I straightened to give Ethan a break and just as I did, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror.
And, that’s why I live on Earth where reality reigns supreme.
“I never said I don’t dance. I just said I don’t take classes,” I said as I left him to stretch on his own and settled back down next to him.
Ethan stopped moving and was staring at me. I could see his gaze from the corner of my eye. He was trying to figure something out and the obnoxious part of my brain wanted to know what that was.
“What?” I asked as I pressed my feet together and drew them inward. Then I cocooned over and rested my forehead on the floor.
“I’m just trying to figure you out,” he said.
I tipped my face to the side so that I could meet his gaze. He had his hands extended behind him and was leaning back. He seemed to have given up on stretching as his legs were extended in front of him.
I sighed as I straightened. “Why? There’s nothing special about me. I’m as boring as they come.”
I hoped that he would take that response and leave it, but of course, he didn’t.
“I doubt that. Boring people don’t hide that they are incredibly talented at something.” He raised his eyebrows and nodded toward my tights.
A warm, hot-chocolate feeling rose up inside of me at his compliment. He thought I was talented?
I mean, sure, he’s a jock who rams into guys every Friday night. But he had stood there, watching me dance for an unspecified amount of time. That had to account for something.
But reality sucks and creeps up on you eventually. In the same moment that I allowed myself to feel excited that Ethan thought I was talented, I remembered that talent wasn’t my problem. That it wasn’t the reason why I wasn’t enrolled in the academy.
And that reason was one that I’d been fighting my whole life.
Tears stung my eyes and that only angered me more. I was okay with my future and the lack of ballet in my life. I was okay with the fact that I was stuck on the sidelines, cheering for everyone else’s future but my own. I was okay that I had to hideout in the studio to dance after hours.
I’d accepted everything about my future. Yet, all it took was one compliment from Ethan and suddenly, my resolve crumbled around me. I drew in a deep breath. “I’m not a dancer anymore.”
His brows drew together in confusion. “If you’re not a dancer, then…what was that?” He gestured toward the dance floor where I’d been rehearsing the routine that I’d never perform. Always the understudy, never the star. That was a saying, right? If not, it should be—it pretty much spelled out my life.
I followed his gaze, staring at the polished wooden floorboards like they might hold the answer. If I wasn’t a dancer, why was I dancing? I shrugged. “That was just for me. For fun.”
When I glanced over to look at him, the breath left my lungs in a rush. His dark eyes were filled with intensity. They were focused on me like I was the center of the Universe. Like I was some amazing treasure he’d just discovered. I looked away first.
“I should get changed,” I said as I moved to leave.
Ethan scrambled to stand and was over to me at a speed I would have never guessed he could produce. I mean, the man was built like a MAC truck and we all know how fast they are at getting up and moving.
“I have a proposal for you.”
I paused, wondering if I heard right. “You what?”
He cleared his throat as he ran his hands through his hair. His lopsided smile caused my heart to pick up speed—only for a moment—before I shut that ridiculous reaction down.
“I’m thinking we could help each other.” He pointed to my chest and then to his like I needed help remembering who ‘each other’ was.
I folded my arms as I stared at him. “And what could you possibly be able to help me with?”
He swallowed and then raised his hands up and moved them around. “With dancing. I noticed the last move you did required someone to lift you up.” Hedropped his hands to his side and shrugged. “I could do that.”
Yes, he could. He’d already proven that. And it would be fun, finally dancing with a partner. Solos were great, but there were so many moves I’d wanted to try but had been unable to.
However, it would require him touching me. All. Over.
I scrunched up my nose and shook my head. “No thanks, I’m good,” I said, turning to leave.
