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"You can’t afford to be late, Jeanne," she says in a disapproving voice.
"I won’t be but a moment, I just—" I wrench the door open and come face to face with William.
"There you are. I’ve been searching all over for you."
"Ah, I..." I hesitate. "I was just..."
"Heading for the stage," Penny cuts in smoothly.
"Good." He glances between the two of us. "Come on, I’ll accompany you."
"That’s not necessary," I retort.
"You’re the lead actress. Of course it is." William holds the door open. "This way, please."
An hour later, I take the stage as Belle and mourn being away from my family. I admonish the Beast for keeping me against my will, but say I will stay to honor my papa’s promise to him. I lament that I never dreamed a place this cold could be home, for home is where the heart is, and my home is with my father. My home is with him.With Luca. He may be the Beast in my fairytale, but I’ve fallen in love with him.
The realization comes to me as I sing, causing me to falter. I miss my cue, then pick up the lyrics again. I reach deep inside of myself as I sing, and the lyrics seem to echo what’s happening in my life. It’s as if the events on stage are being mirrored by those unfolding in real time. Which means, before this musical is over, my Beast will be shot.
The hair on the back of my neck prickles. A cold shiver runs down my spine. I continue to move through my paces on stage, glancing out of the corner of my eye at the audience. Of course, I can’t see much because the lights are in my eyes. But I have to try.
Where is he? Where is Luca? Why did he say he loved me before he left me earlier? And the way he fucked me? It felt like he put his body and soul behind it. Well, Luca always does fuck with his entire being, but this time, there was an edge of desperation to his actions. It felt like he was memorizing my features, the feel of my body, the imprint of my pussy as it clamped down on his cock, the softness of my skin as it gave under his fingers. He absorbed me into himself and poured himself into me, filling me up as he came, and then he left me with his cum sliding down my thigh. He walked out of there as if it were the last time he was going to see me.
The music builds to a crescendo. I whirl around the stage as the mob descends on the Beast. I try to stop them and can’t. I’m pushed aside on the stage as they move in on the Beast. Gaston approaches him. He raises his gun.
A figure darts out on the stage in front of me, and the sound of a shot rings out.
I scream.
The rest of the cast pauses. My heart pole-vaults into my throat. I try to draw in a breath, but my lungs burn. Sweat beads my forehead, drips down my back.
The lights come on. I glance down at his fallen body. I open my mouth, but no words emerge. I jump forward and drop to my knees in front of Luca’s still form.
Blood. There’s so much blood—pooling out from under him, staining the front of his shirt, smearing the wood of the stage under him.Help, someone help him.I may have spoken the words aloud; I’m not sure.
I need to stop the flow of blood. I glance down at my dress, reach for the skirt and tear off a piece of the cloth. Then, I press it to his chest.Help, someone, please.Moisture wets my cheeks and flows down my chin. I take in his ashen features, the dark hair that’s fallen over his forehead, the curve of his eyelashes against his cheekbones... I already miss that piercing blue gaze.No, no, no.Nothing is going to happen to him. He’s not going to die. "Luca, please, please open your eyes."
I bend over, brush my lips over his. "Luca, oh god Luca. I love you. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before. Luca, open your eyes and look at me."
A teardrop squeezes out the corner of my eye and plops on his cheek.
His eyelids flutter, and those blue eyes of his flash. He takes in my features and a fold creases his forehead. He raises his hand and wipes the moisture from my cheek. "Angel, don’t cry." Then his eyelids close, his hand slides to the floor, and his body slumps.
55
Jeanne
"It’s my fault." I wrap my arms about my waist. "My fault." A sharp pain hooks its claws into my chest. Pain slices through my guts, my lungs threaten to collapse, and I gasp for air.
"Jeanne." Penny’s voice sounds from somewhere near me. "Breathe, Jeanne."
She pushes my head down between my legs.
"Breathe." She grips my shoulders. "Draw in a breath."
Air rushes into my lungs. The sudden onslaught of oxygen makes my head spin. I stay motionless, waiting for the weakness to pass, then push against her hold. She lets me up, and I lean back against the wall.
"It’s. My. Fault." I swallow. "If I hadn’t insisted on being on stage today, he wouldn’t have risked his life. He wouldn’t have put himself out there defending me. He wouldn’t have been shot."
