And If You Ask Me, I Will Stay.

Chapter Two.

Soooooo, change of plans: I now have ten chapters mapped out for this story instead of just five, thanks to my incredibly amazing Twin. :D Anyway; here's chapter two. Enjoy~ <3

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"Alright, people! We've got five minutes before rehearsal starts to get ready, so let's move!"

The actors and stage hands lounging around began to move, grumbling a little. I tapped my clipboard with impatience, causing them to move a little faster.

  The play house, as it was known locally, was into it's third week of rehearsal for The Crucible. And it had been nearly two weeks since my run in with Declan, and not once had it escaped my mind. I'd lost track of how many times I had reached for the phone, dialed the number he'd given me, then hung up before I could press send. I had a number of reasons for not calling; the number could be fake, he wouldn't be home, Delilah could pick up, he wasn't mine to call anymore... But that didn't stop me from wanting to talk with him.

  Pushing the thought from my mind, I set my clipboard down on the table the director used to observe the stage and passed through the curtain that veiled the corridor to the dressing rooms. I checked the girls' dressing rooms first, then the boys', making sure every one was situated before ushering the actors in scene one onto the stage. Once that was taken care of, I exited the back stage area. Jacob, the director, was already seated at his table, watching the first scene play out intently.

  I had to admit, I was rather glad he hadn't noticed me yet. Since I'd began working here as the stage manager, Jacob had always been a little too friendly. He always liked to have me close, liked to act more like my boyfriend than my boss--despite the fact that I'd made it clear long ago that I wasn't interested and we were never going to happen. That never seemed to phase him, though.

And then I realized that he wasn't the only one watching the rehearsal.

 Standing a few feet in the back, his hands in his pockets, was Declan.

My heart dropped into my stomach. I hesitated on the bottom step of the small staircase, unable to take my eyes off of him.

 His eyes strayed from the stage, immediately zeroing in on mine, stopping the rapid pulsing of my heart for a moment. A slight, hesitant smile found his lips, one that I had difficulty returning.

  I moved slowly towards the director's table to fill Jacob in on who was here and who wasn't. He averted his gaze to me and nodded at my words. "You have a visitor," He informed me quietly. The underlying suspicion in his voice and accusation in his eyes irritated me.

Ignoring it, I nodded. "I see him," I muttered.

Jacob's eyes lingered on me for a second longer than I was comfortable with, then drifted slowly back to the rehearsal on stage. Picking up my clipboard, I clutched it to my chest and shuffled toward my visitor.

Declan to face me as I stopped in front of him. His eyes were lighter than they were during our first meeting, but still no where near that beautiful honey color I remembered so clearly.

"Your boss thinks pretty highly of you," He told me.

I chuckled. "Is that so?"

He nodded. "Yeah. He seems to think this place would fall apart without you. Likes to call you 'his girl'."

"Aha, that's Jacob." I shook my head a little, attempting a smile that felt more like a grimace. "Jacob is.. ah.. more than a little friendly."

"And you're not okay with that."