One Curvy Juliette, Two Romeos

Chapter 6: Playing With Fire

Maddox:

I didn’t plan on spending my afternoon watching Cole Kingston embarrass himself on a theater stage—but damn if this wasn’t entertainment gold.

Walking into the auditorium, I paused just inside the door. The place smelled old, musty, like worn-out velvet and decades of dust. It wasn't exactly my scene. But right now, the show unfolding up front made it worth the discomfort.

Cole was standing on the stage looking about as relaxed as someone headed into surgery. Beside him stood Juliette Warner, her script clutched so tightly her knuckles had gone pale. She wasn’t exactly the type of girl Cole normally gravitated toward—or even noticed. But there she was, right at his side, awkwardly frozen beneath the harsh stage lights.

I bit back a grin and leaned against the wall near the back row, crossing my arms over my chest. Watching Cole squirm was too good to pass up.

Their professor—Langley, I think his name was—was barking instructions at them. “Closer, Kingston!” Langley snapped, his voice echoing through the theater. Cole visibly flinched, and I smirked, enjoying every second. “Act like you’re actually interested. Pretend she’s your whole world!”

Cole shot Langley a glare that probably could've turned the guy to stone, then reluctantly stepped closer to Juliette. Her eyes went wide, nervousness radiating off her so strongly even I felt uncomfortable.

I studied Juliette a bit closer. She definitely wasn’t Cole’s usual type. She wasn’t a cheerleader or the typical campus hottie that hung off his arm on weekends. She was quieter, curvier, shy—the kind of girl who always seemed to fade into the background, unnoticed.

Cole reached out stiffly, taking her hand with all the enthusiasm of someone handling a live grenade. I stifled a chuckle. Kingston was acting like Juliette was contagious or something. The girl already looked mortified enough.

Cole muttered his lines, monotone and forced. Juliette mumbled her response, her face bright red, eyes glued to the script.

Painful. Absolutely painful.

"Enough!” Cole groaned loudly. “I need a a break.”

Cole was already storming down the steps, practically jumping off the stage in his rush to escape. He shoved through the double doors near me, his jaw clenched, anger rolling off him like thunder.

Now this was too good to pass up.

Pushing off the wall, I followed him out into the hallway. Cole was pacing angrily, running both hands through his perfectly styled hair. For once, golden-boy quarterback Cole Kingston looked completely off his game.

“Well,” I drawled, leaning against the wall. “That was painful to watch.”

Cole turned, glaring daggers at me. “Get lost, Hayes.”

I chuckled, crossing my arms lazily. “Nah. Watching you suffer is the highlight of my day.”

“You got a problem, man?” he demanded, stepping closer.

I raised an eyebrow, meeting him head-on. “Nope. Seems like you’re the one with the problem. What’s the big deal? Too good to hold her hand?”

Cole scoffed, shaking his head and looking away. “You saw her.”

“Yeah,” I said, voice suddenly sharper than I’d intended. “I did. She seems like a nice girl. Don’t know why you’re acting like a jerk.”

Cole’s glare returned, narrowed and suspicious. “What do you care?”

I shrugged casually, careful not to show how his attitude grated on me. “Maybe I don’t. But from what I saw, Juliette isn’t the problem. You are.”

He stiffened, eyes flashing angrily. “Since when did you start defending girls like her? Don’t pretend like you wouldn’t rather be anywhere else if you got paired with someone like that.”

Something inside me tightened. Girls like her. I knew exactly what he meant. Quiet girls. Girls who didn’t chase after guys like us. Girls who deserved better than Cole’s condescending bullshit.

“You know what your problem is, Kingston?” I said, stepping closer. “You’re scared.”

He laughed sharply, eyes narrowed. “Scared? Of what?”

I tilted my head, lips curling into a smirk. “That your buddies are gonna see through your golden-boy routine. That they’ll realize there’s nothing special underneath.”

Cole’s jaw ticked, and he took a step toward me, shoulders tight with anger. “Watch yourself, Maddox.”

I didn’t flinch. “Or what?”

For a tense moment, we just stood there, locked in a silent challenge. Finally, he cursed under his breath, shoving past me toward the doors. “Stay out of my way, Hayes.”

I watched him go, irritation prickling beneath my skin. Cole Kingston was a jerk—I’d always known that. But seeing him treat Juliette like she was somehow beneath him annoyed me more than usual.

Shaking my head, I stepped back into the auditorium. Juliette was sitting on the edge of the stage, staring blankly down at the script in her lap. Everyone else had scattered, taking advantage of the break.

She didn’t notice me until I reached the first row of seats. Her eyes flicked up, wary and uncertain. “Oh. Maddox.”

“Hey,” I said casually, hands sliding into my pockets as I approached her. “You surviving all this?”

Her cheeks flushed slightly as she glanced down. “Barely. It’s…pretty awful.”

“Don’t worry about Cole. He’s got his head shoved so far up his own ass he can’t see straight.”

Her eyes widened briefly, startled, then she laughed softly, nervously. The sound was nice. Soft. Genuine.

“I’m pretty sure he hates me,” she admitted, voice quiet.

“He doesn’t hate you,” I said. “He just hates not being in control.”

She shook her head, eyes dropping back to the script. “He’s embarrassed. Everyone expects Romeo’s girl to be…well, you know. Someone prettier. Someone thin. Someone else.”

A pang of irritation shot through me, surprising me with how strongly I felt it. I stepped closer, forcing her to look up at me again.

“He’s an i***t, Juliette. You got the part because you earned it. Don’t let some arrogant jackass make you feel otherwise.”

She blinked, clearly startled by my words. After a moment, she nodded slowly, biting her bottom lip. “Thanks.”

I shrugged, feeling oddly awkward. Being comforting wasn’t exactly my specialty. “Yeah, well, don’t thank me yet. You still gotta kiss him.”

Her face instantly flared red again, eyes wide with horror. “Oh, God. Don’t remind me.”

A slow smirk spread across my face. “If you need to practice—”

She stared up at me, mouth opening and closing like a fish. “What?”

“I mean,” I teased, unable to resist, “I’m always available to help a damsel in distress.”

She narrowed her eyes, but her lips twitched upward just slightly. “Is this a joke to you?”

“Maybe,” I admitted. “But watching Kingston squirm is the best entertainment I’ve had all semester. You’re handling it better than he is, anyway.”

She huffed softly, shaking her head. “He won’t even touch me.”

I glanced away, oddly irritated by that. “His loss.”

Her eyes widened again, clearly startled. Then the auditorium doors slammed open, and Cole strode back in, scowling deeply. He paused when he saw us, eyes narrowed suspiciously.

“Break’s over,” he snapped.

Juliette instantly stood, clutching her script tightly, cheeks flushed again. “I—I should get back.”

“Hey, Jules,” I said quietly before she could walk away. “If he keeps acting like a jerk, let me know.”

She glanced up quickly, a faint smile tugging her lips again. “Thanks, Maddox.”

Cole’s glare burned into my back as she hurried back onto the stage. I just gave him a lazy smirk, letting him stew.

Watching Juliette now, I felt something unexpected stir inside me. A protectiveness I hadn’t anticipated. This wasn’t my scene, not my usual game at all, but maybe, just maybe, I was about to make it mine.

Because if Cole Kingston wasn’t careful, he was going to find out exactly how quickly his golden-boy status could crumble.

And I’d be more than happy to show him.