Chapter 0434


    Bridget made Nichs and I redo our breakup scene. With his apology fresh between us, I didn’t feel


    so hurt anymore, and the words from the script bounced right off of me without taking root in my heart.


    After the scene, Nichs and I smiled at each other, then I made my way down the stage to rejoin


    Julian and Elva in the crowd. Julian winked at me as I came to stand beside him. I rolled my eyes, but


    smiled too.


    My heart felt so much lighter than it had for days. Things weren’t all the way better between Nichs


    and I. There was much to talk about, and things to make clear. But the hurt wasn’t so powerful


    anymore.


    Of course, now that the breakup scene between Nichs and I was done, it was time for his love


    scene with Bridget.


    Susie had her one line, and then went to ‘check‘ the door as Nichs climbed in through the window.


    This time, unlike our previous rehearsals, the set designer and his staff hadpleted the disy, and


    Nichs climbed through an actual window built into the wall of the backdrop.


    They shared a few words. I thought of covering my eyes, or Elva’s, so we couldn’t see. My too soft


    heart was not strong enough to watch Nichs kiss someone else..


    Yet when the moment arrived, when Bridget threw her arms around him and tried to press herself up


    onto her toes to reach his mouth, Nichs turned his head. Bridget’s lips found his cheek instead.


    Bridget tried again. Nichs turned his head farther. Then, Bridget huffed as she took a step


    backwards.


    “Nichs. We have to practice this scene,” she snapped, her face twisted in unhappiness. So much for


    a love scene.


    “No,” Nichs said.


    “No? I’m the professional here,” Bridget said, “And I’m telling you that we can’t


    go into


    this scene unprepared. You might think it’s just kissing, but I swear, to be believable, it can’t be the first


    time. We’re liable to look like two fish eating each other.”


    Beside me, Julian snorted augh.


    On his shoulders, Elva looked down at me. “What’s happening, Mommy?”


    +15 BONUS


    “Just a little spat between the actors, honey,” I told her. Inside, I was pleased.


    at a one-


    Bridget might have had a good point, if this were an actual set or theater and not just a off event made


    up of mostly high–ss women and two princes. I knew for a fact that no one was going to use


    Nichs of being a bad actor, no matter how badly he did.


    They could look like two fish eating each other, and the crowd would still roar with apuse.


    But I suspected, and I wondered if Nichs did too, that Bridget might be pushing so hard to practice


    the kiss just for the sake of kissing Nichs.


    Or maybe Nichs was oblivious, as he seemed to be with everything else Bridget. Maybe his


    hesitance was more out of consideration for me. I liked to think that was true, anyway.


    Possibly, he was simply being considerate to all the girls, Olivia and Lilliana too. Kissing Bridget in the


    y would have given her even more of an unfair advantage.


    Bridget, regardless of Nichs’s reason, was absolutely furious.


    “No,” Nichs said again.


    Bridget huffed. “Fine. If you refuse, maybe we should try a stand–in instead.” Her eyes fell down over


    the crowd. “Julian?”


    Julian stilled.


    Bridget called again. “Julian,e up here please. Let’s show Nichs how this is supposed to go.”


    “You don’t have to,” I whispered to him. He was so strong earlier, refusing to help her shift the props


    pointlessly around on stage.


    Julian looked at me, and I could see in his eyes that he was breaking. “I’m a weak man, Piper.”


    He had been strong until now, but he was not strong enough to ignore a chance to kiss. Bridget. I was


    disappointed but I understood. His heart still yearned for her.


    Slowly, he lifted Elva off of his shoulders and lowered her down to the ground. She wouldn’t be able to


    see anymore, but maybe that was for the best.


    Julian turned from me and headed for the stapp


    walking toward Bridget..


    Quick as lightning, he was up upon it,


    Bridget didn’t say a word past that point. She just opened up her arms and he slide between them.


    Then, his mouth was on hers.


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    +15 BONUS


    They didn’t look like two fish eating each other. They looked like two people in love. Bridget. was a very


    good actor, and Julian didn’t have to be. His arms curled around her waist. One of her hands cupped


    his cheek.


    It was tender and gentle and made me blush.


    “I can’t see!” Elva said.


    “They haven’t started again yet,” I told her.


    When the kiss ended, Julian moved forward like he wanted another, but Bridget, not so gently


    anymore, shoved him away. She turned to Nichs instead.


    “See? That’s what we need to do,” Bridget told Nichs. “It will only look natural if we practice like this.”


    Julian, meanwhile, blinked a few times, like he was waking from a trance – or a dream.


    I wasn’t sure when the truth of what was happening hit him. He was a smart guy, cunning, but Bridget


    seemed to make all of his wires crossed.


    If he wasn’t love blind he would have known going up that Bridget’s main intent with this disy was to


    make Nichs jealous. Deep down, maybe he did know that.


    Maybe he had been hoping that an actual kiss would change things, make her realize that he was the


    one who had always been worthy of her love, not Nichs.


    Whatever lies he told himself to get up onto that stage were shattered now. He turned,


    rushed down the stairs and headed for the ballroom exit.


    ‘Stay with Veronica,” I quickly told Elva. Veronica nodded at me, then epted Elva’s hand. “I have to


    check on Julian.”


    “Okay,” Elva said.


    With Elva safe, I rushed through the crowd to find Julian. I caught him right before he could leave the


    room. We were far enough from the others for our whispered words to be private.


    “Don’t ask me anything,” Julian said. He wasn’t smiling, not even to pretend. His eyes had a haunted,


    faraway look to them.


    “We don’t have to talk,” I said. “But it seemed like you needed someone near you.”


    “Someone I trust, you mean,” he said.


    I nodded. “Someone you trust.”


    3/4


    +15 BONUS


    He looked at me and his eyes focused somewhat. “Piper…”


    “We don’t have to talk,” I said again.


    He had Bridget’s smeared lipstick smudged at the corner of his mouth. Slowly, telegraphing my every


    move, I reached up and wiped it away with my thumb.


    “Thanks,” he said. Heughed once then, bitterly. “Guess you think I’m the world’s biggest idiot.”


    “No,” I said. “I think you are a man in love with a woman who doesn’t know what she has. And that kind


    of love is hard to ignore, even harder to let go of.


    Julian nodded. “Like I said, the world’s biggest idiot.”


    “No,” I assured him. I meant to say more, but as I nced toward the stage, I paused as I noticed the


    piercing gaze of only one person watching us.


    From this distance, I couldn’t read her face, but she was definitely staring straight at us, seeing our


    every gesture and movement.


    Bridget.


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