Chapter Eleven
The applause started slowly, with just a few claps in the silence. Then more and more, until it echoed off the walls of the auditorium in a thunderous roar. The student cast, flushed with pride, took bow after bow as what seemed like the whole town jumped to their feet to cheer.
Mia stood in the wings, face glowing. Chase watched her as she watched her students. A couple of the kids turned to the side and started gesturing, encouraging her to join them on stage.
She shook her head, resolutely staying in place. But Chase was having none of that. Going up behind her, he whispered, “Get out there.”
“No, let them have the applause.”
He smacked her lightly on the shoulder. “You wrote and directed this show. That applause is yours too.”
Emme clearly agreed with him, because she chose that moment to rush off stage, grab Mia’s hands and pull her in front of the audience.
Despite the encouragement, Mia went reluctantly, dragging her feet as the students surrounded her and pushed her lovingly into the limelight. The applause grew even louder as she took center stage.
Chase ducked behind the curtain and rooted around under the props table. He found what he was looking for and strode on stage as well.
The crowd of students parted as he approached. Smiling, he handed her the biggest bouquet of flowers he’d been able to find in Sapphire Falls.
Her eyes shining, she took his hand and pulled him center stage next to her. She waited for a lull in the applause and then announced, “I have to thank Chase Hamilton for all his help this week. Without his support, none of us would be here tonight.”
The clapping grew louder again, and Chase shook his head. “It was all Mia,” he tried to shout over the noise, but no one was listening.
Well, except for Mia. She turned to him and said, “You’ve got to learn not to step on your applause.”
He laughed at that. Smartass.
Backstage was chaos and good humor as the friends and families of the cast members swarmed around, offering congratulations and generally getting in the way. Mia’s friend Jessie was there, along with some other women Chase either vaguely remembered or had no idea who they were. He’d finished his after-show work, so now he was just sitting on the edge of the stage, watching the crowd take over.
He looked up when someone sat down next to him. It was Jessie, her expression a mix of amusement and warning. “So,” she said, leaning back, her hands propped on the stage floor.
“Am I in trouble?” he joked.
“Should you be?” She wasn’t joking. “Look, Chase, I like you. We’ve been friends a long time.”
He looked up. “So where’s the other shoe?”
“What shoe?”
“The one I’m pretty sure is about to drop.”
She snorted. “Okay, I deserved that one. But here’s the thing. I was there the first time you and Mia kissed.”
“So was our entire graduating class,” he said wryly. “I’m well aware we had an audience.”
“Well, most of that audience didn’t have to pick up the pieces after you broke her heart.” She dropped the mock-drill sergeant tone. “Just tell me. Are you going to make me do it again?”
He looked away. “I don’t know. I hope not.”
“So you’re staying?”
“I can’t promise that.” He held up a hand. “Before you ask, I didn’t promise Mia that either.”
“Didn’t promise me what?” Mia plopped down on the stage next to him, looking over at Jessie. “Whoa, you two are way too serious for the after party here. What’s going on?”
Jessie smiled brightly. “Chase here was just telling me that he didn’t promise to help break down the sets tomorrow. I think that’s unacceptable.”
Mia shrugged. “Chase has done way more than he signed on for this week,” she argued. “We’ve got plenty of students willing to break down sets. You’re off the hook,” she told him.
“Thanks,” he said, including both Mia and Jessie in that statement. Jessie nodded once in acknowledgement. Then he took Mia’s hand. “You want to get out of here?”
“Love to,” she said immediately.
Jessie jumped to her feet. “Great. Let’s head down to the festival for some corn dogs.”
“Uh, Jessie, I think he meant just the two of us.”
Jessie winked at her. “I know. I was just playing.” She gave Mia a hug, then turned and gave one to Chase as well. Before she let go, she whispered in his ear, “Please don’t break her heart.”
He shook his head as they turned to go. It was the last thing he wanted to do. And he was pretty sure his heart was in danger too.
“We don’t have to go to the festival,” Mia said, as they walked to his car. The warm night air wrapped around them. “We could just…go home.”
Her home. Not his. And he wasn’t going to be around here much longer anyway.
“Or you could go spend some time with your mom,” she offered. “I feel bad monopolizing all your time like this.”
“Don’t,” he said, opening the car door for her. “She’s so busy running the ladies’ auxiliary booth at the festival she hasn’t even noticed I’ve been gone. I think she’s been home less than I have this week.”
“Good,” she said.
He got in the car and buckled up. “Festival first, then home?”
Mia nodded. She didn’t much care where they went, as long as they were together. She leaned back in the passenger seat, finally coming down from the high-level stress and excitement of opening—and closing—night. It had been a great show, everything going off without a hitch. She’d even found the rubber duck Chase had hidden onstage right before the play started, making her laugh and relax just enough to really enjoy the evening.
“Duck for luck” had been their thing back in school, but it had faded away by the time she’d taken over the drama department. She was touched and wistful at the same time.
She was going to miss having him around.
The drive to the festival was short, and he’d pulled into a parking space almost before she realized they’d left the auditorium lot. Normally, they’d be walking, but he was still ridiculously overprotective of her ankle.
Nothing she said would convince him she was feeling almost as good as new.
He rounded the car and helped her out, leaving her hand in his as they walked through the square. For the first time, they were holding hands and acting all coupley. In front of other people. She kind of liked it.
Chase squeezed her hand and grinned at her. Apparently, he liked it too.
“Corn dog?” He gestured at the food stands.
“Oh, God no.” She shuddered. “I’ve had enough this week to last me a lifetime. I’d take one of those slushies though.”
Standing in line for their drinks, Chase dug into his pocket for his wallet. He pulled his phone out too, and checked the screen.
His face went blank.
“Chase?” Mia tugged at his hand. “Is everything okay?”
“I guess I missed some calls during the show tonight,” he said, clearing his throat. “I’ve got a voicemail from Jack.”
From Jack? Already? They’d only sent in the audition file a day and a half ago. Mia looked around. “Want to go somewhere and listen to it?”
Chase glanced at the crowds. “Not here. Too many people.” He looked down the walkway. “How about on the Ferris wheel? We’ll have a little privacy there.”
Mia nodded and led him away from the slushie stand, abandoning their place in line. The wait for the Ferris wheel was mercifully short, and they were seated and buckled in no time. And as the big wheel lifted them high into the air, Chase tapped his phone on his knee.
“You should listen,” she told him. Better to know the truth and deal with it instead of guessing and wondering.
He gave her a tight-lipped smile. “I really want this part,” he confessed. “I just don’t want to hear a no thank you.”
She squeezed his hand. “Go on. Listen.”
He nodded and pressed play on the message, holding the phone up to his ear. Long moments passed as he listened to what his former director had to say. Then he clicked it off, set his phone in his lap, and stared into space.
“Chase?” Mia’s heart stopped. Had they turned him down? “Chase, what happened?”
“I got the part,” he said, his voice wondering.
“That’s fantastic!” She threw her arms around him. “I knew it.”
“I got the part,” he said again. “And so did you.”
Mia pulled back and stared at him. “What?”
“They want to offer you the female lead in the play.” Chase felt his heart start to race, joy bubbling in his veins. It was the perfect solution.
“I—I don’t understand. I didn’t audition for a part.” Mia looked almost panicked. The Ferris wheel began its downward descent, the lights of the festival glowing all around them.
He clicked on the message again, this time putting it on speaker. He and Mia both listened as Jack gushed over their scenework together and asked how soon they could be in L.A.
“Congratulations,” he said when the voicemail was finished, though she didn’t look half as excited as he’d thought she would be.
“I don’t even know what to say.” She fidgeted her hands together in her lap. “This makes no sense.”
“It makes perfect sense,” Chase argued, wondering in the back of his mind why they were in conflict over such good news. “We both did a kickass job in that audition video. They would have to be stupid to overlook you.”
“They were supposed to be looking at you.”
He turned sideways in the seat. “They were looking at us. Together. And they saw what everyone has always seen. We’re magic together, Mia. You can’t deny it.”
“I don’t want to deny it. But I can’t move to L.A. to be an actor.” Her voice rose as they circled back up to the top of the Ferris wheel. “It’s ridiculous.”
“Why is it ridiculous? You told me just the other day you always wished you had taken a chance on acting. Well, here’s your chance. Why not give it a shot?”
“I have a home here. A job. I’m on contract. I can’t just pick up and leave.”
“I did.”
“You were a teenager, Chase. I’m a grown woman with responsibilities.”
He crossed his arms. “It was still a risk. Life is all about risk, isn’t it?”
“Sometimes you have to make the sensible choice. The responsible one. No matter how much you might want to dream.” She looked out over the town as the wheel circled them up into the sky again. “I have to be realistic.”
Chase tightened his jaw. He couldn’t compete with that. If a dream job in the theater wasn’t enough to entice her to move out west, he certainly wouldn’t be either.
She wouldn’t go. He couldn’t stay.
So much for keeping their hearts unbroken.