“It’s a shame you’ll be busy tomorrow,” Nina told me with a saccharine smile. “I was hoping that we could get our nails done together.”
I turned and gave her a smile that was just as fake. “Thanks, Mother. But I’m sure we’ll have so many more mother/daughter bonding opportunities before school starts. We’ve gotten to know each other so well over the last week.”
Nina didn’t even blink at the blatant lie; she just smiled back at me. “You’re right, darling. I just have so much time to make up for.”
“I hope we always get to spend this much time together,” I told her with a warm smile. And by ‘this much,’ I meant zero.
Something dark glittered in the depths of her eyes, and I wondered if I had gone too far. Richard didn’t notice the tension between us, or maybe he chose to ignore it. Either way, he acted like he was pleased we were getting along so well.
I glanced over at Maverik to see him watching me thoughtfully. I knew that nothing about that conversation had gotten past him. I just wished I knew what he was thinking.
I sighed in defeat. “What time is my appointment at the school tomorrow?”
Richard beamed at me. “They’re expecting you at ten in the morning, but I’m sure Mav will want to get you there early so that he has time to give you a full tour.”
“What about me?” Kingston interrupted. “I give excellent tours.”
Richard gave him a warm smile. “I’m glad you want to be a part of taking care of your new sister.”
“Who’s codependent now?” I muttered under my breath. Richard might criticize me for spending too much time with Ryan, but I’d never seen Maverik or Kingston do anything apart either.
Granted, I’d only known them for a short time, so maybe they were only like this in the summer, but I doubted it. By the glare that Maverik directed in my direction, I was pretty sure that he had heard what I said. I tossed my hair back and gave him a sweet smile that was sure to irritate him.
After the dinner that I barely touched, I escaped back to my room. I paced back and forth a few times, then took off the stupid dress and threw it across the room. I was restless and antsy, and I needed to dance. I knew I shouldn’t, I knew I should take the night off and rest, but I needed it. I quickly dressed in my leotard and tights and then grabbed the bag with my ballet shoes.
I listened carefully at the door, but I couldn’t hear any signs of the two guys. I didn’t want to deal with anymore verbal sparring tonight, I just wanted to be alone. I took the south stairs in an attempt to avoid everyone and felt ridiculous even saying that. When you had to name all the different staircases in your home, it should be a warning sign that it’s too much.
I successfully made it to my studio and let out a breath of relief when I flicked on the lights. I was finally alone. I still needed to sew ribbons on my next pair of shoes and break them in, so I decided to stay barefoot for now. Classical ballet was my true passion, but that didn’t mean that I didn’t dabble in other styles.
What I truly loved about dance was that you could tell a story or communicate a feeling without saying a word. I could transform my thoughts and feelings into movements to express things that I felt, but that I didn’t fully understand or didn’t have words to describe. It was just raw, pure emotion that I was letting go. Moving with the music let me transcend above all my worries and concerns and just be free.
Instead of using my wireless earbuds, I plugged my phone into the speaker system that was set up in here. I did a warm-up and some stretches, but when Numb by Linkin Park started to play, I lost myself inside the music. I was covered in a thin sheen of sweat, and my legs were aching when I came to a stop and reached for a bottle of water. When I glanced at my phone, I saw that almost an hour had passed.
It was then that I realized I wasn’t alone in the building and probably hadn’t been for a while. I was a little surprised that neither of them had come in to heckle me, but I wasn’t about to question a good thing. I decided to ignore the fact that Maverik and Kingston were lifting weights in the fitness center that gave them a clear view of me in my studio. I still needed to stretch, and I wasn’t going to let them stop me.
I was in a front split and pulling my back foot towards my head when Kingston came in. “Was that ballet?” he asked curiously. “It looked different from what you did on stage, more gymnastic-like stuff.”
I looked up at him in surprise. He actually sounded interested instead of hostile. I decided to just go with it for now.
“It was more contemporary. There are elements of classical ballet mixed with some other dance styles. A lot of companies are starting to expect their dancers to have a wider repertoire than just classical ballet.”
“I like it better than the other kind,” he said with a grin.
I switched positions so my muscles didn’t get cold and looked at him suspiciously. “Careful, it almost sounded like you said something nice to me.”
Kingston laughed out loud and leaned against the wall. “I’m just being honest, don’t get your hackles up,
