this guy thought he was, but I wanted to pull her to me and kiss her senseless. I wanted to make her remember who I was, dammit!
“ I ’ m fine, Pierce. ” Hearing her say leather boy ’ s name was like nails on a chalkboard. I could think of a million other things I ’ d like to call him. “ I ’ m just clumsy. ” She smiled nervously in my direction.
He reached up and touched her cheek softly. I came undone at the seams. I felt murderous and I moved toward him to hit him in the face. If he ’ d been looking at me instead of what was mine, maybe he ’ d have seen it coming.
“ Oh, good. You got it, ” that kid Matthew said, saving leather boy ’ s face. “ If you guys are ready, they ’ re waiting for you, ” he told Araya and him.
“ Of course. ” She started to walk away from me and no matter how hard or how angrily my brain screamed at me to stop her, I didn ’ t and I didn ’ t know why. She stopped and turned in my direction again. “ Good luck, ” she told me, and then they were gone.
I was two for two now. Two times she walked away from me and I was left to wonder why in the hell I just let her go.
W e ’ d rehearsed this a million times, but that still didn ’ t stop the hummingbirds from swirling inside my stomach.
I waited for my cue and when I heard the click, I knew darkness had fallen on the audience. I was comforted by the fact that for those brief seconds, everyone was like me. I took my spot in the center of the room, counting my steps as I drifted into the darkness. I took position and my head dropped back.
There was a flash and I was instantly bathed in a glow of light. Everything was going as planned and it helped sooth my nerves. I could do this. I ’ d done it once before; I could do it again. I counted in my head and when I reached six, I waited for the music to start. Seven went by and then eight and the music didn ’ t come. I didn ’ t want to move out of position. I didn ’ t want the crowd to think anything was wrong.
I could hear the hushed whispers start to spread around me and I knew I couldn ’ t stand there any longer so I started to move without the music. I worried everyone could hear the sound of my heart through the silence. It was pounding so hard. And then the music started to flow from the other side of the room and I couldn ’ t stop myself from showing a reaction this time.
Everything came to a complete standstill as I listened to the familiar melody. It can’t be him, my mind argued. There was no way I ’ d been standing less than ten feet from him and he didn ’ t say anything to me. I felt like I was going to throw up, but my heart was lodged in my throat and I couldn ’ t do anything but stand there and stare toward where the music originated.
Ryland.
It took me a full minute to realize I ’ d fallen behind and that he ’ d looped the song three times waiting for me to catch my breath. I blinked and looked around. I knew everyone was looking at me, watching the rapid rise and fall of my chest.
The fourth loop came around, and I knew I needed to get through this. I just needed to get through this. Breathe, Araya. I counted to three and moved like my sanity depended on it, and in a way, it kind of did.
The familiar melody of Ryland ’ s song danced over my skin like a caress. Every kiss, every touch came back to me in a teasing rush. My legs trembled at the memories, and I thought my knees were going to give out. The feeling was so intense.
I ’ d been going through the motions of the dance without needing to put much thought into it, and I ’ d completely forgotten about Peirce. Suddenly, I was swept into his arms and his face was a breath away from mine. He was holding me closer than he had in rehearsals.
“ Breathe, Araya, ” he whispered, and it touched my lips. “ You ’ re doing amazing. ”
He pulled me tighter against him, fitting our bodies together in one line. The music tripped over its own notes, and I
“ I ’ m fine, Pierce. ” Hearing her say leather boy ’ s name was like nails on a chalkboard. I could think of a million other things I ’ d like to call him. “ I ’ m just clumsy. ” She smiled nervously in my direction.
He reached up and touched her cheek softly. I came undone at the seams. I felt murderous and I moved toward him to hit him in the face. If he ’ d been looking at me instead of what was mine, maybe he ’ d have seen it coming.
“ Oh, good. You got it, ” that kid Matthew said, saving leather boy ’ s face. “ If you guys are ready, they ’ re waiting for you, ” he told Araya and him.
“ Of course. ” She started to walk away from me and no matter how hard or how angrily my brain screamed at me to stop her, I didn ’ t and I didn ’ t know why. She stopped and turned in my direction again. “ Good luck, ” she told me, and then they were gone.
I was two for two now. Two times she walked away from me and I was left to wonder why in the hell I just let her go.
W e ’ d rehearsed this a million times, but that still didn ’ t stop the hummingbirds from swirling inside my stomach.
I waited for my cue and when I heard the click, I knew darkness had fallen on the audience. I was comforted by the fact that for those brief seconds, everyone was like me. I took my spot in the center of the room, counting my steps as I drifted into the darkness. I took position and my head dropped back.
There was a flash and I was instantly bathed in a glow of light. Everything was going as planned and it helped sooth my nerves. I could do this. I ’ d done it once before; I could do it again. I counted in my head and when I reached six, I waited for the music to start. Seven went by and then eight and the music didn ’ t come. I didn ’ t want to move out of position. I didn ’ t want the crowd to think anything was wrong.
I could hear the hushed whispers start to spread around me and I knew I couldn ’ t stand there any longer so I started to move without the music. I worried everyone could hear the sound of my heart through the silence. It was pounding so hard. And then the music started to flow from the other side of the room and I couldn ’ t stop myself from showing a reaction this time.
Everything came to a complete standstill as I listened to the familiar melody. It can’t be him, my mind argued. There was no way I ’ d been standing less than ten feet from him and he didn ’ t say anything to me. I felt like I was going to throw up, but my heart was lodged in my throat and I couldn ’ t do anything but stand there and stare toward where the music originated.
Ryland.
It took me a full minute to realize I ’ d fallen behind and that he ’ d looped the song three times waiting for me to catch my breath. I blinked and looked around. I knew everyone was looking at me, watching the rapid rise and fall of my chest.
The fourth loop came around, and I knew I needed to get through this. I just needed to get through this. Breathe, Araya. I counted to three and moved like my sanity depended on it, and in a way, it kind of did.
The familiar melody of Ryland ’ s song danced over my skin like a caress. Every kiss, every touch came back to me in a teasing rush. My legs trembled at the memories, and I thought my knees were going to give out. The feeling was so intense.
I ’ d been going through the motions of the dance without needing to put much thought into it, and I ’ d completely forgotten about Peirce. Suddenly, I was swept into his arms and his face was a breath away from mine. He was holding me closer than he had in rehearsals.
“ Breathe, Araya, ” he whispered, and it touched my lips. “ You ’ re doing amazing. ”
He pulled me tighter against him, fitting our bodies together in one line. The music tripped over its own notes, and I
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