I expect him to say no, but he surprises me. “Tonight. Afterrehearsal.”
A shiver of anticipation buzzes through my body. “Deal.”
As we pull up near his class, I add, “You don’t think we’ll be interrupted by collegegirls?”
We’re not even dating, but the idea of him with anyone else has something white-hot streaking throughme.
“Not my type.” Tyler turns to face me, and I miss his touchalready.
It’s that sudden emptiness that has me asking, “I thought high school girls weren’t your type?” in a coy voice that isn’tmine.
Tyler glances down the hall. Before I can breathe, he drags me behind the open classroom door, his hand threading through my hair as his body pins me against alocker.
Oh.
My.
God.
Tyler.
His kiss is fire. Hard and sharp andbranding.
His lips skim my jaw, making me tilt my head up to give him even more access. My mouth falls open in shock at the scrape of his teeth along my ear, my breath falling out inpants.
“You’re cute when you’re jealous,” he murmurs against myskin.
With a last hot look, he slips into class and leaves me thrilled and boneless against thelockers.
* * *
Rehearsal is fucking brilliant.I’m hitting every song, the dialogue, thechoreography.
I’minvincible.
“Excellent, Annie,” Miss Norelli says after we finish the hardest number and I grab my water at the corner of the stage. “Something’s really clicking with you. Your costume will be ready for a final fitting the start of nextweek.”
My chest expands. “I get to keep therole?”
“You get to keep the role. I know I said I wanted the girl who auditioned, but you’re not her. You’rebetter.”
Hellyes.
I want to scream it to the world. I nearly dash off a text for Tyler, but I decide to savor it for a few minutesmyself.
I run to the bathroom using the few minutes before we startagain.
When I emerge from the stall, someone’s waiting forme.
“I have something that belongs to you.” Carly leans against the vanity, armsfolded.
“More poems that happened to find their way into your possession?” I don’t bother to sound kind as I wash my hands. “Forget it, Carly. It’s over. Youlost.”
Her gaze narrows, cold and cruel. “You’re not interested in a letter from someone named Fiona? A woman who says she’s yourmother?”
My hands are still under the tap, the hot water stinging myskin.
It’s not possible, but from her expression, I know it’s true. “How didyou…?”