Unscripted - Nicole Kronzer Page 0,63

his hand away.

“Okay. Still fighting,” he said. “I’ll take it . . . for now.”

It was close to midnight when we were all in bed with the lights off. I had just closed my eyes when I flashed back to the feeling of Ben’s cold fingers unclasping my bra. He did it with one hand like it was nothing. How many bras did you to have to unclasp before you could do it one-handed? How many girls had Ben told he was falling in love with? How many more would he pursue after I was gone? If someone before me had said something to the Pauls, would I even be in this situation?

Maybe I’d tell the Pauls. After the show was over. And after Nina Knightley.

“Ellie . . . Ellie.”

God, now I was hearing his voice, too.

“Ellie. I’m back. Open the door. I’ve got all the . . . girl supplies.”

He was here. My bunk was right by the window, which we’d cracked open just a little for some fresh air. He could see me. I could hear him through the screen. We’d barricaded the door with the extra bunk beds after swearing up and down no one was going to have to pee in the middle of the night and then finding a bucket in the closet to use just in case.

So I was safe. As long as he thought I was asleep. And as long as he didn’t have a razor blade to cut through the screen. He wouldn’t go that far, would he?

Would he?

I heroically slowed my breathing and tried to look as unconscious as possible.

“Ellie . . . Ellie . . . I know you can hear me . . . Ellie . . . Ellie.”

Paloma moaned a little.

Ben dropped his voice to a whisper. “Ellie.”

I probably looked more dead than unconscious, but I was terrified to move. Just when I was tempted to open my eyes and see if he’d left, I heard his voice one more time.

“Bitch.”

My blood boiled as he thumped away.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

It took a long time to fall asleep, but when I woke the next morning, I was sure about two things: 1) Ben was never getting me alone again. And 2) If I was a bitch, I was going to be the funniest bitch that asshole had ever seen.

Ben kept trying to catch my eye at breakfast, but I stared at Hanna as she told an elaborate story about when she and Paloma tried to get into this secret restaurant back in Milwaukee called the Safe House.

“What kind of business model is that?” Hanna demanded. “You have to know a password to get inside? You’re willfully keeping out customers?”

Paloma kicked me under the table. “Laugh, Zelda,” she muttered, “you’re having a great time.”

“What?” I breathed.

“Ben is looking over here. You’re having a great time. You don’t need him.”

Automatically, I turned my head to look at him, but she grabbed my hand and called out, “Hilarious, Hanna!”

Right. I forced a smile on my face and tried to join in the laughter.

“I’m just nervous,” I muttered when the laughter ebbed. “If I know where he is, I feel better.”

Paloma pursed her lips. “It doesn’t have to be this way, Zelda.”

I nodded. “I just have to hang in there for one more week,” I said. “It’s not like he’s going to follow me back to Minnesota.”

She tried to smile. So did I.

At rehearsal after breakfast, my eyes automatically swept the main room of the Lodge for Ben. Jake and High Ropes Jake were tying their shoelaces together on stage, and Trey and Donovan were throwing grapes into the air, trying to catch them in their mouths. But no Ben.

I exhaled.

“Get the girl supplies? I left them on the porch.”

Whirling around, I pointed at Ben’s chest and demanded, “Please don’t sneak up on me.”

He twisted his features into a “you’re-crazy” face. “Okay, jumpy.” Then he dropped his voice. “I came to your cabin when I got back. Thought you might like to go for a midnight hike.”

I made a noncommittal noise and started digging through my bag to give me something to do and someplace to look that wasn’t Ben’s face.

He took a step and we were facing opposite directions, our shoulders touching. “Want me to come by tonight?” he muttered, pretending to watch the others.

It felt like cold water had washed over me. “The Pauls are strict about curfew, remember?” I said evenly. “Plus, I’m much funnier when I’ve slept.” I selected a pen