by Mia Hoddell
“He’s in the shower.”
Before he could respond, she was screaming at Justin to hurry up and save her from him. It caused him to chuckle as he collapsed on the sofa to wait for his cousin, and watch as Ellie padded around the flat to get something to eat. Only minutes after Ellie had shouted at him, Justin appeared in the doorway, towel drying his hair as he took in Aiden’s grin.
“You bastard! You did it, didn’t you?”
Aiden didn’t reply. Instead, he pulled out his phone, scrolled to the image of the cast list, and threw it over to Justin who had moved closer. He caught it easily, and Aiden watched as his face fell, his body deflating when he saw the image.
“How the hell did you manage that?”
“How did he manage what?” Ellie came back into the room, bowl of cereal in her hand as she looked at him questioningly.
“Aiden’s male lead for this term’s production.” At Justin’s comment, Ellie burst out laughing uncontrollably, clutching her side with her free arm. She bent over as she screwed her eyes shut, and Justin swiftly removed the bowl from her hand before milk went everywhere.
“I’m sorry ... but that is ... hilarious,” she managed to get out around laughs.
“Laugh all you want, but your boyfriend now owes me two hundred pounds. Cough up, Justin.”
That sobered Ellie instantly. “Wait, what?” she squeaked.
“We had a bet. I won.”
“You bet him two hundred pounds? Are you crazy? You know he doesn’t lose!” She turned her anger on Justin and Aiden watched on, finding it comical.
“I didn’t think he stood a chance, the president of the drama academy is known for hating anyone who’s not taking the subject as a degree. How did you do it by the way?”
“Had a little help from your friend, Elles. I auditioned like everyone else and she persuaded the guy to give me a shot.”
Ellie twisted at his words, sending him the full force of her glare. “Tell me you’re not talking about Kayleigh.”
“Why?”
“Aiden ...”
“Yeah, it was Kayleigh.”
Ellie groaned, raising her hands to her head. “You will pull out now. Phone her and say you can’t do it.”
“Why? I can’t do that, Elles. She went out on a limb for me.”
“You can and you will.” She held out her phone, waving it in front of his face. He couldn’t understand why she was so irate.
“I can’t and I won’t,” he replied stubbornly.
“If you hurt her, Aiden ...”
He knew what she was going to say without her needing to finish the sentence. The threat was implicit.
“I have no intention of hurting her. Geez, calm down.”
“You might not have any intentions now, but you will. Don’t pretend you aren’t aware of her feelings for you. You know that’s why she helped you. Do not lead her on. Kayleigh is not some random chick you can pick up, use, and discard. She’s serious. You do nothing to lead her on, you hear me?”
“All right, all right. Chill out. I know she’s not a girl that’d be happy with a fling.”
“Promise me, Aiden. Swear you will do nothing that she could misinterpret or will hurt her.”
“I swear. I’m not a monster, Ellie. I can tell when someone’s up for a laugh and when someone wants more.”
“Yeah, well I know your reputation, and Kayleigh isn’t the type of person to make threats on your manhood.”
Both guys flinched knowing Ellie was deadly serious.
“Look, I only came by to prove to Justin that I’d won. I have no malicious intentions here.”
Ellie shrugged and stormed off, leaving just him and Justin in the room.
“I’ll drop the money off later.”
“Double or nothing that Kayleigh will be begging for more by the time the show opens?”
“You’re an ass, and you’re playing a dangerous game. Like Ellie said, unless you’re serious, do not lead her on.”
“Who said I wasn’t serious? I’ve known her for almost three years.”
“And how many times have you spoken to her? How many times have you paid attention to her or asked her out?”
“Hey, I was nervous. She’s different,” Aiden defended, only telling half the truth. The fact was he’d always been intrigued by Kayleigh but too interested in having fun. He hadn’t spoken to her because he wasn’t ready to settle and didn’t want to lead her on. Despite what everyone said, he’d stayed away for her benefit.
“You’re Aiden Hanson, you don’t get nervous.” Justin rolled his eyes at him and Aiden turned to leave.
“No, but I do always get the girl.” He shut the front door behind him, leaving his cousin to wonder about his statement.
CHAPTER EIGHT
When Kayleigh arrived at rehearsals the next day she was surprised to find Aiden already there and talking with the other cast members. He was mostly surrounded by the females—leaving the rest of the guys to do their own thing—and he had them in the palm of his hand as usual. However, when the door banged loudly behind her, it caught his attention and his eyes found hers across the room instantly. An easy going smile lit up his face as he watched her dump her bags and approach. Before she could even say hi, Adam barked out orders. “Right! Today we’re going to be focusing on the most important scene in the show. That means Kayleigh, Aiden, I want you two front and centre. The rest of you clear the stage.”
Kayleigh gulped, knowing the exact scene Adam was talking about. She also had a slight suspicion he was deliberately throwing her in at the deep end to watch her squirm.
“Is he talking about the scene I think he is?” Aiden murmured from the corner of his mouth.
Kayleigh turned to him, unsure of which one he was thinking about, but he wasn’t even looking at her. His gaze was focused on Adam, who was trying to explain something.
“Kayleigh!” he snapped, breaking into her thoughts and dragging her attention back to the scene he was trying to direct. “I thought he was going to be the problem, not you. You’re acting like a love-struck teenager.”
Much to her embarrassment, some of the cast behind them sniggered at the comment. A wave of heat washed over her face as she stared at the floor. “I ... um ...”
Standing shoulder to shoulder with Aiden, she felt the movement instantly as his hand slipped to the small of her back. His fingers grazed her lightly, his touch sending an instant burst of reassurance through her body. The gesture was subtle, unnoticeable to anyone who wasn’t directly behind them, and it felt private. It was as if he was sharing an unspoken thought with only her.
“Isn’t that the whole point of this scene? She is meant to be in love with me after all.”
Ellie threw him a small smile of gratitude for defending her, but she didn’t know if he saw.
“Shall we get on with this then? I thought we had a tight deadline.”
Adam’s face was turning red with anger while he fumed. His fists were clenched tightly at his side and he was almost shaking as Aiden undermined his authority.
“You’re right, we don’t have time to all consider the pathetic fantasies of one person.”
At Adam’s comment she felt Aiden press his hand into her back harder, gaining her attention. “Ignore him,” he murmured before he moved to let Adam guide him into position.
“Kayleigh, you know the drill; up the tower. You’re going to fall into Aiden’s arms and then kiss passionately, like he just saved your life.”
Kayleigh’s eyes widened at the thought, but surprisingly it wasn’t the kiss that was playing on her mind. She’d only ever fallen into a group of guys who she trusted implicitly, after having worked with them for nearly three years. Aiden had never taken part in the exercise, and despite being strong, it didn’t quell the nerves churning inside of her. One person meant a lot smaller target.
“Wait, you just want her to jump off with no practise or back up if something goes wrong the first time?” Aiden asked incredulo
usly. She exhaled in relief, glad she wasn’t the only one concerned, even if a part of her was more unnerved by his lack of confidence.
It was short lived relief.
“You have to learn somehow. This way you’ll learn quicker. There isn’t time for mistakes.”
“You’re crazy! Are you trying to kill her?”
Kayleigh couldn’t deny the possibility that he was deliberately putting her in harm’s way. She now stood on top of the platform, and even if there was a small amount of trust that Aiden would try to catch her, it wasn’t enough to convince herself to fall.
“Can’t we try it with the guys around the first few times?” Her voice shook, much to her embarrassment. She watched Adam weighing it up in his mind.
“Fine, you get a few test jumps.” Obviously he’d come to the same conclusion she had: that it wasn’t an unreasonable request and denying her would only go against him, especially if something went wrong. “You six, move around Aiden, and be ready.”
* * * *
Kayleigh climbed to the top of the platform for the seventh time. Her heart was thumping in her chest and its speed was only increasing with every fall. She’d have thought that each time she landed safely in Aiden’s arms she’d calm down and grow more confident, but it didn’t work like that. In reality, she was just waiting for the one time it went wrong, and this time Adam had cleared the guys so it was more nerve wracking. She had to admit the distance she was falling wasn’t astronomical, it was only a few metres. However, if she landed wrong, it would do some damage.
“This time you perform it all: lines, fall, kiss, got it? You’ll go from Aiden’s line,” Adam directed.
Suddenly, Kayleigh’s heart wasn’t just pounding at the thought of falling. This time she would be kissing Aiden, the same Aiden she’d had a crush on for almost three years. Panic started to seep into her mind. What if he doesn’t like me? What if I do it wrong and make a fool of myself?
“Ready, Kay?” Aiden’s words stopped her from adding more ridiculous points to her list and made her want to slap herself. Telling her mind she was an actress and the best on her course, she knew she could do it and had only been thrown by the fact it was Aiden.
Thinking of her lines, she focused all of her attention on the words and got herself into character. As she did, everything else melted away. It wasn’t going to be Kayleigh kissing Aiden, but a knight and a princess. In that moment, Kayleigh became someone else, someone who was confident and flirtatious.
Holding her head up high, she moved to the edge of the platform where an unfinished balcony had started to be created. She climbed up on to it, balancing precariously with a dazzling smile.
“I’ll find another way to get to you, you don’t need to jump,” Aiden called up to her, his voice cracking perfectly at the end of the sentence like he really was terrified for her life.
“But this way we’ll be together so much sooner. Don’t you want me? To be able to hold me tightly, feel me pressed against you, your lips caressing mine.”
“There has to be another way. You could kill yourself.”
“You’ll catch me,” she said confidently, sitting down on the ledge and pretending to adjust the dress she would be wearing during the real performance.
“What if I don’t?”
“I trust you.” Their eyes didn’t leave each other throughout the whole exchange. Kayleigh saw the bob of his throat as he licked his lips and swallowed, looking at her with nervous eyes. His head nodded, her cue to fall.
Without hesitating she pushed off from the balcony, and before she had time to even question whether it would be the time it went wrong, she was safely in Aiden’s arms. He cradled her to his chest tightly, gazing down at her in wonder. “You’re crazy, you almost gave me a heart attack.” All of his attention was focused on her as he placed her on her feet, his hands moving to cup her jaw and his thumb swiping over her lips.
“At least I’m not boring.”
“That doesn’t mean you’re not crazy.” He chuckled deeply, the sound as sweet as honey as it washed over Kayleigh. She gasped at it, a natural reaction, which she was thankful worked with the scene.
“If I wasn’t, you wouldn’t love me.”
“True,” he murmured, his head already inching towards hers and she instinctively held her breath in anticipation.
“Are you ... are you finally going to kiss me?” She swallowed around the words, just barely managing to get them out. No part of her was acting, all of her emotions were real, and even if the situation and the lines weren’t, they felt like it.
“Of course, I’ve waited too long to feel your lips on mine.”
Her eyes closed as she leaned into him, her heart racing. Moving of their own accord, her hands travelled to his hips as all of a sudden his mouth was on hers.
The kiss was gentle, moving softly against her lips like she would crumble under his touch. The contact sent sparks of longing through her, starting a raging fire within her that spread across her skin, tingling as it went. She kissed him back. Their movements were slow, like they were savouring every second, memorising the other with their mouth.
Aiden started to break away, pulling back slowly. As he did, Kayleigh opened her eyes, a dazed feeling clouding her mind and making her feel lightheaded. Raising her hand to her lips, she brushed her finger across where his mouth had been seconds before, her eyes not leaving his, their faces centimetres apart.
“You’re amazing,” he said, moving so the back of his hand brushed over her cheek. He left it there, waiting for Adam to call cut. Their gazes were still locked intensely, but the real world was starting to come back into existence. A few words were being thrown around by the rest of the cast, the most common being “wow” as Adam finally called an end to the scene and they parted from each other’s grip.
Aiden looked as smug as he usually did, but Kayleigh couldn’t meet his eyes. She was starting to question whether championing Aiden for the leading role was a good idea. The kiss had been amazing, everything she’d expected him to be, but when the production was over she now knew what she’d be missing out on. That was the thought that played on her mind as Adam wrapped up the rehearsal and she moved to get her things, slightly embarrassed about how lost in him she’d become.
“See you tomorrow, Kayleigh!” Aiden called over his shoulder as he exited the room. He was grinning at her like he could read every thought surging through her mind.
CHAPTER NINE
It was four days later, during one of many rehearsals that had been taking place, and Kayleigh was thankful Adam seemed to have backed off since their first performance. He couldn’t deny they worked well together, and that Aiden was pulling his weight better than some of the older group members. Neither of them had brought up the kiss, either. Aiden treated it just like any other job and because of that, it meant Kayleigh could have some kind of semblance around him. She had stopped herself reading more into it due to the fact they were both acting. Well, sort of ... It may have been slightly more real for Kayleigh, but that didn’t mean she was going to embarrass herself by bringing it up and turning it into something it wasn’t. She told herself that if Aiden treated it like a job then she could, too. The set was going up quickly, the room being transformed into a magical world in which they would tell their story, and it was allowing everything to come together quicker than usual because of the added visual aspects. Everyone was working round the clock for the show to be ready in just over a week’s time; actors were in for hours every day, costumes had arrived, and set designers worked through the night. The show had been well planned in advance, so everything had been ready to order and distribute as soon as the cast was agreed upon. She may not have liked Adam, but she couldn’t deny that he was good with organisation and getting the best out of a team.
It was a rare moment when everyone was sitting around for a break, but with Adam’s focus on the chorus’ sections it meant her and Aiden were needed less. Because of that, Kayleigh was on the outski
rts of the performance floor, sipping from the bottle of water she had recently skipped out to buy. She was watching the dances carefully, ready to intervene if her choreography wasn’t being followed, and when she looked away Aiden was heading straight for her.
Brushing a few strands of blonde hair from her face and tucking them back into the tie holding up her ponytail, she smiled at him. They hadn’t really been left alone to talk much, so it meant Kayleigh hadn’t really had to deal with her emotions. However, she had a feeling that was about to change.
“Geez, I didn’t think this would be so intense when Justin signed me up.”
Kayleigh allowed a small burst of laughter to break free as she shrugged, her shoulders scraping her ears. “We don’t have long to pull everything together.”
“So what’s up with Adam? Why do you let him get away with how he treats you?” Aiden leaned back against a rack of chairs, his elbow resting on it as he watched.
“I don’t know, it’s easier than arguing.”
“But he’s a complete jackass!” Aiden shouted a little too loudly and the room stilled, a few people looking over at him. Kayleigh could feel a blush rising on her cheeks at their stares, making her dip her head.
“He’s in charge, what he says goes. At least for this year,” she mumbled.
“Just because someone’s in charge, it doesn’t mean they have to act like he does.”
Kayleigh shrugged again. “It’s just how it is. Like I said, he sees me as a threat to his run as president, so he tries to intimidate me. I may be quiet, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have my own ways of getting back at him. I don’t just take it.”
He looked intrigued. “Oh really? How do you get back at him?”
“Everyone prefers me. Slowly, I’m chipping away at his power and that’s enough for me. I don’t need to embarrass him publicly.”
He was nodding, but it didn’t look like he understood. It appeared as if he were the type of person to make someone pay in every way possible.