8

Kailee Bennett

Keep eye contact?

That was lesson one?

Was he serious?

Because right now, with his hand still on the small of my back and his other gently tilting my chin up, the last thing I could do was look him in the eyes without completely combusting.

“Eye contact,” I echoed, breathless. “Got it.”

He didn’t blink. “Say the line again.”

“The line? What line?”

He raised a brow. “Juliet’s, genius”

My brain refused to function as I thought about how intimate this position was. “Uh… which—?”

His fingers curled around my waist, firmer this time. “The one you’re supposed to say right before you kiss Romeo.”

“Oh.”

The kiss.

Even if it was fake and for practice, the word made my throat tighten.

“Then plainly know… my heart is yours, and all my vows are true,” I mumbled, voice flat.

Ryder made a face. “God, that was tragic. Again. But this time, like you don’t want the audience to die of boredom.”

I glared at him, narrowing my eyes. “You’re enjoying this.”

“Obviously,” he said, sarcastically “You’re in my lap, reciting love lines. This is the highlight of my week.”

I tried to push off him, but his hand tightened, not in a forceful way. Just enough to stop me 

I rolled my eyes, making another move to stand but his grip on me remained firm, unyielding. 

Not hard. Not threatening. Just… firm.

“Sit still, Bennett. You said you wanted help. So shut up and rehearse.”

His tone wasn’t kind. It was commanding. Casual. Like this was just another task to check off.

I hated that a small part of me listened.

He guided me through the lines again, this time with a finger tracing the page. Every time I messed up, he made me repeat it. 

You’re holding back,” he muttered.

“No, I’m not.”

“Yes, you are. Close your eyes.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re overthinking. Just feel the scene.”

I hesitated. But eventually, I did what he asked.

My eyes closed. I breathed in.

His voice was low, smooth, just near my ear. “This isn’t about just lines, Kailee. It’s about feeling it. Feel the moment.”

I swallowed hard but I didn’t move. 

“Again. Your lines” he nudged, pointing to my script 

I whispered, “Then plainly know… my heart is yours, and all my vows are true.”

He didn’t speak.

I could feel his breath on my skin. His thigh pressed under mine. His hand, warm on my back.

Everything stilled.

And for one horrible, disorienting second, I forget everything.

I felt… seen.

And I hated that.

My eyes flew open.

And his were already on me.

Too close.

He didn’t blink. Just looked. Not like someone who liked what they saw, but someone who couldn’t figure it out.

“That was great.” he said, his hands still around my waist, holding me in place . “Now whenever you say your lines, picture yourself there in the scene and say those lines as though you were actually Juliet” 

I nodded slightly, my eyes never leaving his. The world narrowed to the sound of Ryder’s voice, the warmth of his hands, and the faint scent of him— cigarettes and leather. 

In that second, sitting in his lap, held like I was something fragile and valuable at the same time, I felt safe and I hated that feeling because I knew deep down that he was a jerk. 

All of a sudden, it came flooding my head 

The thoughts.

Dark and sharp and intrusive.

What if I was too heavy? What if his legs were numb and he was just pretending to be fine? What if the whole reason he hadn’t moved was because he didn’t want to embarrass me by asking me to get off?

What if I was crushing him?

Humiliation washed over me like cold water.

I jerked back and tried to stand.

He frowned. “What are you doing?”

You’re probably uncomfortable,” I blurted, avoiding his eyes. “ You’ve been carrying me for too long. Your legs are probably going numb. I mean, you don’t have to sit like this. I’m not exactly… feather-light.

Ryder stared at me like I’d slapped him.

“Seriously?” he said, voice flat.

He grabbed my wrist gently.

“Kailee,” he said, voice low. “You think I can’t handle a little weight on my lap?” he said, looking straight at me. 

Did he just describe my weight as a little?

I blinked. 

“Don’t move, okay? I don’t mind,” he murmured, voice low and amused, “besides Sienna’s watching. She’s going to choke.”

I blinked and straightened up. Right, this was all about Sienna. 

I looked away, trying to look at which direction Sienna was but Ryder grabbed my chin and brought my face back to his. 

He reached down and took one of my hands in his. Just held it.

His thumb brushed over my knuckles slowly, once, twice like he was tracing something invisible there. His hands were warm. Soft

Then a shrill angry voice broke the silence. “Ryder!!” 

I jerked off Ryder’s lap as though I had been scalded 

I look to the direction of the sound. Sienna. Of course. She was stomping towards us

“Okay, that’s enough,” I mumbled

I sat next to him, suddenly very aware of how warm his body had been and how cold the bench was without it.

He smirked and shouted back, “Something you need, Sienna?”

Sienna glared and her heels clicked aggressively as she closed the distance, the ponytail she always wore now swinging like a weapon behind her.

“Are you for real right now?” she snapped. “This is who you’ve been wasting your time with?”

I froze, still half-seated, not sure if I should pretend I was invisible or throw myself into the bushes.

Ryder didn’t flinch. “Why do you care who I ‘waste’ my time with? We’re no longer together, remember?”

“No, I’m curious,” she said, hands on her hips, eyes raking over me like I was dirt she’d accidentally stepped in. “Is this, like, a new kink? Or did you lose a bet?”

I blinked, my stomach knotting.

Ryder stood now, stepping slightly in front of me. “Shut up.”

But she wasn’t done.

“Because this is funny,” she went on, her laugh biting. “You seriously want me to believe that this—” She gestured toward me like I was some tragic science project. “is some pathetic attempt to make me jealous? What, you think because you’re stooping to talk to her now, I’ll come crawling back?”

“Sienna,” Ryder warned.

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. Don’t act like this is about her. You don’t even see her. You just needed a distraction. Someone to throw in my face. 

And lucky for you, the drama club’s pity pick was desperate enough to play along. You know, I’m even offended that of all the girls you could pick to be my replacement, you picked her. Wow. Guess you’ve really lowered your standards”

Her words didn’t even hit all at once. They landed in waves.

Pity pick.

Desperate.

Distraction.

Each one sliced through my skin like paper cuts, small, but deep. 

I stood abruptly, ignoring the way Ryder reached for my wrist.

“It’s fine,” I said, my voice tight. “I get it.”

“Kailee—” he tried.

But I couldn’t look at him. Not after that.

Because the worst part wasn’t Sienna’s words.

The worst part was that I believed her and she was right. 

I turned and walked off, shoving past the hedges, eyes blurry with heat I refused to let fall.

Why would he pick me of all people to make his hot ex jealous? 

Is this some kind of sick joke?