11

Kailee Bennett

“I bet she cried and pleaded with Sienna to take it down”

“She probably promised her lunch money or something”

“Or she probably cried to a teacher and told them to tell Sienna to take it down. Fat girl tears always work”

I wanted to scream ‘I’m walking right past you gossip machines and I can hear you!’ but I knew they wouldn’t even care and they were probably talking about me so loudly because I was walking past them

You’d think the rumors would die down as the picture was taken down, nope, people just started speculating why it could have been taken down

But who can blame them, they just lost their only source of entertainment

Charlotte had gone home early but I hung around. Being in school was better than going back to a house that felt empty even when people were there

Plus, I’d hate if anyone figured out Ryder was my step brother because they noticed we used the same routes home

I slipped back into the auditorium. I might as well try to rehearse and better myself without Ryder’s help

It was empty so I started saying my lines aloud, even though I sounded a bit monotone.

I tried again, this time throwing my arms out like I’d seen real actresses do, but it just made me feel like a malfunctioning robot.

I stumbled through the next line, even added a dramatic pause, and still… nothing. It was all wrong. My voice was flat, my body stiff. Who was I kidding? I needed Ryder

“You suck less, Juliet. Good job” a voice laced with amusement echoed through the auditorium the minute I gave up

I recognized that weird combo of condescending and baritone voice anywhere

Ryder?

I looked to the entrance and there he was leaning against the frame with his usual smirk. How long had he been standing there?

“What are you doing here?” I fired, still mad at him

“That’s not a welcoming tone. I thought you’d be elated to see me, considering you almost gave up” he descended the stairs to meet me on the stage

The stage light hit his face and that sharp jaw glistened, his shirt was a bit transparent and oh, I could see his taut biceps peeking through as his lip ring glistened in the light

Oh my…he looked—

No. Kailee, focus

“That still doesn't answer the question of what you’re doing here” I avoided his eyes, shoving my scripts in my bag like I could shove him out of the room too.

I turned, determined to storm off before he could smirk me into forgiving him.

“I’m not the backstage coordinator for no reason. I have to make sure the lights are turned off and other things before I leave” he replied

But I wasn’t looking to interact with him. I flung my bag behind me and attempted to leave but he caught my hand, dragging me back

“Is there a reason why you’re avoiding me?” He stepped into my path, a flicker of concern in his eyes but it disappeared as soon as it came

He didn’t even know why I was mad and that made me even more mad

“I should leave before someone takes a picture of us again and posts it on the internet to mock me and the other person in the picture acts unconcerned” I snapped through clenched teeth. “But hey, at least you looked good in the picture”

His hand left mine and moved to my shoulder, his forehead, wrinkles from lifting his brows. “Kailee. The video is down”

“But the sting of humiliation isn’t. People still think, I’m your pity pick” I shrugged to throw his hand off my shoulder

He exhaled and looked around taking two steps that almost closed the space between us. The line between my boobs and his chest was so thin.

I couldn’t look at him, all I did was stare at our feet.

“No slouching, Juliet. Always stand like you own the space. Stop hunching like a grandma. You’re Juliet, not Quasimodo. Sometimes people dare to mess with you because you’ve already concluded in your mind that you deserve to be humiliated from your posture” he whispered, his fingers grazing my chin

His words stung but the way he rubbed my chin made my body hot, cooling the sting of his words in a way I couldn’t explain

“Why did I say about eye contact?” He lifted my chin so I could look him in the eye

My heart was racing because of the small gesture. What the hell was happening to me?

He bent, leaning forward. The space between our faces steadily diminishing as he did

What was he doing?

His eyes kept fluctuating from my eyes to my lips and I couldn’t move. It was like my feet were glued to the ground.

Was he going to….. kiss me?

Was this for our practice session…?

Oh my God, if he kisses me what do I do with my lips or my teeth or my hands?

Do I just stand here like a mannequin? What if my lips get dry? Should I lick them? No, that’s weird. Jesus Christ, why do I suddenly not know how to have a mouth?

My heart rate was well over the normal range

His lips were just inches from mine and I closed my eyes, trying to remind myself to breathe

The scent of cigarette and his cologne filled my nostrils as I breath

I felt his lips not on mine but on my cheek.

When his lips brushed my cheek, I swore my lungs forgot what oxygen was. It wasn’t even a kiss, not really, just the faintest graze of his mouth, but I felt it everywhere.

The cold press of his lip ring contrasted against the warmth of his lips, like ice and fire on my skin.

And then he lowered to my neck, the sharp little edge of metal traced against my neck before his mouth closed over it, lightly sucking the flesh around it and I nearly jumped out of my body.

My body was betraying me and I found myself leaning into him. Oh my God it felt so good.

And when he sucked lightly at the spot just below my jaw, the ring pressing into me with every shift of his mouth, I felt a small sound rise in my throat, threatening to escape through my mouth.

What sound was that? What was happening?

Just as the sound was about to escape, I heard a shutter sound. A camera shutter.

My stomach dropped