Until Alex - J. Nathan Page 0,108
condition he’d left me in still pressed against the door.
An hour later, I applied the finishing touches on my makeup. I knew Sophia would do me up with a boatload of stage makeup when I got to school, but my mother always taught me to leave the house looking the way I wanted to look if I saw an ex-boyfriend—or Channing Tatum.
Impatient knocking came from the front door. I hoped it was Hayden stopping by to tell me he got a job. I threw open the front door and stumbled backwards on a gasp. “What are you doing here?”
HAYDEN
I searched the crowded foyer for Alex, feeling ridiculous carrying around a huge bouquet of pink flowers. I maneuvered around enthusiastic parents and anxious singers, but couldn’t find her anywhere. She’d been so nervous. I hoped she wasn’t off puking in the bathroom.
Inside the theater, I dropped into the aisle seat beside Alex’s aunt who snagged us seats in the center of the room. She eyed the massive bouquet in my lap, giving me an impressed nod.
The lights flickered on and off and a voice announced the show would begin in five minutes.
“Was she nervous?” Katherine asked.
“A little. But she’s a natural. She’s gonna be amazing.”
Katherine reached over and placed a firm hand on my knee to stop it from bouncing. “Then why are you so nervous?”
I glanced from her hand to her probing eyes. I’d never realized how similar they were to Alex’s. “I’m not sure if she told you, but I’m the reason she’s in the show.”
Katherine shook her head, but her stare indicated she wanted me to explain.
“I signed her up for the audition without her knowing.”
Her brows lifted as she removed her hand from my leg. “Gutsy move.”
I nodded. “I knew she could sing. I just figured she needed a little push. So, I guess I’m just nervous for her.”
“You really care about her, don’t you?”
I nodded, suddenly feeling uncomfortable and needing to look away.
“Well, she’s lucky she found you.”
I kept my gaze averted, never feeling so unworthy in my entire life. People poured into the crowded room slipping into seats until there wasn’t a single empty seat in the theater.
“I’m serious. She was lost when she came here. She’d lost everything, including her spunk. I didn’t know if there was anything I could do to snap her out of it. That is, until she met you.” She laughed. “She’d kill me for telling you this, but she couldn’t keep her eyes off that peephole for more than a couple minutes at a time.”
I smiled, my stomach doing a fluttering thing I thought was reserved for preteen girls. But man, I’d been at that peephole just as often.
“Just take care of her, Hayden. She’s so very fragile.”
I finally met Katherine’s eyes. “I promise you. I’d do anything for her. Absolutely anything.”
With that, the lights in the theater lowered. We sat in silent darkness for a long moment until music from the sound system filled the room. The emcee’s voice broke through the music. “Welcome to SSC Voice.”
The audience erupted into wild cheers.
“Tonight we have a phenomenal lineup of singers performing some of today’s hit songs. Be sure to keep track of your favorites. You’ll be voting during intermission.”
The intro music to Alex’s song replaced his voice.
When the curtains parted and the spotlight shined, Taylor stood at center stage.
I flew out of my seat, up the aisle, and into the empty foyer. My head twisted around. I spotted the deserted hallway running adjacent to the theater. The echo of my soles pounded in time to my pulse as I bolted down it, stopping at the door that read Contestants Only.
I threw it open and burst into the congested room. People raced around. Applied makeup. Rehearsed. Sat nervously
Where the hell was Alex?
Sophia paced in the corner with her phone in her hand. I rushed over and grabbed hold of her arm. “Where’s Alex?”
“Jesus, Hayden,” she gasped. “I have no clue. I’ve been trying her for the past hour. But it goes straight to voicemail.”
I dialed Alex from my phone, hoping she’d answer if she saw my name. But it went straight to voicemail. I gripped the sides of my head trying to make the pounding stop. “Fucking Taylor.”
“I hate her, too,” Sophia assured me. “But when Smith told her she was going to have to step in for Alex, she was shocked. She’s a good actress and all, but she looked genuinely stunned.”
I knew what Taylor was capable of, so