Chapter 0417


    “Get in your ces, please,” Nathan called from the bottom of the stage. Bridget hurried to take point


    beside him. “Are you two ready?”


    “Ready,” Nichs said. He had his script out too.


    “Ready,” I echoed. My heart hammered in my chest as I skimmed the first line. This was going to be


    even worse than I thought.


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    “Begin!” Nathan called.


    I braced myself. Nichs was set to start off the scene.


    His eyes were locked on the script. He didn’t speak right away.


    “I said, begin!” Nathan said again.


    Nichs cleared his throat. When he looked up at me, his eyes were hard. “We have to end things


    between us,” he said.


    God, I knew he was acting but the words still speared through me. He was just reading the


    script, but my


    my heart crumbled up in my chest. It was too real. I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t.


    I had to.


    “Why?” I asked. It was my line but it was also the question in my heart.


    He swallowed hard. “There’s someone else.”


    “Who?” I read.


    “It doesn’t matter who.”


    “I think it does.” I paused, tried to collect myself. Just keep reading. The sooner this was over, the


    sooner I could pretend this never happened. “…I love you.”


    Nichs hesitated again. “Well, I don’t love you.”


    He’s acting, I reminded myself, again and again. But I couldn’t help thinking that this was eerily close to


    how the end of our whatever–we–are might end. By nature of the contest, Nichs would have to


    marry someone. We already knew it wouldn’t be me.


    He could so easily tell me there’s someone else. I almost had to expect it.


    And telling him I love him for him not to feel it back was one of my deepest fears. We hadn’t


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    put a name on what we are to each other right now, nor have we fully admitted the extent of our


    feelings for one another. It felt… safer that way.


    Now I realized I was simply being a coward.


    Hearing I don’t love you was shattering my heart like it was made of ss.


    It was not shocking then, as the tears began to fall.


    Nichs, rmed, started forward, but I held up my hand. I didn’t wantfort here. How could I ever


    ept it? We were on stage with the whole of thepetition watching, and Nathan. If he gave me a


    hint of special treatment, everyone one would.


    We had to finish the scene.


    “Why would you hurt me like this?” I asked, reading the lines.


    Nichs frowned at me. There was worry in his golden eyes. The flecks of green sparkled under the


    stage lights.


    “I love her,” he said. The words came out t. He didn’t sound like he meant them. Still, they sliced


    through me as surely as if they had been real.


    More tears fell. “I never want to see either of you again!” I shouted. That was my cue to leave, thank


    God. I swiveled on my heels and walked straight to the stairs. I hurried down them, ready to make my


    escape.


    Unfortunately, Bridget was waiting for me at the bottom.


    “Bravo! Piper!” Bridget pped her hands. “What an amazing performance! Why, this is the part for


    you, after all. I’m sorry to have doubted.” Her smile was big and friendly, but I was battle–wounded and


    just wanted to heal.


    “Thanks,” I grumbled.


    “Those tears,” Bridget said, leaning closer. “They look so real.”


    I didn’t want her to know that they were, but I was having a hard enough time trying to keep myself


    together.


    “Excuse me,” I managed to say, and pushed my way past her.


    I was halfway to the exit, when I heard Nichs behind me. “Piper, wait!”