Page 121 of The Rules

She nodded. Because that’s what was expected.

Blondie played the part.

Later, during a rare lull between sets, Kath let herself sink into the seat at one of the makeup vanities. Her posture wasn’t graceful—just tired. She folded her arms on the counter and leaned forward, resting her forehead against them for a brief moment. The lights buzzed quietly above, the murmur of backstage life a soft thrum around her.

That’s when Luna struck.

"Alright. Spill. What's going on with you?" she said, suddenly perched on the edge of the vanity beside her, arms crossed. Her tone was sharp with concern, her eyes narrowed in that no-bullshit way that made lying completely pointless.

Katherine met Luna's eyes in the mirror, schooling her features into practiced confusion. The mask slid into place as easily as breathing—the same one she'd perfected in courtrooms and boardrooms.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, her tone perfectly casual. Perfectly fake.

From the corner, Rea's voice cut through the pretense.

"That," she said, pointing directly at her face. "That fucking blank expression. You're phoning it in, babe."

Katherine's shoulders tensed slightly before she forced them to relax. She reached for her lipstick, applying it with deliberate care, buying seconds to compose herself.

"I'm just tired," she exhaled, the admission sharper and more honest than she'd intended.

Luna didn't even blink. "Bullshit," she said flatly.

The silence stretched between them, taut as a wire.

Katherine kept her eyes on her reflection, refusing to crack under their scrutiny. But then Rea shifted, her posture softening as she moved closer.

"Be honest," Rea said, her voice dropping to something gentler, more intimate. "It's a guy, isn't it?"

"Please." Katherine rolled her eyes too quickly, the dismissal coming too fast to be genuine. But even as she scoffed, she heard the slight waver in her own voice—that telltale crack of truth breaking through.

Luna leaned forward, eyes narrowing with the precision of someone who'd spotted weakness and wasn't about to let it go.

"It is. I knew it," Luna said, suspicion sharpening her tone. "You've got the heartbreak eyes."

The words hit her like a physical blow. She flinched, her body stiffening as she drew in a sharp breath she couldn't control.

The reaction was involuntary, instinctive—and damning.

She felt the air shift in the room as Rea's voice cut through the momentary silence, precise and knowing.

"Mr. S?" Rea said, the name landing like a dart finding its target.

Kath froze. Just for a second—a heartbeat, nothing more—but it was enough. Her fingers stilled against the makeup brush she'd been holding, her breath catching in her throat before she forced herself to exhale.

Luna caught the pause, her eyes softening as she leaned forward, nudging Katherine's knee gently.

"Hey," Luna said, her voice gentler now, concern replacing the teasing. "If he did something—"

"No," she cut her off, the word coming out too sharp, too fast. "He didn't do anything. He's..." Her voice faltered, something thick and painful lodging in her throat. "... He's wonderful."

The word hung in the air between them, weighted with a sadness that contradicted its meaning entirely. It was the saddestfucking "wonderful" they'd ever heard, and Kath knew it the moment it left her lips.

Luna and Rea exchanged a look—quiet concern beneath their teasing smiles. They didn't push further. They didn’t need to ask. They knew the look. The ache. The helpless, hopeless pull.

The unspoken understanding passed between them, a shared knowledge of what it meant to want someone you couldn't have.

Katherine saw it in their faces—they knew. They knew "wonderful" shouldn't sound like regret. Shouldn't taste like loss on her tongue.