Read Online Nerve by Jeanne Ryan - Free Book Online

My voice comes out squeaky.
    He laughs. “Reeeeeallly.”
    Tommy’s eyes go into orbit.
    I get up and brush at the back of my skirt. “What’s up?”
    “I was wondering if we could go someplace a little more private.”
    My heart threatens to stop. “Uh, sure.” I resist the urge to pump my fist.
    Matthew takes my hand and pulls me inside.
    “See you later, Tommy,” I say as the door clanks shut behind me.
    We wade through clusters of cast members posing with family and friends who’ve come to shower congratulations. The air is thick with the scent of cologne. For a second, I think I see Dad, but quickly lose sight of the gray buzz cut. Must be someone else’s father. Why would Dad come backstage anyway? To say, “Hey sweetheart, great costume coordination”? I mean, this is my night to be free. Surely they’ll cut me some slack.
    Matthew leads me over to a small closet at the end of the corridor that doubles as a dressing room in a pinch. It’s empty. Before I realize what he’s doing, he picks me up by the waist and spins me around like a sugarplum fairy.
    I laugh, feeling all floaty.
    He sets me down and taps my nose. Suddenly, we’re backin our delicious zone, where we’ve been dancing for the past few weeks. I didn’t imagine it. Maybe I misjudged the stage kiss between him and Sydney. They were in character, after all.
    My heart thumps rapidly. “You did a great job tonight.”
    “Thanks to you and the rest of the crew.” His arm slides around my shoulders and he leads me to the mirror. “You were like a little angel, flitting around, helping us get into costume. And the food you brought looks amazing.”
    I sit on the counter as he sinks into the chair. Will he pull me into his lap? The thought makes me tremble.
    He takes my hands. “Could I ask for one more little favor?”
    “Sure.” Wish I’d put on fresh lip gloss.
    He points to his cheek. “I accidentally messed up my makeup. Could you redo it? Syd says it makes me look rugged, and I think it’ll be cool for the party.”
    My shoulders droop. He wants a touch-up? To stay in character because Sydney thinks it ups his macho factor? I sit there staring at him.
    He points to my makeup box, which he must have brought in here before he found me. Since when has he ever been so prepared? He taps my knees like bongo drums. “Just the basics, you don’t need to go into a lot of detail.”
    I take a breath and stand, trying to calm the rising flush of disappointment. “Sure.”
    I whip open the box, grab a pencil and some contouring powder. As soon as I start, he takes his hands away from mylegs. I sharpen his jawline and nose, and then get to work with the eyeliner. It isn’t until I’m halfway done with his eyes that I let the hard questions seep into my brain. Has Matthew ever really liked me? The way I like him? Or am I just a way to get closer to Sydney?
    I dig my pencil into his eyebrow, which makes him flinch.
    “Sorry,” I say. The slash mark gives me an idea. I’m tempted to give his new makeup a subtle shift. There’s a fine line between looking ruggedly intense and psychotic. I can make it so the other girls at the cast party feel a shade of anxiety when they gaze into his face. My hand begins to draw the brows a little closer together. But something holds me back. The same thing that never lets me create a scene or get into a confrontation. Holding back tears, I give Matthew the glowering, sexy eyes he wants.
    I toss the cotton swabs in the trash. “All done.” Is there any possibility we’ll return to the flirty magic? I take a seat in front of him, noticing a smudge on his collar that could be lipstick or rouge.
    He slides his chair around me so he can examine himself in the mirror. “Great job, Vee! You’re the best.”
    I feel anything but the best as I watch him admire himself. When he gets up, he gives me a playful poke on the shoulder. No thank-you kiss. No fairy lift.
    As he heads out of the room, I call out,