Blushing, she quickly averted her gaze and moved away from the piano. “I didn’t mean to pry.” She muttered and seemed worried that he would be angry with her for snooping into his work.
“No, it was wonderful. That’s the first time I’ve had a chance to hear how it would sound on stage.” He said still fighting off the effects of her voice. “I’ve missed hearing your voice. It seems much better than your audition.”
Chloe smiled shyly. “It was the beauty of the piece, not my voice. Your song was breathtaking. And so sad. I will probably weep when I see it performed on stage.” She flipped through the pages. “How does it end? I am not really familiar with the story, but it doesn’t seem like it will end happily. Does it?”
“No, Lancelot becomes a hermit and Guinevere a nun.”
“So no happy ending? That is really terrible. Your music is beautiful, but I don’t think I could sit through so much despair.”
God he wanted to kiss her! Instead he moved over to the piano. “Shall we play something less tragic?” He patted the empty space on the bench and after one timid moment, Chloe sat down next to him. “What do you want to hear?”
****
Chloe’s belly fluttered as if someone were teasing her insides with a feather. Try as she might, she couldn’t keep her gaze from falling over Rhys’s lean chest or over the slight hint of his glorious and muscularly toned abdomen making her remember how those muscles had once felt against her naked flesh. Was he not aware how his near nakedness was affecting her?
Her eyes shot to the piano keys when Rhys caught her looking at him. Knowing that her cheeks were aflame she refused to look at him. “You choose.” She said, her voice unsure.
“Hmm…” He said and brought his long fingers to the keys. After a second he began to play a song from Hedwig. He must have known it was her favorite because it happened to be her ringtone.
Chloe’s eyes widened in pleasing surprise. “I thought you didn’t like Hedwig?”
Rhys shrugged. “This song isn’t so bad.”
As he played, he sang the words in the same manner as the original, bringing a smile to Chloe’s lips. His voice was good. His ear well trained.
Forgetting herself, she relaxed, losing herself in the emotion of the song and the husky smoothness of his voice.
Breaking off in the middle of the song, Rhys changed to another, and then another still. Every song familiar and reminiscent of her time spent in New York. Every free chance she got, she’d seen musical after musical. Broadway was like a fairytale world, so much better than her own structured and demanding life. During those shows, she had lost herself in the voices, the stories, and the magic of the stage.
When the music stopped, she looked at him in question.
“Will you sing with me?” He asked and began to play the love song from Phantom of the Opera. As he sang those chivalrous lyrics, his deep smoky eyes focused on her face, she once again felt that damnable feather making her belly quiver in response.
When she missed her cue, he nudged her, and with her heart trembling, she joined her voice with his, losing herself in the music, in the feeling.
Soon her shyness was forgotten as she gazed into his eyes. She descended into their depths until she wasn’t sure she would ever climb back out again. As their voices sang of sweet promises, Chloe became Christine, and her heart sang its own song of dawning love and hoped against hope that Rhys – her Raoul – felt the same.
When the song finally ended, Chloe found herself unable to look away, her eyes seeming stuck as if there were invisible strings attached to her pupils and the other end attached to Rhys’s.
Before he moved, Chloe knew he was going to kiss her. She opened her mouth in shocked anticipation. His mouth covered hers. His hand was on her cheek, holding her still, keeping her from moving away. The mere touch of his lips was wreaking havoc on her insides and she feared she was going to faint.
Her body trembled and he pulled her closer. Afraid he would break the kiss Chloe flung her arms around his neck and kissed him back. Rhys was the first man she’d ever kissed and she realized he was the only one she ever wanted to kiss. He was her one and only.
Even though she wanted to take it slow and figure out if what she felt were real or not, she couldn’t ignore her heart. What she was feeling seemed real enough to her, and she couldn’t deny it any longer. Whether it was the Rhys of the past or the Rhys of the present, she loved him.
Rhys deepened their kiss and her bones jumped right out of her body before the rest of her melted into an overheated puddle. Chloe was in way too deep. And no matter their unclear future, she would just focus on the here and now. She’d let herself worry later.
Chapter Thirteen
They were nearing the fourth and final hour of rehearsal. The scene was when Raoul confessed his feelings to Christine on the rooftop of the Paris opera house while the Phantom watched from the shadows.
Jett, playing the part of Raoul, held Chloe in his arms promising to protect her. His voice was smooth and boyishly charming. It was the voice of every Disney prince, full of benevolence and knightly virtue.
His voice and manner were so honest that Chloe could actually believe his words were true. When it became Chloe’s cue to join her voice with his, she did so easily matching gentle passion to gentle passion. They were two lovers fighting to hang on to one another in a place of superficial beauty where one tortured soul had turned it into his haunted playground.
Their voices filled the theatre rising at the final confession of their love only to decrescendo to a whisper as Raoul leaned down for a kiss. The kiss slightly awkward, Chloe tried not to glance out into the seats to find Rhys.
Curious to see his reaction but not wanting to ruin the scene, she closed her eyes and was completely taken by surprise when Raoul – no Jett – grabbed the back of her head and crushed his lips against hers in a passionate kiss. Her eyes opened in disturbing confusion and she clamped her lips together when his tongue tried to enter her mouth.
Placing her palms against his chest, her mind screamed for her to shove him off. But that would mean ruining the scene, and she didn’t want that either. Thankfully, Wilson’s voice rang out saying that one glorious word “Cut.”
Chloe pushed Jett away with all her force and frowned as cat calls hurtled at them from the seats.
Horrified, she wanted very much to know what the hell he was thinking, but at that moment her gaze locked onto Heather’s shocked face as she stood watching from the stage exit.
Heather glared at Chloe before turning and hurrying out of sight. Chloe ran after her with Jett on her heels. When she got backstage Heather was nowhere in sight.
Feeling overwhelmed and not knowing what to do, she turned and confronted Jett. “What the hell was that? What possessed you to kiss me like that?”
Jett grabbed her shoulders, “Can’t you guess?”
Chloe shook her head in disbelief, knocked his arms away, and turned from him to look for Heather. “No, No! You can’t. That’s crazy. What about Heather?”
Still seeing no sign of Heather, she looked back at Jett. His eyes were wide and a bit red. They’d looked like that earlier too. And now that she thought about it, he seemed a bit jittery like a kid all hyped up on Pixie Sticks.
“What about her?”
Chloe touched his arm to keep him still. “Don’t you know she’s in love with you? Don’t you like her at all?”
“God no! She drives me crazy.” He said and took Chloe’s hand in his. “She’s nothing compared to you. You’re beautiful and talented. And the way you sing… you’re like an angel.”
Chloe cringed at the endearment. Angel. Mon ange. My angel, that’s what Earon had always called her. Hearing it come out of Jett’s mouth enraged her. She hated the comparison. And now she didn’t particularly like Jett either. His utter devotion of her made him too much like Earon.
“Don’t call me that!”
“But it’s true. Chloe, I’ve always liked y
ou, but from the moment I heard you sing I –”
“No, don’t say it. This is wrong. Even if I did care for you in that way, which I don’t, I could never hurt Heather like this.”
“It’s because of that professor isn’t it?” Jett said losing his temper. He grabbed her arm more roughly this time. “What’s the deal with him anyway?”
“This has nothing to do with him Jett. You and I are just friends,” she said and tried to twist out of his grasp. “You’re hurting me.”
“Then why can’t you and I be more than just friends? I love you.”
“But I don’t love you.” Chloe wondered if he wasn’t on drugs. This wasn’t like Jett. This was like a totally different person. His grip tightened and she cried out. “Please let me go.”
“Not until you agree to go out with me. Just one date. You’ll see. I can be just as charming as that asshole Ryther.”
“No. Jett, what’s gotten into you? Are you sick?” His eyes didn’t even appear to be focused anymore.
“Maybe! I don’t know. Come on Chloe, just give me a chance.”
“Jett, please. I don’t want this. Just let me go.” Had she escaped one madman only to be thrown head first into the arms of another? If he didn’t let her go she was going to scream.
“Hey, let her go!”
“Heather!” Where had she come from? Chloe didn’t care. She was too happy to see her friend whose glare was not pointed at her but at Jett.
“What the hell’s wrong with you?” Heather asked and knocked his hand away.
He didn’t answer but shoved Heather to the floor. Heather was quick and sprung back up and shoved him back. “Are you crazy?”
“Just leave me alone!” He shouted and raised his hand to hit her.
Chloe screamed and grabbed his hand, but she wasn’t very strong and he easily shoved her to the ground.
Everything after that seemed to happen in fast forward. Jett looked down at her appalled. Heather stood speechless. The curtain rustled and Rhys followed by Professor Wilson and Simon rushed toward them.
“What the hell’s going on?” This came from Rhys who was staring at Jett’s raised fist like a man ready to break it.
Jett lowered his fist. “Oh God,” he said looking from her to Heather and back again. “Chloe, I didn’t…”
Jett couldn’t finish his sentence because at that moment his face turned a slight shade of green. Jett’s stomach must have decided it didn’t much care for whatever he’d taken and wanted to get rid of it. Chloe didn’t have much time to slide out of the way as Jett leaned over and emptied his stomach mere inches where her legs had been.
Rhys pulled Chloe to her feet and gave her the once over as Professor Wilson ran to Jett’s aid. “What’s wrong?”
“I think he’s on drugs or something,” Heather said and moved closer to Chloe.
“Is this true?” Professor Wilson grabbed a small trash can and placed it under Jett as he continued to be sick.
“No. I didn’t take anything,” Jett said before collapsing onto the floor. “The water tasted funny.”
“What water?” Wilson asked.
“Simon’s.” Jett groaned as his body began to twitch uncontrollably.
“Dear lord. Someone call an ambulance.” Wilson said to Chloe and Heather. He then knelt down to check on Jett.
Jett’s body continued to convulse and all he could do was moan as if he were in a lot of pain. Heather quickly pulled out her phone and dialed. Wilson turned to Simon. “What was in that water?”
“I don’t know. It was only water.”
“Where is this bottle now?” Rhys asked.
“I don’t know,” Simon said shaken.
“Well go find it.” Wilson shouted and Simon took off running out to the seats in search of the water bottle.
Chloe looked down at Jett. He’d passed out and was lying so still almost as if he were… She covered her mouth in horror and prayed the ambulance would get there soon. Rhys pushed a panicky Wilson aside and checked for a pulse.
“He’s breathing.”
Heather started crying into the phone telling the dispatcher to hurry. Chloe grabbed her hand and felt like crying too. What was making Jett so sick? Was there poison in that water bottle?
Oh God, Jett looked so bad that Chloe was afraid he wouldn’t get to the hospital on time. She squeezed Heather’s hand and prayed everything was going to be alright.
****
Daniel snuck out of the theatre and got inside his car. He pulled the door closed and slammed his fists against the wheel. He’d poisoned the wrong boy. That Asian kid was supposed to have drunk it. Not the other one. It wasn’t meant to happen like this.
Still, he couldn’t be too angry. The boy had gotten what he deserved. He should never have kissed his Chloe. In fact, perhaps fate was on his side and he’d poisoned the right kid after all.
He’d only seen Chloe with that Asian kid once, but the other one… He, Chloe, and that other girl were always together.
Starting the car, Daniel turned the radio on and Beethoven blared out of the speakers. As he pulled the car out of the parking lot, he hummed along. Let this be a lesson to Chloe. She shouldn’t be so friendly with the opposite sex. And if he saw her with that Asian again, he’d kill him just like he’d killed that foolish Jett.
He stopped at the crosswalk to let some students pass. When one looked his way, he smiled and waved. Perhaps he ought to pay Chloe another little visit tonight.
The church was almost finished, but he was having trouble waiting. No matter how much he wanted her, he had to make sure everything was ready. And it would be soon.
Now he just needed to let her know he was here. Here and waiting for her. “Mon ange,” He said aloud and turned down Greek Avenue, “You will not escape me again. This time I’ll definitely make you mine.”
****
Chloe sat next to Heather in the hospital waiting room while Detective Mason, the same detective Chloe had spoken to on the night of the cemetery incident, was out in the hall interrogating Simon.
“Do you think he did it?” Heather asked. Her eyes were still red from crying and she stared at Simon through the window, her eyes conflicted.
Chloe shook her head, “Why would he? Simon and Jett are friends.”
“Yeah, but still how did this happen?”
“I don’t know. Maybe the water was already contaminated. Things like that happen, don’t they?”
“What if he doesn’t make it?” Heather turned away from the window. “What if the doctor’s can’t save him? When I saw him kiss you, I was so angry… I thought so many vicious things. But I – I never wanted something like this to happen.”
Chloe put her arm around Heather’s shoulders. “He’ll be alright,” Chloe told Heather and to ease her own worry she added, “He has to be.”
Simon came in a little later, looking shaken and terribly upset.
“You’re not in any trouble are you?” Chloe asked.
Simon tucked a long strand of hair behind his ear. “The detective didn’t say for sure. He just took my statement and told me he’d be in touch. I guess that means I’m a suspect.”
“That’s crazy,” Heather said sitting forward, “You didn’t do anything.”
Simon nodded sadly, sat down next to Heather, and took her hand in his. As they sat there, Chloe lost track of the time while she mindlessly stared at the TV screen mounted in the corner and waited for any news about Jett.
Surely if it was bad, someone would have come in and told them. But wouldn’t they have also come to tell them he was stable? No news must mean they were still busy trying to save him.
Chloe wanted to cry, but knew she needed to stay strong for Heather. If worse came to worse, she’d have plenty of time to cry later.
She replayed their last moments together, her anger all but gone and in its place was guilt. She felt guilty for the way she’d turned him down. What if that’s the last thing she ever said to him?
&nbs
p; The door to the waiting room opened and Rhys stepping inside followed by Professor Wilson. At the sight of them, Chloe jumped up and met them at the door. “Have you heard anything yet?”
Rhys touched her shoulder, “He’s going to be alright.”
Chloe let out a much needed breath. Jett was okay. He wasn’t going to die. Chloe gave Rhys’s arm a squeeze and wished he would hug her. But he merely gave her shoulder a quick squeeze of his own before letting his arm drop back to his side.
“Was it poison?” Heather asked as she continued to hold Simon’s hand. “Was the water really contaminated?”
“The lab tested the bottle and found large amounts of arsenic,” Professor Wilson replied, his eyes locked on Simon.
Chloe couldn’t tell whether or not Wilson was blaming him. Simon must have thought he was, because his face turned pale and his eyes darted from one face to the next. “I didn’t poison him.”
“No one said you did, my boy.” Wilson said flustered. “But someone did.”
“But it wasn’t me! It was my water. I was going to drink it before Jett asked. If it was poisoned, then maybe it was meant for me?”
“Did you see anyone messing with your bag today?” Rhys asked. “Was there ever a time that you left it unattended?”
Simon began to shake his head then stopped himself, “I left my bag backstage all during rehearsals. Anyone could have touched it. It wasn’t until my scene was over that I remembered the water. I swear I was just about to take a drink of it before Jett grabbed it out of my hands and asked me to share it. The jerk ended up drinking all of it before I could even take a sip.” Simon rubbed his face in frustrated despair. “If he hadn’t stolen my water then it would be me in that hospital bed and not Jett. I wish it were me and not him. At least then nobody would think I was an attempted murderer.”
“No one thinks that.” Chloe reached out to touch his arm, but he moved away.
“Look, I gotta go.”
“Where are you going?” Professor Wilson asked.
“To my apartment,” He said and opened the door. “Don’t worry I’m not going anywhere. I’m a suspect remember? The police will be watching my every move.” He looked back at Heather and said, “If you talk to Jett… tell him I’m sorry. Tell him I didn’t know what was in that bottle okay?”
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