Rebirth: Love me Again

[BONUS Chapter for reaching 400PS! Thank you all!]

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[EVE]

Riri's face lit up with relief, and the president clapped his hands sharply to get everyone moving.

"Alright, people! Let's get Eve into costume and makeup ASAP. We're running out of time!"

Before I knew it, the crew was swarming around me, pulling at my hair, adjusting my outfit, and dabbing makeup onto my face.

The flurry of activity was dizzying, but I tried to block out the chaos and focus on the task ahead.

Fragments of Sophie's lines floated through my mind, tangled with bits of stage direction and scenes we'd rehearsed countless times.

My chest tightened. Cramming it all in last minute felt impossible, but I didn't need perfection—I just needed to get through it. Passable would have to be enough to get a grade.

I was trying to convince myself of that when a warm hand rested on my shoulder. I turned to see Daniel standing there, his expression calm and reassuring.

"Don't stress," he said softly. "If you forget a line, just improvise. We'll all have your back out there."

I gave him a small smile, the tension in my chest easing ever so slightly. "Thanks. I'll do my best."

Eventually, the play unfolded surprisingly smoothly, considering the chaos leading up to it. I stumbled over a few lines here and there, but no one seemed to notice—or if they did, they were polite enough not to react.

The audience murmured now and then, likely puzzled by the absence of the second stepsister, but their whispers were drowned out by the rest of the cast giving it their all.

Each scene blurred into the next, the story weaving together despite the odds. By the time we reached the final act, my nerves had settled, and I found myself more immersed in the role than I ever thought possible.

It must have been the adrenaline and the intense focus from cramming all the scenes that allowed me to push through it.

And then came the final dance.

The lights dimmed, the soft glow of the stage enveloping me and Daniel as we stepped into position. My heart was already racing—partly from the lingering adrenaline of performing, but mostly because of the way he was looking at me.

His gaze was steady, a mix of admiration and something deeper that made my stomach flutter. I couldn't tear my eyes away, even as my chest tightened and my heart hammered so loudly I was sure the audience could hear it.

The music swelled, and we moved as if the world beyond the stage didn't exist. His hand was warm against mine, his steps guiding me effortlessly through the dance.

Then, out of nowhere, the unthinkable happened.

As the final note lingered in the air, Daniel leaned in—closer than the script demanded, closer than I was prepared for—and plant a faint kiss on my forehead. Your next read awaits at empire

"I love you," he whispered, his voice low and filled with raw emotion, the emotion in his eyes overflowing.

For a moment, I couldn't tell if it was still part of the script, but everything about it felt so real. The world around me vanish as his words crashed over me like a tidal wave.

My breath hitched, and for a moment, everything froze. The crowd fell silent, as if the world had collectively forgotten how to breathe. Even my heartbeat stopped, the sound of my own pulse drowned out by the sheer shock of what was happening.

My eyes widened, the stage lights blurring as my thoughts scattered like leaves in the wind. Before I could process what had just transpired, the curtain fell, signaling the end of the show.

The applause started slowly, uncertainly, before building into a roar. But even as the noise swelled around me, I couldn't move, couldn't think.

No one—including me—had recovered from what just happened.

"That was amazing, Eve! Daniel, you two were incredible out there!" the praise came flooding in from every direction, and for a moment, I let myself bask in the collective relief.

It was only then that Daniel finally pulled away, and the world seemed to snap back into place. We turned toward our classmates, who were already grinning and congratulating us, their voices a mix of excitement and admiration.

"After that performance, we're definitely passing!" someone called out, and the room erupted in cheers.

"Vacation time, baby! No more stress after this!" another added, the tension from before melting away.

Riri raised an eyebrow, her playful grin tugging at the corner of her lips. "That last scene . . . was it really necessary?" she asked, her voice light but her gaze pointed. "There's no kiss in the script, right?"

A nervous laugh bubbled up from the others, and I could feel the weight of their teasing eyes. I shifted awkwardly, unsure of how to respond.

I glanced at Daniel, but he didn't say anything—he didn't refute it at all. His silence only made the unspoken assumption louder, as if the kiss was more than just a staged moment.

"What? Is this real?"

"Did you see that? Daniel didn't even deny it!" someone exclaimed, their voice brimming with excitement.

"Daniel, why did you kiss Eve? There's no way you didn't know it wasn't part of the script," another chimed in, their tone teasing yet curious.

"Do you like her or something?"

A wave of giggles and whispers rippled through the group, and the atmosphere shifted to one dominated by playful teasing and romantic speculation.

"Oh, come on, you two! Was that just for the performance, or is there something you're not telling us?" one of them added, nudging Daniel with a mischievous grin.

I stood there, my face flushed and my hands fidgeting at my sides, unable to form a coherent response. The attention was overwhelming, and their teasing pressed down on me like a spotlight I wasn't prepared for.

Daniel, on the other hand, remained calm, his expression unreadable. He didn't deny anything, which only seemed to fuel the giggling and excitement of our classmates further. Their laughter and knowing looks made it impossible to escape the implication hanging in the air.

My mind raced for something to say, anything to defuse the moment, but the more I hesitated, the stronger their assumptions grew.