips. “And just between you and me, I’m so freaking happy I don’t have to deal with Harper again.”
Her face lights up as she bursts out laughing. “She was a drama queen, wasn’t she?”
“Just a bit,” I say with a laugh.
“Phoenix and I call her…” Her eyes widen and she smacks her lips shut.
“What?” I ask, leaning even closer.
“No.” She shakes her head so quickly it might snap off her neck. “I can’t tell you. It’s kind of awful.”
“Now I have to know.”
“No way.”
“I can keep a secret,” I promise.
She shakes her head resolutely.
I pout.
She shakes her head again, this time trying to hide a smile. “Are you giving me puppy dog eyes?”
I pout even more, batting my eyelashes.
She presses her palm to her mouth as she tries to hide another smile. “Okay. But you have to swear not to tell anyone.”
“Woof.”
That makes her laugh. It’s a really cute laugh, and it makes her eyes go small. I get this strange feeling in the pit of my stomach—that I want to hear this laugh over and over again.
