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I nodded. “It’s just a little kiss. How hard could it be?”

“It’ll be as easy as breathing,” he replied with a reassuring smile.

“Thanks, Evan.”

His eyes suddenly turned mischievous though. “But, you know, if it’s horrible, I’m more than happy to learn the lines for Belle and take your place. I have no problem kissing Liam, and I am the beauty in our group after all.”

I laughed and shoved his hand away. “You’re so full of yourself, Anderson.”

“Well, one of us has to be.”

I turned as I noticed someone waving to me from the end of the aisle. It was Madi. She was dressed all in black, which made it difficult to see her in the darkened auditorium.

“You’re up, Teags,” she said.

I slowly nodded and started to stand. “Wish me luck,” I said to Evan.

“I’ll do you one better and give you a breath mint,” he said, offering his tin of mints out toward me.

I laughed, knowing he was only joking, and took the mint anyway. It couldn’t hurt, right?

I started up to the stage, nerves making the blood rush from my skin. I felt suddenly cold and wasn’t at all sure what my lines were supposed to be. It was like they’d disappeared straight out of my head, and no matter how hard I tried to recall them, they simply weren’t there.

Some of the cast were still reading off scripts as we blocked each scene out, but I’d been off my script since we finished the first read through. This was the first time we’d be practicing the final scene, and it was the first time I’d kiss Liam. It was just a stage kiss and I had to keep reminding myself that.

“Hey,” Liam said, as I joined him in the wings. Miss Appleby was still chatting with Hayley about some notes she had on the last scene, so we had a few minutes before we began.

I hadn’t spoken to Liam since Saturday, and I could barely look him in the eyes. “Hey,” I replied. “How’d you get on with writing up the English assignment?”

“Good,” he said, flashing me his beautiful smile. “I’m guessing you had everything you needed since I didn’t get a call.” It almost sounded like he was disappointed I hadn’t called him, but I knew I was probably just imagining things.

“Yeah, I had enough to get the assignment done.” I replied.

“I’m glad. Sorry again you had to redo all the work you’d done.”

I shrugged. “No, it’s fine. It was a much better biography in the end anyway. It was probably a good thing I had to start over.”

Miss Appleby clapped her hands together and called for us to begin the next scene. She liked us to act the scenes out in an impromptu manner for our first run through, so it was completely up to us how it went.

Liam had been shot in the last scene and was supposed to be lying on the floor. He winked at me before he walked over and took his place on the ground, his hands clutching the wound on his stomach his character was suffering from.

I took a deep breath in and counted down from three before I entered the scene. “Three, two, one…”

I stepped onto the stage and fell into character. I rushed to Liam’s side and his eyes lit up at my appearance. “Belle, you came back.” His voice was rough, and his teeth were gritted together with pain.

“Of course, I did,” I said, as I fell to my knees at his side. He hissed in a pained breath and my eyes darted to where his hands clasped tightly on his abdomen. “You’re bleeding.”

I pressed my hands over his as I stared down at the wound in horror.

“Maybe it’s better this way,” he said.

But I violently shook my head as I looked him in the eyes. “Everything will be okay. I’m going to make everything okay.” I pleaded with him with my gaze, but his eyes were drifting shut.

He lifted a hand to me and lightly touched a stray strand of hair that fell across my chest. “At least I got to see you one last time…” His hand dropped to his side, and finally, his eyes drifted shut.

I leaned over Liam’s chest and gripped his face in my hands. His skin was soft and warm, and I suddenly found it difficult to stay in character now that we were so close. My body was pressed against his, and I had to remember that everyone was watching us.

“No,” I whispered. “No!” I gently rubbed his cheek as tears welled in my eyes. “Please don’t leave me. I love you.”