Acting Brave (Fenbrook Academy #3) by Helena Newbury Page B

like rock. “I have to tell you how I feel.”
    “I—” I looked up at him with huge eyes and now my hand was rising and stroking his cheek, feeling the roughness of the stubble there, gazing up into those crystal blue pools that seemed to strip away every layer of protection I had. I could feel Jasmine splintering and shattering, could feel him staring straight down into the black depths of Emma. And while that should have felt terrifying, with him, just for an instant, it felt...right. “I—” I wanted to say, I do want to be with you , because I did—more than anything else in the world. But the room seemed to be spinning, my brain overloading. I just stared up at him, unable to speak, and we were both silent for a second.
    Footsteps brought me back to reality. I turned and saw Dixon and that’s when it hit me—I’d just blown the biggest audition of my life. My throat closed up. I looked between Ryan and Dixon, feeling as if I was going to faint—
    “ Fantastic!” breathed Dixon.
    “...what?” I whispered.
    “That was so natural! So perfect!” He punched Ryan on the arm. “Holy shit, you knocked that out of the park, big guy! I love the way you pushed the other guy out of the way. And that thing about seeing her in an alley! Perfect!” He ran his hands through his hair. “Okay. Okay, let me process this. This is a big change.” He looked at Ryan. “I mean, I’d only been thinking of you for a bit part, just to add some extra grit, you know? But….” He shook his head, grinning. “We have got to get you two together.” He clapped his hands together. “It’s crackling and buzzing, you know?”
    “What?” It felt as if there were two realities, fighting against one another. The one in which Ryan had just declared his feelings...and Dixon’s reality. “ What?” I said again.
    Dixon looked at me as if I was stupid. “You’ve got the part,” he said. “Both of you. Slam dunk.” He rubbed his chin. “Actually, this solves a few things. You two can pair up for training.” He grinned at Ryan. “You can show her all the cop stuff. She can give you pointers on acting. Although, let’s be honest, I don’t think you need many. That was amazing!” He looked across at the actor who’d meant to have been testing with me and winced in sympathy. “Sorry, pal. I gotta call it as I see it.”
    The actor just stared at him, gaping in fury.
    Dixon turned to the rest of the crowd. “Okay, let’s skip ahead to a group scene with Talbot, Drum, and Malloy, arguing about whether to take in a suspect.” He started to call out names.
    I walked on shaking legs across the room and out through the nearest doors I could find. I blundered along the corridor until I came to a couple of soda machines and slumped against the side of one of them.
    My life was complete. My life was ruined. My life was….
    What just happened?!
    Ryan had just declared his feelings for me, in front of everyone. And instead of it ruining my screen test, Dixon had thought he’d been acting. He’d bought Ryan’s heartfelt outburst and my shocked reaction as some epic, ad-libbed performance and I had the part. I had the part!
    But...I had it with Ryan. A guy I really did like and who I could never show my feelings for. The most dangerous thing in the world for me would be a real-life cop boyfriend asking questions. Off screen, I had to fend him off, for his sake and mine. How the hell could I do that if we were a couple on screen? Jesus, I might have to kiss him!
    I turned around so that my forehead was against the cool metal of the soda machine, closing my eyes. And how would Ryan react when I pushed him away? I couldn’t let him get close, but as soon as I lied and said I wasn’t attracted to him, he’d have to start acting for real. Would he be able to keep the part? Did he even want the part?
    I frowned. Why had he even chosen that moment? Why muscle his way in front of the cameras and risk ruining my screen test?