Page 39 of Bad Crush
“It isn’t one thing, Reagan. It’s everything.” He sits and crosses one leg over the other. “I think we can alter the character a little in some of the big comedic scenes, make her less over the top.”
“No.”
He stares at me, unspeaking.
“I can do this.”
With a tilt of his head, he says, “Okay then. Let’s try it again.”
The first weeks of rehearsals are always grueling and frustrating, but I’ve never felt more picked on and discouraged than when we finish for the day.
My body hurts, which doesn’t even seem like it should be possible. I was holding myself so tightly, my muscles scream from overuse.
“Good job today,” Mila says as we’re grabbing our bags from backstage.
“Thanks.” I groan quietly. Who knew playing the silly character would be the most exhausting? I have a whole new appreciation for how hard this is going to be.
* * *
Over the next two days,classes, rehearsal, and Adam take up every waking second. After Sunday night, we stopped making plans, and he just texts to tell me to come over as soon as I’m done for the day. We avoid our friends with muttered apologies and lock ourselves in his room, so it’s just the two of us.
On Thursday, I have to throw a wrench in our routine to work on a paper I’ve neglected.
“There you are.” Ginny opens my bedroom door and pokes her head in.
“Hey. Yeah, I have a paper due tomorrow. I’ve been in here since noon trying to finish.” I glance out the window to see the sun is setting and then rub my eyes. “What’s up?”
“What’s up? Really?” Ginny walks in and makes herself comfortable, kicking off her shoes and sitting on the end of the bed. “You’ve been avoiding me all week.”
“I’m not avoiding you.”Just spending every free second getting naked with your brother.
“I don’t know what to make of the silence from you two. Neither one of you has said a peep.”
“It’s only been a few days.”
“I know, but usually when you come home from a first date, I get the whole scoop.”
“Well, technically, I didn’t come home from our first date.”
Ginny smiles, but then her lips fall into a pout. “Is this going to be weird? Are you going to stop sharing things with me?”
“He is your brother. Wouldn’t it be weird to hear details?”
“No,” she says too quickly. “Okay, maybe. But you’re like a sister to me, and I don’t want to lose you to my smelly brother.”
“You won’t lose me. Promise.” I take her hand and squeeze.
“So?” She perks right up.
“Did you just play me?”
“Give me something. I’m dying to know if you guys are like a thing now. Are you his new girlfriend? Is the bet off?”
“We haven’t talked about it or labeled anything. We went on a date and hung out a few times. That’s it.”
“You’ve been banging nonstop. You’re telling me you haven’t had any conversations between sex rounds?”
I feel my face warming. “Sure, we’ve talked, but nothing heavy. I don’t want to jinx it. Everything is great. We’re having fun, and I think we both wanted to keep everything away from our friends until we figure it out. The last thing I want is to screw up the group dynamic.”
