Overcoming Fear (Growing Pains #2)(44)

Of course, Krista was a wee bit biased.

It was towards the end that she had a moment of déjà vu. Sean was facing the audience with a faraway look on his face, talking about reaching a utopia in the dream-world of a distant life, when he turned around at a woman’s voice behind him, showed how happy he was to see her again, and kissed her. She was the heroine of the story, he the hero. Actually, she was a crack-whore and he was a love-besotted addict, but hero and heroine sounded a lot better.

It was the scene Krista saw from his street. It was his supposed girlfriend. It was rehearsal. Rehearsals took place in his house. She was an idiot.

The relief she felt was all consuming. She actually teared up. No, it didn’t mean anything as far as Sean and her were concerned, but now at least he hadn’t found someone else. He didn’t reject her for someone else.

Funny how that was easier to bear.

The play ended not long after, the addict dying of an overdose, the whore still turning tricks, and the dude with the giant cross making some speech about God knows what. It really wasn’t Krista’s cup of tea, but she was grateful she came because she really enjoyed watching Sean act. He was good. Better than good. If he wasn’t such a successful salesman, she would say he missed his calling. But then, he could probably do anything and be good at it.

She felt herself flush in the darkness thinking on that point.

Chapter Twelve

When the lights came up for curtain call, the actors filed out with smile, bowing to the crowd. The theatre was so small that the actors could see faces looking down at them. Sean scanned the onlookers, finding his sister. He smiled shyly before his eyes slid and found Ray. His face lit up in pure joy. His people were there for him and he felt loved and supported. It touched Krista’s heart that a man like Sean would still need it; that he was happy to get it.

His eyes flickered to those around his family and friends; smiling at Mary and losing a fraction of his smile for Keith. As an afterthought he glanced at the person sitting between the two groups, probably thinking it was a loser that got stuck in the middle—which was actually correct—and came to a screeching halt when his eyes met Krista’s. Shock smacked into his features before he let his smile for the audience quickly return. His eyes locked with hers.

Krista felt a stir, like something soft was infusing her midsection, chasing away all the uncertainty, blowing her up like a helium-filled balloon. Before he turned away with the other actors, he gave her that secret smile that said there was a joke, and she was a part of it. Or possibly the butt of it.

Then he was walking behind the curtain.

Krista blinked into the sudden light shift and half stood. She was never one for dallying. The show’s over, what’s the point of hanging around?

She was the only one from this small collection of Sean’s admirers to do so.

“Well, uh...I guess I’ll see you all some other time...” Krista did a weird little wave and continued her stand, unsure where to turn so her butt wasn’t in Ray or Cassie’s face. She couldn’t be more lame if she tried.

“Aren’t you going back to Sean’s?” Mary asked in confusion.

“Oh, uh...” Even Keith was looking at her, waiting in unpardonable boredom for her response.

“Sean didn’t really mention it, so I’ll probably just head out,” Krista muttered, worried about ungraciously stepping over Cassie and Keith’s legs and probably rolling down the stairs shortly thereafter.

“I thought you were flying solo tonight? Are you meeting up with your friends later?” Mary persisted.

“Oh no, they’re out for the night I think. I’ll probably just head home. Thanks, though. Tell Sean he did really great!”

“But don’t you live in that neighborhood anyway?” Cassie asked.

Damn her and her sober memory!

“Yeah, you do. A couple blocks away, right?” Ray asked, obviously remembering picking her up in the limo for the wine event.

The escape of the stalker was not going well.

“Um, yeah,” Krista admitted, desperately reaching for another excuse. She’d spent so much effort on her reason for being there in the first place; getting away again was proving difficult.

“And you don’t have a car, right?” Cassie asked.

Krista was starting to wonder what the hell was so interesting about the empty stage that kept Keith’s undivided attention! He should be distracting his girlfriend!

“Right. Yeah. I was just going to catch the bus, probably.”

“Nonsense!” Mary gushed. “From this neighborhood? It’s not safe. We’re going that way anyway. We’ll drive you. That way you can tell Sean yourself how well he did!”

“Oh, great. Sure,” Krista said with a smile that closely resembled a grimace.

“Oh, look, Ray, there he is!” Mary yelled excitedly, standing up as though the president was entering the building.

Sure enough, Sean was making his way onto the stage sans make-up. His eyes were bright and the smile on his face lit up the room. He scanned the group, and only lingered on Krista a fraction of a second longer than anyone else.

Krista stood, star struck, as everyone told him how great he did and patted him on the back. She couldn’t form words. He was radiant, so supremely happy and relaxed, and mouth-dryingly gorgeous because of it. He had her so captivated that when they started telling him how great the play was, she didn’t have the presence of mind to cover the facial rebuttal.