Page 167 of Brutal Little Secrets

Chase bites his way through his next lines. Mr. Watson has stopped grading and is watching the play now. When we finish the act, I call for a break.

“EvanAnn,” Mr. Watson calls and gestures for me to come over.

Everyone heads to their drinks or out to use the restroom as I sit in the chair beside Mr. Watson.

“Is he always so belligerent?” he asks softly.

This is part of student directing. Sometimes my actors are assholes with big egos. Honestly, most times. After all, we’re all here because we’re the most talented of the students who applied.

“He gets frustrated when he keeps tripping over the same line.” I hate making excuses for him, but this is acting. “We’re just starting to come off script. Everyone’s a little shaky with their lines. I don’t think he’s doing it intentionally.”

Mr. Watson nods. “I’ll be at practice for another week. Just until things smooth out.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re doing well, EvanAnn.”

I straighten at the praise and thank him again before heading to my desk. There’s a single red rose laid across the pages of my script. I’ve gotten used to finding red paper flowers everywhere I go.

Maybe Hawk thought I could use a flower instead of a drink today. I glance around, but I don’t see Hawk anywhere. Who else would leave me a rose? I rode with Hawk, and he didn’t have a bag. I guess it could have been in his saddlebag.

When I lift it to set it aside to get to my pages, something pricks my fingers. I drop the rose and look at my hand. For a second, I’m shocked at the blood welling, but then burning pain tears at my fingers. I suck in my breath.

“You’re bleeding,” Keira says as she sets her script down. She grabs a tissue, but the burning pain grows even more intense, like it’s flaying me from the inside. It’s too intense. I can’t hold back my cry of pain.

Hawk

“Doing great in there,” I say to Chase as I pass him in the hallway.

“Fuck off,” he mutters before turning his attention back to Sofia, the junior who plays my mistress. He leans over her with a cocky smile. She plays with her hair as she looks up at him through her lashes.

“Did you get rid of that jock itch problem?” I look pointedly at his crotch.

Sofia looks down at his crotch with worry before she walks away. Chase snarls, but I ignore him.

As I approach the doors, a scream shakes my bones. I’ve heard it before. Annie!

I hurry into the room and Annie is curled in on herself near the table. Blood drips onto the floor beside her as she rocks. Everything in me goes cold.

Fuck. I’m at Annie’s side in a second.

“I’ve got you,” I say. I kneel beside her and reach for her, afraid to touch her somewhere that’s in pain. “What happened?”

Her teary eyes lift to mine.

“It burns.” Her voice is rough, like she’s holding back from screaming.

What the fuck happened?

“Where’s Mr. Watson?” I ask Keira.

“Bathroom.” Her eyes are wide. “I think it’s her hand.”

I grab Annie’s wrist and draw it away from her body. She whimpers. So much blood. I grab a bottle of water off the table and pour it over her hand. She screams. There are a few cuts, red and angry with blisters forming around them. What the fuck.

“Get him!”

Keira races off.

I lift her into my arms. All I know is I need to protect her. I hold her close to me as she cries.

Annie keeps muttering something under her breath as she cries. I lean in to hear it.

“It burns. It burns. It burns.”

Finish the journey in Dirty Tangled Truths