บททั้งหมดของ MY FORBIDDEN SHOWMANCE: บทที่ 51 - บทที่ 60

By the time rehearsal ended, I had decided that Claire was my least favorite person in the building. Which was impressive, because Danny was also in the building.I was stuffing my script into my bag when Rebekah appeared beside me."What happened with Claire?"I looked up. "Why?""Because she spent the entire afternoon looking at you like she wanted to stab you with a prop.""That would violate several theater safety regulations.""Tessa."I sighed. "She saw Jay leaving my apartment this morning."Rebekah's eyes widened. "Oh, shit.""Yep.""What did she say?""Apparently I'm collecting men like souvenir magnets."Rebekah stared at me. "Excuse me?""That's the polite version.""Are you serious?""Unfortunately."She looked toward the stage, where Claire was talking to Danny. "What a bitch.""Accurate.""Did you tell Jay?""Not yet.""You should.""I will. Preferably somewhere that doesn't have thirty people listening."Rebekah nodded. Then she glanced toward Jay, who was putting away

I woke up in Jay's bed wearing one sock and absolutely no idea where the other one had gone. This was becoming a problem.I opened my eyes and looked around. Jay's apartment. Jay's bed. Jay's pillow, which I had apparently stolen during the night. No Jay.I rolled onto my back and stretched. The clock on his nightstand said 7:42. Rehearsal wasn't until ten. Excellent. I could sleep for another hour.Then I smelled bacon, and bacon became the priority.I climbed out of bed, found my leggings on the floor, and pulled them on. My shirt was somewhere in the living room. I opened one of Jay's drawers, found a soft blue T-shirt, and put it on instead. It hung halfway down my thighs. I looked in the mirror. I looked adorable. Jay was going to be thrilled.I wandered into the kitchen. He was standing at the stove wearing gray sweatpants and a white T-shirt, flipping something in a frying pan, his blond hair sticking up in several directions. I loved that hair.I walked up behind him and wrapp

I woke up alone. Which was weird. Not bad. Just weird.I stretched across my bed and discovered that I had enough room to extend both arms without hitting anyone. No warm body beside me. No blond hair tickling my face. No one stealing the blankets. Actually, Jay didn't steal the blankets. That was me, but still, I'd gotten used to waking up beside him. First there had been the camping trip, when we'd spent several nights crammed into a bed that was approximately the size of a large postage stamp. Then he'd stayed at my apartment. Then I'd stayed at his. And now I was alone again.I stared at the ceiling. I rolled onto my side. My pillow was considerably less interesting than Jay.I picked up my phone and texted him that his absence had been noted. His reply came a minute later: good morning to me too. I told him I'd had to sleep alone last night. He asked if I'd survived. Barely, I said. He told me I'd been very brave.I smiled. We hadn't been able to leave Marcus's party together las

Someone was pounding on my door. Not knocking. Pounding.I opened one eye. My bedroom was still dark enough that I considered going back to sleep. Then the pounding started again.Oh, for fuck's sake.I grabbed my phone. 8:03 a.m. On a holiday. A holiday when I didn't have rehearsal. This had to be some sort of crime.I dragged myself out of bed, stumbled into the living room, and opened the door. Rebekah stood in the hallway wearing denim shorts, a red tank top, and a ridiculous pair of red star-shaped sunglasses. She was smiling. Why was she smiling at eight in the morning?"WE'RE GOING TO THE PARADE!"I stared at her. "What?""The Fourth of July parade!"I blinked. "Why is the parade so early?""Because it's a morning parade.""That's a terrible explanation."She laughed. "Get dressed!"I looked down at myself. I was wearing pajama shorts and Jay's blue T-shirt. Rebekah looked down too, then grinned. "Oh, that's cute.""Don't start.""Is that Jay's?""No. I broke into a stranger's

I kissed him again, slower this time, and felt the shift the way I always did with Jay—like the air itself had decided to pay attention. His hands settled at my waist, steady and warm, then slid under the hem of my shirt, palms spanning my back. I pressed closer. The faint scent of smoke from the fireworks still clung to both of us.“Still okay?” he asked against my mouth.“Very.”He smiled and kissed me deeper. We moved without hurry toward the couch, then past it, shedding pieces of the day as we went. My sandals. His shoes. The soft click of the bedroom door. Inside, the only light came from the small lamp on his nightstand and the distant glow of leftover sparklers still fading in my mind.Jay pulled his shirt over his head in one smooth motion. I watched the way the muscles of his shoulders and stomach moved, the kind of strength that came from years of knowing exactly where every part of his body. I reached for the hem of my own top. He helped me out of it, then the bra, and loo