Shattered Inside (Yandere!Cheater x Reader)

VII

"Amazing job, pretty boy!" the director yelled with childish glee in his voice, his eyes eventually glancing over to Matthew who simply sat there with an unreadable expression on his face. Snapping out of your trance, you quickly pulled away from Ethan with a nervous yet unbelievingly happy smile. Without waiting for the director to speak any further, you fled from the stage with wobbly legs. Ethan seemed to remain still, talking to the director. "Seriously, you have the skills and the looks! I could make you famous, boy!"

"O-Oh haha... well, I'll think about it."

"Think? There's nothing to think about! This is your chance in a lifetime to get famous—"

"Oh, don't pressure him too much, Edward," Amanda interrupted him with a little grin of her own. Her words were playful, teasing the director. "You know how today's youth has a lot of worries. I'm sure there are some personal matters more important than getting famous. I know... shocking, right?"

"Fine..." He let Ethan off the hook, thanks to Amanda's interference. Muttering a few incoherent apologies under his breath and realising his excitement had caused him to be insensitive again, he continued, "But the offer still stands."

"Thank you, sir."

With your slightly exposed back pressing against the cool wood of a wall backstage, you let out a breath you hadn't realised you'd been holding all the time. Your lips were tingling softly, making your fingers automatically reach up to touch them. Back then, your childish mind oftentimes used to fantasise about kissing Ethan — your best friend; now, you had the answer. A silly smile spread across your face.

Lost in your daydreams, minutes upon minutes passed without you realising. Only when a hand latched onto your shoulder did your back jolt into an overly straight posture. The backstage still was busy; the workers were cleaning and wrapping up everything for today. Your nervous eyes darted around to gaze into familiar brown eyes in surprise.

"That was amazing, (Y/n)!" Ethan muttered under his breath while removing his hand from your shoulder once he was sure he had your sole attention. You nodded slowly, not able to keep the nonsensical smile off your lips. No matter how much you tried to relax your facial muscles into a more neutral expression, they wouldn't budge. Noticing this, Ethan chuckled. "Your smile is the prettiest thing in this world, truth be told. It could melt even the coldest of hearts."

"You've always been a charmer." Now visibly more loosened up than during your earlier encounter at the buffet, you playfully punched his shoulder. Ethan raised his hands in a surrendering way, his eyes flashing mischievously. He shot you a wink, to which you rolled your eyes teasingly. "I know your little tricks, Davis... but I didn't know you were such an amazing actor! Seriously, you've never told me—"

"Acting on stage today was a first for me." He rubbed his neck sheepishly. "But yes, you'll have to be good at acting if you wanna stay alive in my old line of work."

"...I know..." As impossible as it had seemed to wipe that smile off your face a few seconds ago, it disappeared in an instant at Ethan's words. "I learnt acting myself there: by fooling people for various reasons, of which all where terribly selfish and morally wrong. That's why I left... but you did not..."

"I left now." Ethan shot you a desperate look, carefully taking your hand into his. "(Y/n), I'm trying to be a better man... better now than later, right?"

"Why did you decide to leave now?" You were genuinely curious. Ethan opened his mouth, to which you watched his lips as if spell-bound.

"Because—"

"(Y/n), are you here?" Another voice all out of a sudden appeared from the entrance to the backstage, a fairly secluded area. Your blood ran cold upon recognising it as your husband's smooth voice. "(Y/n)?"