I looked away from the news on the TV and returned to getting dressed into my street clothes. I had danced at the studio until I was exhausted tonight. Thankfully, I’d been alone this time. Skye—or now Lilly—hadn’t tried to steal my slot again. She’d seen my reaction to her new stage name and was choosing to stay away. The audacity of even trying to mimic mynamewas certifiably insane.
As I was lacing up my shoes, a small group of dancers filed in for their slot in the dance studio. I looked up and saw Natasha, Aurelia, and Lilly. My smile twitched as I forced it into place and turned toward my locker.
I was still working the lock when I heard the door open and shut, and some of the voices disappeared.
“Daisy?”
I turned to see Lilly standing at the door.
“What?” I snapped. “Here to see what underwear I own so you can steal that too?” The words slipped from my mouth so fast I snapped my mouth shut. That wasn’t me. I was bigger than that. I picked up my bag.
She sighed and came further into the dressing room. “No, I actually came to talk about Max.”
I blinked. “What about him?”
“I know you know about him and I.”
I grit my teeth and glanced behind her. She was, inadvertently or not, blocking my exit. I looked at her face. There was no sign of her usual maliciousness. Her brows were furrowed in what looked like worry.
“And?”
“My husband works in construction.”
I sat and she quickly joined me. She tried to reach for my hand, but I scooted away fast.
“What does any of this have to do with me?”
“My husband’s company was hired for the Tennant...”
If she didn’t get to the point quickly, I was going to either throat punch her or leave.
Don’t allow her to see you react.My Nona’s voice echoed in my mind. She was always about how things made us look.You are a Lovelace. Act like it.
I straightened and looked ahead, focusing on the lockers.
“Please finish what you have to say, Lilly. I have things to get to.”
“Yes, I-I’m sorry. I guess... I know you hate me. And after seeing your private dressing room, it’s clear that you have some pull with the new owner. Clarke can’t really afford to lose this job. We’re barely making rent as is, and he’s getting suspicious with how much I’m gone. If he sees my paycheck, he’ll know that I’m not paying for all my new clothes and shoes and?—”
I put my hand up to stop her. “Lilly, I—” I paused. I wasn’t even sure how to respond. “This isn’t my problem. None of this is my problem. I am sorry that your finances aren’t what you’d like them to be. I can’t help you there.” I shifted my weight and looked toward the door behind her.
Her face shifted from worry to anger. “I’m not asking for a handout, you bitch. I just don’t want you to tell him. We’ll be rehearsing there at some point, and if you see him, keep your fucking mouth shut.”
“How would knowing about your affair with my fiancé make him lose his job?” I rolled my eyes.
“Clarke has a temper. We have holes in the wall from him getting mad at me, and...” She swallowed and crossed her arms. “Everyone knows he’s a gun nut. Last time he lost his temper, they fired him because they thought he was going to come back and shoot someone. He won’t, but hisanger doesn’t help his case. Please, Daisy, don’t say anything. He can’t know about Max and I yet.”
Yet?
I blinked.
“Why not yet? Shouldn’t you want to keep your sordid affairs a secret forever?”
She smirked. “Oh, come on, you’re not really going to marry Max. You haven’t even had the wedding, and he’s already in someone else’s bed. You’re nothing to him.”
Something shifted in me. If it had been anyone else, I would have agreed with them. Did I want to marry Max? No. She was right. I was nothing to him but a pretty bird he could lock away in his house on the lake, only allowing me to sing for him and his friends. I wasn’t free with Max, but she didn’t know that; and the smug look on her face fueled me to lie.
A grin spread over my face and I clicked my tongue.
