NINI
"Oh, Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?" I say with my eyes closed, trying to picture I am Juliet, standing at a balcony, waiting for the love of my life. However, in my case, it's not Romeo who answers.
"No need to worry, Broadway, I'm right here." A familiar voice says. I open my eyes in shock, since I knew I was alone. Apparently not anymore. Caden West decided to crash my rehearsal again, sitting in the first row wearing the famous hoodie with his name and the words WRENCORE HOCKEY on it, reminding me he has nothing to do here.
"Holy Moly, you scared the shit out of me", I say, putting one hand on my heart to see if it's racing. It is. The gesture caught Caden's attention, who now swallows hard.
"I've told you I want to be your Romeo. I came to rehearsals." He explains, so matter-of-factly as if it were normal to have the university's hockey legend wanting to play theater with you.
"And I told you to leave", I reply, hoping my voice doesn't show how nervous I am right now. It appears it doesn't, and I quickly thank the universe that I know how to act and fake emotions.
Caden goes with his hand through his hair, that is still a little messy probably from wearing a helmet. He then smirks and some butterflies start flying through me. Damn it.
"I know. But now I came prepared."
I blink once, trying to think of a reply. So I blink again: "You watched Matthew McConaughey films?"
"I did. All of them."
"All of them?!"
"You should ask my roommate. He wasn't exactly thrilled to have me taking over the couch in the living room until two in the morning, to watch some love movies."
I still can't process what I've just heard: "You watched all his movies?"
"Yeah, I wanted to be prepared."
I shake my head, not wanting to believe: "There's no way you did that."
"But I did."
"Fine", I say, yet I don't give up. "What magazine does Andie work for in How to Lose a Guy in 10 days?"
Caden looks at me amused, with his usual smirk on. "Are you testing me?"
"They said never trust anyone. Answer the question."
"Composure", he answers, surprisingly right. I try to look past that and ask my second question.
"What's the name of Paula's roommate in Failure to Launch?"
"The best friend? Kit", he answers, again right. I lose it.
"Damn it."
His smirk widens and he starts chuckling: "I've told you I watched the movies. You could have just trusted me, Broadway."
I roll my eyes dramatically, for him to see it. He doesn't react, just keeps his signature smirk on. I start wondering how an honest smile looks on him. Probably it's best that he doesn't smile. If he already gives me butterflies with a smirk, I don't want to know what a smile might do.
"So, when can we start?" He asks me, probably noticing I am staring at him. And his mouth. His smirk gives me the answer.
Embarrassed, I look away for him not to see that I'm blushing. I take out Soph's Romeo script, on which I already highlighted the lines. With a serious face on, I walk again to him and hand the script.
"Here", I begin. "You'll regret it."
"Why would you even say that?"
"You might fail."
"Or I might fall. But I take my chances."
His reply makes my cheeks burn. To calm me down, I take some sips of my pumpkin spice latte. He notices and raises an eyebrow.
"What's that?" He asks me skeptical.
"Pumpkin spice latte", I answer as if it were obvious. Of course it is. Name one drink that's better than this one. I'll be waiting.
He however makes a face expression that shows he's disgusted.
"What?!" I find myself asking.
"You drink that...willingly?" He asks me, with an eyebrow raised. I almost choke on the drink.
"No, someone stole my cup, got rid of the black coffee I had inside and put pumpkin spice latte instead." I answer sarcastically. He even buys it for a second.
"Who? I am going to kill them."
Oh, okay.
"Relax", I say, not able to stop a smirk. "I was just kidding. Pumpkin spice latte is my favorite drink ever."
He blinks a few times, then continues: "But it's fake. And it has so many carbs."
"Right", I reply. "Healthy food freak. Got it."
He raises his shoulders and adds: "What other way to look like this." He even smirks at the end to complete the look. Okay, I give it to him. If this is what the healthy food results, then I completely support him. I'll stick to my pumpkin spice latte however.
"Someone has a high opinion of themselves." I say teasing. He then flashes another one of his smirks, yet one I haven't seen before. With dimples.
Caden West has dimples.
911, we have an emergency. I might have just died of cuteness.
"You'll have the most handsome Romeo ever", he says, taking his script and starting to go over the pages. I cough to force away the thoughts I'm having, all him related, and start looking over my script. I guess he noticed since he started to smirk again, yet doesn't comment. Thankfully.
He comes closer to me and stares right into my eyes. "If I profane with my unworthiest hand this holy shrine, the gentle fine is this: my lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss."
He said it with so much passion, it almost made me believe him. And now I'm staring at his lips. And he notices.
"Your line", he tells me whispering, a bit more nervous as before.
"Right", I reply chuckling. "Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, which mannerly devotion shows in this; for saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch, and palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss."
Caden steps even closer, and I can feel his minty scent taking control of me. "Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?"
I'm hardly breathing as I respond: "Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer."
He reaches out his hand, slowly brushing over my arm with his fingers: "O, then dear, let lips do what hand do; they pray, grant thou, less faith turn to despair."
"Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake", I whisper.
"Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take. Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged."
He places a hand on my waist and pulls me closer. I still don't understand when we went from complete strangers to flirting over Shakespeare lines. And what I don't understand even more, is why I am enjoying this?
He brushes his lips over my ears and a chill goes down my spine. I'm terrified. Yet I like it.
I'm screwed up.
"Then have my lips the sin that they have took."
We both see the line as a mutual agreement. Caden crashes his lips on mine and starts kissing me with a passion I can't describe. He's hungry. Wanting. Not letting me go. I wrap my hands around his neck and he pulls me closer, deepening the kiss. His tongue explores my mouth like it were its new territory. I never thought Shakespeare could be hot, yet here I am.
As I'm starting to moan at the pleasure and he pulls me even closer, holding my waist, Caden swears and lets go. He takes a few steps away from me and looks like he was thunderstruck or something.
We both stare at each other for a few seconds, his gaze constantly wondering from my eyes to my lips and so on. He swears agin after a while. I'm still standing like frozen on spot, trying to understand why the heck we stopped.
"When are your auditions?" He asks me, his voice colder than ever. I'm pretty sure it was colder than the ice he plays on.
"Next week", I whisper.
He nods and replies, in the same tone: "I'll be there."
After that, he rushes out of the auditorium. I lose it and sink on the stage, my head still spinning around the kiss.
To distract me, I take out my script and continue reading Juliet's lines: "You kiss by the book."
Damn it.
He does.
Lord save me, love made me crazy.