Chuckling, I shake my head. This girl is a menace.
She’s an incredible dancer. Not Riley’s level good but still awesome. It’s fucking sad that her tibia fracture from a couple of years ago got in the way of her career.
The reason she doesn’t dance professionally is well-known, but what I don’t know is why Riley quit ballet. I’ve asked many times, butshe’s never opened up about it. Piper won’t tell me either. There were no injuries, and if there’d been a scandal, I think I would’ve heard. A year ago, she left the company she danced for and started teaching at a prestigious studio owned by Adelaide Brown, another former ballerina.
Between that mystery and my coffee fuckup, I’m beginning to wonder if I know Riley at all.
“Ry doesn’t drink oat milk anymore,” Nastya says, bringing me back to reality. “Switched to almond. And she always orders an extra shot of espresso.”
“Okay.” I frown at the cup in my hand. “I suppose I don’t need this anymore.”
With an eye roll, Nastya takes the cup from my hand. She tosses it in the trash then strides to the counter. “Iced flat white with two shots of espresso and almond milk.” She jabs her manicured thumb at me. “It’s on him.”
“Damn, you’re bossy,” I tell Nastya as the barista moves to the espresso machine. “The kids you teach must be scared of you.”
A ghost of a smile spreads across her lips. “I work with teenagers. Gotta be a little scary if I want them to listen. I leave the littles to Ry. She’s the soft one while I’m…me.”
“Ry baby can be strict too, at least with me.”
She narrows her eyes.
“What?” I shift awkwardly, slipping my hands into the pockets of my jeans.
“What are you doing here?” she asks rather than answering my question.
“Just wanted to stop by and thank her for checking on me yesterday.” I nod at the barista. “I’m trying to be nice.”
“And you would’ve failed, but I guess the effort counts.”
“Then I’m lucky you showed up for coffee yourself.”
She smirks. “Please. I saw you walking in, and I have a sixth sense for guys who have no idea what they’re doing.”
“Then how come Ry continues to date assholes?”
This time, the smile that blooms on her face is real and infectious. “Touché.” She picks up the cup containing the correct drink and holds it out to me. “But in my defense, she’s too stubborn to actually listen to me.”
“Stubbornness definitely runs in the family. Piper is the same way.”
“They are sisters, after all.” With a click of her tongue, Nastya heads to the door. “Riley’s stretching between classes. Room fourteen. Try not to be weird.”
I let out a laugh. “No promises.”
I’ve only beeninside this place twice, but I find room fourteen quickly. Quietly, I stand outside the door and watch Riley through the glass. She’s on the floor, dressed in black leggings and a black crop top. She’s added blue highlights to her blonde hair and has it pulled into a bun on top of her head. With one leg extended, she keeps the other tucked behind her in a deep lunge, her spine elongated and her arms resting on the floor. A loose strand of hair falls across her cheek, but she does nothing to fix it. She’s completely lost in her own world.
I can’t move, and I can’t look away.
She shifts, folding over into another stretch, reaching for her toes, her forehead nearly grazing the tops of her knees. The movement is fluid, like water sliding down a waterslide. It’s like her body knows what to do on its own. A soft exhale leaves her lips—in the silence of the empty room, the sound travels all the way to me at the door.
My throat tightens as I watch. Her movements are slow, graceful, mesmerizing. My body warms from the inside out so thoroughly, I worry the drink in my hand will be room temperature before I give it to her. I can’t take my eyes off her.
This isn’t the first time I’ve seen her stretch, and I’ve watched her dance numerous times. Yet, today is different. Watching her now is connecting me to my past, a direct link to who I was before. Before Sabotage signed with the label. Before the band’s success. Before the world tour. Before I lost my friend. Before the grief.
Riley is part of my old life. She belongs to a past free of sorrow and regret. With my parents, Hunter, and Piper almost three thousand miles away, maybe she’s the closest thing I have to home.
No matter how much I want to convince myself I’m here just to say hi and thank you, the reality is I need her, more than I realized until this moment. Yes, Ines and Santi give me purpose. They get me out of my apartment and moving through the world, but the only time I’ve felt like myself in the last four months was when Riley was around.
I bite the inside of my cheek as my thoughts race and my heartbeat takes off. I need a plan. I need to get my life back. Being near Riley makes me hopeful again, but I don’t want her to feel obligated, so how do I make this work?
