Behind Closed Curtains (Desires of the Forbidden)

Chapter 30

Tonight was opening night.

It had been two and a half weeks since Zach had been arrested. Two and a half weeks of living with Kaleb. Two and a half weeks of not living in a perpetual state of fear.

The last two and a half weeks were a dream come to reality.

The only true downer of the past weeks would be that since Zach had been arrested, my very private, abusive home life had become... not so private.

Everyone knew.

The play's opening had to be pushed back a week in order to let my bruises heal over my face and to just give Kaleb and myself some time to recoup and get our minds straight after that night.

Dave was beyond disturbed when Kaleb and I went in for the first rehearsal after having a solid week off. The moment we walked in to the theater, all conversation stopped.

I knew some of my bruises were still evident and would take at least another week to heal up but would be fine for the opening of the show.

To put it simply, Dave was obviously troubled that this had been going on under his nose, Jackson was livid with rage, and Meg... she was beside herself in sadness that I hadn't felt I could tell her.

She called a lot the week I was out with Kaleb for recovery. She tried to be respectful of my space but Meg being Meg could only respect our boundaries so much.

She came over twice, not for lack of trying to make an appearance more often though. I knew she cared about me and I knew she just wanted to help and to be honest... I wasn't against it.

She was one of the kindest people I had ever met and she wanted to be my friend, to try and help take some of the burden from my shoulders by simply offering me a listening ear and shoulder to cry on. I of course held back as much as I could towards the beginning of her constant calls but eventually her sweet, nurturing nature broke me.

It felt beyond refreshing to say that I actually had a friend again.

Everyone else had several questions of course.

How long was it going on? Why didn't I leave? What was going to happen to Zach?

To the last question, I truly wasn't sure.

I had signed a restraining order, answered the last of the questions that the police had and they said that if they had any further information that they would call me.

I knew Zach was being tried for attempted murder; a charge that could easily put someone behind bars for at least ten years.

Aside from that, I really didn't want updates on what was happening with him. He was out of my life and for that I was truly grateful. I was getting a second chance to live the life that I wanted, that I started out living and hearing about Zach only threw me into a downward, depressing spiral that I wanted no part of.

But today was opening night, and nothing would tear down my nervous excitement today.

I always loved opening night. It's the first time you really get to hear the laughs, the sighs of despair, and the soft sobs as the echo through the theater throughout the performance. The thrill of performing for a live audience would never die for me. It was buried deep within my bones and tonight, I would get to experience the joy once more as the curtains pulled back and Act 1 began.

And as I heard the bustle of the crowd from the other side of the curtain while I sat backstage, I knew that moment wasn't very far off.

"It's gonna take a lot of self-restraint not to touch you whenever I want over the next two hours," a familiar, deep voice mused out next to me.