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“No, that won’t be necessary. I’m sure Mr. Sutherland and I will get along just fine.”

I flinch when she says my name like that. Mr. Sutherland. It still feels wrong to be called that, no matter who says it. But with Lia, it’s more than just wrong. I hear the doubt in her voice, and though she only glances at me for a split second, I notice it anyway. She’s not nearly as convinced by what she’s saying as she pretends to be.

“Wonderful. You can start right after lunch. But please remember that you’re not just rehearsing for this role, Lia, you’re also dancing one of the lead swans, so you’ll be on stage for the performance regardless.” Pearson gives her an encouraging smile. Apparently he hasn’t noticed what’s going on between us.

“Thank you for giving me this opportunity,” Lia says as she stands up.

“You’re welcome,” he replies, stopping me when I also try to rise.

“If you have time, I’d like to go over how to best prepare for the rehearsals with you.”

I nod, taken aback, and sink back down into my chair, even though I want to follow Lia.

“Lia, would you please send Tyler to me?” Pearson asks.

“Of course.” She turns to go without giving me another glance. Then she leaves, and the door closes with a soft click behind her.

Chapter 21

Lia

I rush through the corridors of the administration building feeling dizzy. Quick steps, a pounding heart, shallow breaths. My world is spinning. This can’t be true.

Did Pearson really assign me to joint rehearsals with Phoenix? Oh God, how could this happen? It’s a terrible idea.

But Pearson has no idea what happened between us, and it has to stay that way. It must. Still, how is this supposed to work? The two of us together, not with twenty other people in the room, but one-on-one.

I should have said no. I should have said that I don’t feel comfortable working with him. I probably wouldn’t have needed a reason. A simple no would have been enough to get me out of it. Why didn’t I just say no?

Breathing heavily, I lean against a wall that feels hard and cold against my overheated body. For the first time since being at this school, I’ve lost my bearings. I don’t spend much time in the administration building very often though, usually only on the rare occasions when I have to go to Pearson’s office. I don’t really care where I am right now anyway. The only important thing is that I don’t completely freak out. Which is harder than one might think. My heart is still beating too fast, and my skin is tingling.

Phoenix and I have to rehearse together.

I force myself to take a deep breath, tilt my head back, and close my eyes for a moment.

Inhale. Exhale.

It’s that simple.

Inhale. Exhale.

Again.

But it doesn’t work, not one bit. My pulse continues to race, and my head is in utter chaos. It’s not that Pearson’s approach doesn’t make sense. From his point of view, it’s logical to put us together.

As long as you ignore the fact that we slept together and that we told each other our secrets. And that we danced in the rain. And that I felt better with him on that one damn night than I have on any other day in the last few years. And that he’s not a stranger to me, not in the slightest. I know him, and he knows me.

Sure, we don’t really know each other, of course. Not the way you know someone when you’ve spent more than a few hours together. But well enough.

With a frustrated groan, I press my palms over my eyes. It was just one night, more than three months ago. It was supposed to mean absolutely nothing.

It’s over.

You made an agreement, have you forgotten?

No, of course I haven’t. As if I could forget that moment in the locker room. We did have an agreement. That was all. So why am I making such a drama out of the situation? It’s only a few rehearsals. A few weeks. Nothing more.

But I can’t forget the other moment either. Those brief seconds a few days ago when I watched him dance. When it didn’t feel like it was over because I wanted to do it again. To dance with him, to talk to him.