Page 22 of Forbidden Romeo
“You don’t need to come back so soon?—”
“Finals are in a couple of weeks. Can’t miss those… even with a dead mom.”
She winced this time as though my dead mother somehow hurt her. The other woman.
“I just meant?—”
“I know what you meant. Unlike you, I don’t exactly want to be near my dad at the moment. School’s the better option. Speaking of, I want to do the show.”
“Holden, I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
“The entire class has worked so fucking hard for this. They deserve it. Keith deserves it.” Katherine deserves it, I think. “Besides, it’ll be good practice to get a performance under our belts before the Kennedy Center.”
McCay’s brows lifted slightly. She wasn’t one to wear her emotions so readily on her face. Usually.
She gave a slow nod. “Let me make a couple calls right now before class. I’ll see what I can do.”
I left McCay behind and entered the theater, fucking grateful at how dark it was in there and startled when I saw Katherine sitting in the front row.
Several of our classmates were already here, milling around and they all seemed to grow silent watching me as I made the slow walk down the center aisle to where Katherine was seated. She looked up from her script, her blue eyes lighting up when she saw me. “Hey you,” she said quietly. Then those eyes dropped to my hands, her smile fading briefly.
Fuck. I forgot her tea. I grimaced, running my good hand through my disheveled hair.
The morning after I’m back and I forgot to do the one gesture I’d made a point to do every day since the beginning of the school year.
“Oh my God,” I muttered and dropped into the seat beside her. “I forgot your tea. I’m the world’s worst boyfriend.”
Katherine turned her body to face me, eyes roving over my undoubtedly bloodshot eyes and wrinkled clothing. Hell, I probably smelled like a distillery.
Despite all this, she smiled.
That earth-shattering smile that makes my breath seize in my lungs. “It’s okay, Holden. It’s only tea. Actually… I probably owe you a tea or twenty,” she continued lightly, leaning in to whisper in my ear. “Besides… the best gift of all is you calling yourself my boyfriend.”
Oh my God. I did say that, didn't I?
I stared at Katherine, stunned. Boyfriend. The word hung heavy between us, weighty with meaning. Had I really called myself that? It wasn't a label I had consciously claimed, but somehow it had slipped out naturally, like it was always meant to be.
Looking into Katherine's eyes, bright and expectant, I knew she was waiting for me to say something. Waiting for me to confirm or deny what I had so casually proclaimed. A part of me itched to brush it off as a mistake, to pretend I hadn't meant it. Calling myself Katherine's boyfriend made it real in a way that sent butterflies fluttering anxiously in my stomach.
But there was no going back now. The word was out there, floating between us like a promise. A commitment that, despite my nerves, I very much wanted to make.
I reached out and took Katherine's hand, interlacing our fingers. Her skin was soft and warm against mine.
"Yeah," I said, quietly chuckling. "I guess I did call myself that."
Katherine's answering smile was like the sun breaking through the clouds. With that smile, I knew I had made the right choice.
With Katherine by my side, maybe I actually could get through this. Even with my world turned upside down, there were still moments of light I could cling to. Katherine was one of those lights—her smile, her touch, her very presence gave me hope.
She leaned in and kissed me sweetly, sending tingles down my spine.
"I like the sound of that," she murmured.
I pulled her close, reveling in the feel of her in my arms. My girlfriend. It was still new, still a little scary, but somehow it also felt right. Like coming home.
"Believe it or not… so do I.”
Just then, the lights in the theater dimmed, signaling the start of class. Students began taking their seats around us. I noticed a few sideways glances in our direction.
