“Well,I already accepted the job, so this is a moot point,” I said, tucking my phone between my ear and my shoulder as I sat at the tiny table in the studio kitchenette. “I’ll be gone tomorrow morning.”
I bent down to pull my dance shoes off and change into my sneakers so I could walk back to the apartment and finish packing.
Normally I would’ve done this in the studio, but Benji’s class had just finished. His grandma had dropped him off, but…
I wasn’thidingfrom Cooper. I was just doing us both the favor of avoiding an awkward encounter.
The studio have been full of balloons and streamers when I’d arrived this afternoon. The over-65s class had heard about the under-8s win and gotten together to make sure it was properly celebrated. Mrs. Rashid had even baked an impressive cake, frosted to look like a tutu. I was beginning to get the impression that baking was a compulsory hobby in Otter Bay.
It was sweet. These people were sweet, and kind, and…
I’d miss them.
It was small, and quiet, and everyone was in each other’s pockets, but it wasn’t like when I was a kid. It was nice. Iliked ithere.
“Right, because it’s absolutely impossible to quit a job you haven’t started yet,” Avery said. “Which you only accepted in the first place because you’re mad Cooper didn’t fall to his knees and beg you to stay,despitethe fact you’ve given that poor, wonderful, sweet, huge-dicked man no reason to believe you might want him to do that because for some reason you’re determined to let your asshole ex ruin your entire life in perpetuity, instead of just a portion of it.”
Ouch.
“Don’t pull any punches, Ave,” I said, stifling a grunt as I sat up to tuck my ballet shoes in my bag. These ones were fraying at the seams, but I’d had them since before the accident.
I couldn’t let them go.
“I won’t,” Avery said. “Because I love you and I want you to be happy and goddamnit, youwere. You were asking me for outfit advice. You were so fucking excited, Felix.”
“And…he,” I said, Cooper’s name sticking in my throat. “Couldn’t have been clearer. There’s nothing for me here.”
“Did they not teach you about good faith interpretation at your fancy performing arts school?” Avery asked.
“Could you not be on my side about this?”
I’d thought Avery would understand when I told them I was taking the job in LA. I’d thought they’d be excited for me. Instead, the first thing they’d asked about was Cooper.
Specifically, why I was walking away from him.
“Iamon your side,” Avery said. “I’m on the side of what will make you happiest, because I love you. And because I love you, I’m telling you you’re being a pathetic fucking coward about this.”
I toyed with a loose thread on my shoe, twirling it between my fingers.
I didn’t have an answer to that.
“He deserves someone… whole.”
“Felix Alexander Bennet,” Avery began. They only ever used my full name when I wasreallyin trouble. “You listen to me. You are the most dedicated, driven person I’ve ever met, and despite that you manage to avoid being an asshole. You’re sweet, you’re kind, you’re insanely hot, and you’re even funny on purpose sometimes. There’s no one in the whole world good enoughforyou, let alone too good. I will, however, accept that you’re in love with a very nice man I can’t think of a good objection to. What I will not accept is the idea that he could possibly, in a million years, do better than my best friend. I know my taste. You wouldn’t be my best friend if you weren’t the best.”
My lips twitched wryly as I wrapped the loose thread around the end of my finger.
“You’re right,” I said.
“I always am.”
“I am a coward,” I continued. “Always have been. Wouldn’t leave Piotr no matter how many times you told me I should. Look where that got me.”
“So you’re planning to take my advice?”
I drew a breath to answer, but tiny footsteps stopped me. Probably just as well, because I had no idea what I’d been about to say.
I looked up to see Benji hovering a few feet away, big brown eyes peering at me.
