Bad Romeo (Starcrossed #1)(55)
Author: Leisa Rayven

“Uh … Olivia,” he says, looking uncomfortable.

Oh. Now her crack about me being his new Juliet makes more sense.

“Yes, Olivia,” says Maggie. “Nice girl, but she couldn’t hold a candle to your performance tonight. But I’m not surprised. You were playing opposite my amazing son.”

She pulls Holt down so she can kiss him on the cheek. He blushes. Hard.

“Well, Ethan made the whole process very easy,” I say, and shoot him a knowing look.

Holt leans over and whispers, “Such a liar,” and I have to laugh.

“I loved Ethan as Mercutio,” Maggie says. “But this? Oh … this was something special. You two have so much chemistry.”

I catch Maggie giving her son a pointed look.

Holt sighs and shakes his head, and I have a feeling he’s used to his mother giving him a hard time. It makes me smile.

“Cassie,” his father whispers as he leans over. “I believe what my wife is implying is that they think Ethan should ask you out on a date.”

“Jesus!” Holt says as he runs his hand through his hair. “Can everyone in this family please stop talking now?”

Everyone is silent for a moment, then Charles whispers a little softer. “I also think he should date you. You seem nice, and it’s been a while since he’s let us meet one of his many—”

“Dad!” Holt says firmly, frustration and embarrassment creeping into his voice. “Stop. Please.”

Charles laughs and holds up his hands in resignation. I wonder why Holt has such an issue with the man. So far, he seems kind of cool.

Elissa turns to her father. “So, Dad, did you enjoy the show?”

Charles rubs the back of his neck and glances at his son. “‘Well, Shakespeare isn’t really my thing, but … it was well done, I suppose. Everyone seemed to know what they were doing. And Cassie, I agree with my wife. You were very good.”

He gives Ethan a tight smile before turning to pull Elissa into a hug. “And of course,” he whispers, then kisses her cheek, “the lighting was genius.”

I feel Holt tense beside me, and when I look around, his jaw is tight. Obviously I’m not the only one who thinks it’s strange his dad didn’t say anything nice about his performance.

Is the man deaf, dumb, and blind? Did he not see what everyone else saw?

“And Ethan was also amazing, right?” Elissa says, as her brother exhales and shoves his hands in his pockets. “Wasn’t this the best thing you’ve ever seen him in?”

Mr. Holt sighs. “Elissa, your brother is always very competent in his acting. He doesn’t need my approval to validate him.”

Ethan lets out a short laugh. “Just as well.”

Competent? What the hell? He was freaking spectacular.

“But Dad,” Elissa says, holding his hand, “can’t you at least appreciate that the performances Ethan and Cassie gave tonight were remarkable? I mean, you just don’t see stuff like that every day.”

Mr. Holt looks at her patiently. “Sweetheart, I appreciate that acting takes a certain amount of dedication, but I’d hardly call it remarkable. Curing cancer? That’s remarkable.”

“Here we go,” Holt mutters.

“Healing broken bones? That’s remarkable. Saving someone’s life on a daily basis? That’s remarkable. Actors may think that what they’re doing is important, but really, what difference would it make if we didn’t have them? Suddenly there are no gossip magazines and the rehab centers are empty? No great loss as far as I can tell.”

Holt scowls, and his mother puts a hand on her husband’s arm.

“Charles, please.”

“It’s okay, Mom,” Holt says. “As if I care what he thinks anyway.”

“Ethan,” she says in an admonishing tone.

“You think actors aren’t important?” he says. “What about artists, Dad? Musicians? Might as well lump us all together in a useless pile, huh? Do you really want to live in a world with no color? No music? No entertainment? You realize the human race would implode if that happened, right? Every culture on earth has art. Every … single … one. Without it, humans would be a bunch of primitive psychos whose only compulsions would be eating, fucking, and killing. But art’s not important, right?”

Mr. Holt looks at his son sternly, and I get the feeling his father is holding back because I’m here.

“As usual, son,” Charles says, “you misunderstand me. I’m merely comparing the importance of acting to other essential roles within our society. I hardly think you can place actors in the same category as doctors, for example.”

“Okay, you two,” Maggie warns. “That’s enough.”

Mr. Holt ignores her. “Ethan, with your intellect, you have the opportunity to do something truly great with your life. Instead you choose to do something that has very little chance of being anything more than a frivolous hobby. I just don’t understand how you can have no ambition—”

“I do have ambition,” Holt says. “I’ve worked my ass off for three years to get into this place. I came back time and again, even when they kept telling me no, because I want to be the best that I can be, doing something I love to do. That’s ambition, Dad. It’s just different from yours. What a fucking crime, huh? Oh, and thanks for shitting on my chosen profession. And Cassie’s, too. Way to be an unsupportive prick.”

Before his mother can admonish him again, he turns to her. “Sorry, Mom. I can’t deal with him tonight. I’ll talk to you later.”

He pushes roughly through the crowd as we all watch him in awkward silence. My face is hot with anger and embarrassment. How dare Mr. Holt speak to his son like that?

Charles drops his head as his wife whispers, “When are you going to stop? This is what he’s chosen to do. Accept it.”

He looks over at me and winces. “I’m sorry you had to see that, Cassie. I just…” He shakes his head. “For the past few years, Ethan and I haven’t exactly seen eye-to-eye. It’s hard to witness your brilliant son choose a career that’s so…”

“Frivolous?” I offer sarcastically.

He gives me a guilty look. “I was going to say different from what I’d expected. I think every parent wants their child to change the world. I’m no different. I didn’t mean to put down your chosen profession.”