And I can’t run away
There’s something inside me
Something dark
That won’t fade away
That burns me up
That pulls me down
But I know that I’ll stay
I’ll keep my head
I’ll dry my tears
Set one foot, then the other
Fight for the beat
Run for the song
And fight like it’s forever
I won’t turn back
I won’t give up
I’ll make it fucking right
Get lost in music
Lost in you
And dance with you ’til midnight
Part 5Verse 2
Chapter 21
Easton
Meet Me in the Hallway—Harry Styles
I’m finding it difficult to concentrate. It’s Friday, my only short day at the New England School of Ballet. I’m accompanying Rayne’s first class, followed by another one with the juniors. After that, I’ll be done. It’s supposed to be my most chill day of the week. But after getting less than three hours of sleep because I spent most of the night in an unheated van writing a song with a girl I really wanted to kiss, even though we’re “just” friends, it’s not.
We wrotethesong.
Rayne and I. We haven’t talked about what we’re going to do with it, or even if we’re going to doanythingwith it. But that’s exactly what I want. Damn, I want it so badly that it scares me to death. The song is really, really good. Better than anything the guys and I have come up with lately. But I didn’t write it alone, and I can’t help but wonder what that says about my abilities. I couldn’t get a song like that down on paper on my own. I needed Rayne for it.
I’m probably overthinking it, but I can’t help it. It feels unfair, and I can’t do a thing about it. I hate how incompetent it makes me feel.
I’m still playing the grand piano I’m sitting at, even though Francesca’s last class ended half an hour ago. I haven’t been able to bring myself to get up and go home. Part of me is secretly hoping that Rayne will come back later during the break, just like she did almost a month ago now, so she can remind me that writing this song helped her. I need to know that it made her feel better. That’s all that matters.
Another part of me isn’t sure I actually want to see her because of what happened last night—that one moment that changed everything and nothing at the same time. When her mouth was only inches away from mine. All it would have taken to kiss her was one little motion.
One second, frozen in time. Her hesitating. Backing away. Pretending nothing happened. But it did, and now everything is different and a thousand times more complicated because I can’t stop thinking about the way she looked at me. Gray eyes, dark gaze. Full lips.
