professor.
What the hell is he doing here?
My pulse thunders behind my ear drums, muffling all other sounds until they’re nothing more than a softly roaring backdrop for the fearful beating of my heart. He looks up as Mr. Hildenbrand points to the right and sweeps his hand left, across the stage. Ebon’s eyes follow his hands and skim right over me. Air freezes in my lungs when his gaze stutters and then darts back to me, clicking to a stop.
Ebon nods as he listens to Mr. Hildenbrand, but he never takes his eyes off mine. I’m completely unnerved. I’m struck motionless, forced to stand with my load at the edge of the curtain until his gaze sets me free.
Only it doesn’t. With trembling hands, I watch as Ebon says something to Mr. Hildenbrand from the side of his mouth and then moves away, making his way along the row until he’s in the aisle directly in front of me.
Our eyes are locked as he climbs the stage steps and walks slowly toward me. My knees quake and I beg them not to give out on me until I’m alone, away from all these curious faces. Away from Ebon.
“What are you doing here?” Ebon asks politely, not stopping until he’s far too close to me.
“Ummm,” I murmur, disconcerted. I can smell his shampoo and a vision of me threading my fingers into his hair as he licked between my legs flashes through my mind, bringing heat to my face.
“Trying your hand at acting?”
I feel my mouth drop open and I have to make myself snap it shut. I close my eyes and shake my head to clear it, anything to break the spell of his disturbing stare.
“Ummm, no, I, uh, I’m helping my friend with the stage and the costumes. Just volunteering.”
“Ahhh,” he says noncommittally, sliding his hands into the front pockets of his jeans and rocking back on his heels. “It’s never a bad idea to have us literary types around for a Shakespearean production, right?” I smile, but say nothing. “Mr. Hildenbrand and I worked on a similar play together in college. I just dropped in to see how it was coming together.”
I nod and smile again, cursing myself inwardly for standing here like a knot on a log.
Ebon clears his throat. “So, since you’re not taking up theater, does that mean you’ve had time to write more of your…story?”
His eyes are fiery. I wonder if he’s remembering touching me, touching the body he thinks belongs to my sister. I wonder if he’s regretting saying goodbye.
“No, not yet.”
“You need to get on that,” he says with a smile. “Maybe I can talk to your sister about my role in it. Give you some more material to work with.”
Talk to Sage? How? Stop by work? Call her?
My heart stops. Completely stops for a fraction of a second. That has to be what it is, because it actually hurts when it starts beating again at such a rapid rate.
“No!” I say too quickly. I make myself pause and speak more casually. “Uh, no. She, uh, she’s really busy this week.”
Ebon’s expression is matter-of-fact. “Is that so?”
The only thing I can think of is the truth. “Yeah, she took a consulting job.”
“Really? Huh. Interesting. She didn’t mention it the other night.”
“Well, if you two broke up, maybe she didn’t think…” I trail off. I don’t even know how to finish that sentence.
Ebon’s frown deepens. “What? That I would care? Am I really that guy? The one who turns into a douche after a break up?”
“No, I’m sure you’re not. And I’m sure she doesn’t think that.”
“Hmmm. Maybe I’ll get in touch with her this weekend. I don’t want any hard feelings between us.”
A million things are running through my mind, all of which strike me mute just long enough to miss my chance to come up with something—anything—that will help avert disaster.
“Okay, well, I’ll let you get back to it. I’ll see you Wednesday, Willow,” he says, his eyes flaming into mine
What the hell is he doing here?
My pulse thunders behind my ear drums, muffling all other sounds until they’re nothing more than a softly roaring backdrop for the fearful beating of my heart. He looks up as Mr. Hildenbrand points to the right and sweeps his hand left, across the stage. Ebon’s eyes follow his hands and skim right over me. Air freezes in my lungs when his gaze stutters and then darts back to me, clicking to a stop.
Ebon nods as he listens to Mr. Hildenbrand, but he never takes his eyes off mine. I’m completely unnerved. I’m struck motionless, forced to stand with my load at the edge of the curtain until his gaze sets me free.
Only it doesn’t. With trembling hands, I watch as Ebon says something to Mr. Hildenbrand from the side of his mouth and then moves away, making his way along the row until he’s in the aisle directly in front of me.
Our eyes are locked as he climbs the stage steps and walks slowly toward me. My knees quake and I beg them not to give out on me until I’m alone, away from all these curious faces. Away from Ebon.
“What are you doing here?” Ebon asks politely, not stopping until he’s far too close to me.
“Ummm,” I murmur, disconcerted. I can smell his shampoo and a vision of me threading my fingers into his hair as he licked between my legs flashes through my mind, bringing heat to my face.
“Trying your hand at acting?”
I feel my mouth drop open and I have to make myself snap it shut. I close my eyes and shake my head to clear it, anything to break the spell of his disturbing stare.
“Ummm, no, I, uh, I’m helping my friend with the stage and the costumes. Just volunteering.”
“Ahhh,” he says noncommittally, sliding his hands into the front pockets of his jeans and rocking back on his heels. “It’s never a bad idea to have us literary types around for a Shakespearean production, right?” I smile, but say nothing. “Mr. Hildenbrand and I worked on a similar play together in college. I just dropped in to see how it was coming together.”
I nod and smile again, cursing myself inwardly for standing here like a knot on a log.
Ebon clears his throat. “So, since you’re not taking up theater, does that mean you’ve had time to write more of your…story?”
His eyes are fiery. I wonder if he’s remembering touching me, touching the body he thinks belongs to my sister. I wonder if he’s regretting saying goodbye.
“No, not yet.”
“You need to get on that,” he says with a smile. “Maybe I can talk to your sister about my role in it. Give you some more material to work with.”
Talk to Sage? How? Stop by work? Call her?
My heart stops. Completely stops for a fraction of a second. That has to be what it is, because it actually hurts when it starts beating again at such a rapid rate.
“No!” I say too quickly. I make myself pause and speak more casually. “Uh, no. She, uh, she’s really busy this week.”
Ebon’s expression is matter-of-fact. “Is that so?”
The only thing I can think of is the truth. “Yeah, she took a consulting job.”
“Really? Huh. Interesting. She didn’t mention it the other night.”
“Well, if you two broke up, maybe she didn’t think…” I trail off. I don’t even know how to finish that sentence.
Ebon’s frown deepens. “What? That I would care? Am I really that guy? The one who turns into a douche after a break up?”
“No, I’m sure you’re not. And I’m sure she doesn’t think that.”
“Hmmm. Maybe I’ll get in touch with her this weekend. I don’t want any hard feelings between us.”
A million things are running through my mind, all of which strike me mute just long enough to miss my chance to come up with something—anything—that will help avert disaster.
“Okay, well, I’ll let you get back to it. I’ll see you Wednesday, Willow,” he says, his eyes flaming into mine
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