“You were being rude!”
Cal threw his hands up in exasperation and walked back into his room. I knew it was a bad idea, but I followed him, letting the door close behind us.
I watched as he rummaged through the minibar, coming up with a handful of tiny booze bottles. He opened one and took a long drink.
“Give me that,” I said.
He handed another bottle over to me. Vodka. Yuck. I drank it anyway.
“Can you go now?” Cal asked once I was done.
My throat felt warm. My face felt warm.
“You aren’t being fair,” I told him.
“Fair?” He sounded incredulous. “Are you fucking kidding me? Fair?”
No. He wasn’t incredulous. He was mad. Really mad.
I’d never seen Cal mad before.
He came toward me, a tower of anger. But I wasn’t afraid of him.
“You want to talk about fair?” he asked. “You think it’s fair that I have to stand onstage every fucking night and listen to your absolute idiot of a boyfriend dedicate our songs to you? It makes me feel like a goddamn fool. Because you’re never leaving him. And I’m the asshole for thinking you would. For pouring my heart out for what? To feed your ego? To make you feel better about yourself in between fights with Ryan?” His nostrils were flaring. “You don’t get to talk to me about fair, Katee.”
I stared at him. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d heard him say that much all at once. It didn’t help that all of it was painful and mostly true, but the worst part was him calling me Katee.
I’d always been Kathleen to Cal. Always been myself.
But now?
“You don’t understand,” I said, but it was a weak response.
“I understand,” Cal said. “I think you’re the one who’s confused.”
“I’m not!”
Cal came right up to me. Loomed over me. I was pretty sure I could feel his heartbeat thumping in the space between us.
“Really?” he asked. “Then what do you want? Who do you want?”
I looked up at him and knew that this was it. This was the moment. The decision.
I didn’t hesitate.
“You,” I said. “I want you.”
His mouth was on mine, his hands cupping my face as he kissed me. Or I kissed him, my fingers digging into his shoulders, pulling him closer, closer, closer. Still, it wasn’t enough. He pushed me up against the door, his lips moving down to my throat, and I cried out with how good it felt. How electric and hot and dangerous and perfect.
I started on his shirt, while he started on mine, stopping only to keep kissing each other. I didn’t care how long it took. Didn’t care if we kissed forever, removing a single article of clothing with every passing hour.
As long as I was in his arms. As long as he kept touching me. As long as he kissed me and kissed me and kissed me.
All that mattered was me and Cal.
CHAPTER 28
It wasn’t immediately clear what had happened. One minute I was standing in the wings talking with the wardrobe mistress, the next, the entire place was in a panicked uproar as the sound of someone crying out in pain echoed through the theatre.
I rushed out onto the stage to find my understudy crumpled on the floor at the base of the conveyor belt set piece, which was still going.
“Shut it off!” I shouted, but everyone was focused on Jennifer.
The poor girl was facedown on the stage, her arm and leg bent at a crazy angle. I could hear her moaning, the sound only slightly muffled by the wig she was wearing.
I slapped the big red button for the conveyor belt, the one we used onstage to turn it on and off, and the thing came to a stop. I ran back to Jennifer, kneeling next to her. I didn’t know what to do, but I was pretty sure I wasn’t supposed to touch or move her.
“Out of my way!”
I looked toward the audience just in time to see Cal vaulting up onto the stage with the speed and agility of a man ten years younger. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen him—or anyone, really—move that fast. He dropped to his knees in front of Jennifer.
“Call an ambulance!” he roared. “Now! Goddammit, now!”
He glanced over at me, and I swore he did a double take.
“Kathleen,” he said. Confused. Relieved.
There was a crowd of us all gathered around Jennifer, but in that moment, it felt like it was just me and Cal.
“I don’t know what happened,” I said.
He looked at me. Closed his eyes for a brief moment, and then opened them.
Focused his attention on Jennifer.
“You’re going to be okay,” he said to her, his voice soft and soothing. Steady. “It’s going to be all right.”
His hands were shaking.
Jennifer let out a groan, followed by a low keening cry of pain. It seemed like several things were broken, but pain was a good thing. Wasn’t it? I didn’t know.
I just knew I was digging my fingernails into my arms so hard that I was pretty sure there would be bruises. That pain was good.
“Who’s calling the ambulance?” Cal barked.
“I’m on it,” came Mae’s voice from the audience. “They’ll be here in five.”
“Did you hear that?” Cal said to Jennifer. “They’re almost here. You’re going to be fine.”
He looked up and noticed the worried cast and crew gathered.
“Step back, guys,” Cal ordered. “Everything is going to be okay. We just need some space.”
Everyone moved away, but I didn’t. I stayed put.
Cal kept shouting out orders. Completely in control. Totally in charge.
It was comforting.
“Someone head out front to wait for the ambulance,” Cal said. “Make sure that they can get back here without any issues.”
When they did, they were immediately led to the stage. They cleared all of us away from the scene, and I went back to the wings where I could watch but be out of the way. The atmosphere was tense and somber as Jennifer was lifted onto the gurney. The paramedics were calm and kind, but it was clear that we were going to need to find another understudy before the show opened.
Cal followed Jennifer out of the theatre, stopping only to talk to Mae.
After they were gone, Mae came back in.
“Everyone.” Her voice wasn’t quite as steady as Cal’s, but it was clear. “There’s nothing else we can do tonight. We will update you when we have more information, but until then, it’s best that you all head home.”