“I just…”
“Worry, I know. We have to be careful, but we can’t keep living in fear. I’m always a text away. I don’t care what I’m doing, I’ll text you back as soon as I can if you ever feel anxious or concerned about me, okay? I promise. But that means I’m going to be blowing up your phone while you’re in class because it goes both ways.”
“Annie already told me if my phone goes off one more time, she’s locking it in her office until after practice.” She snickers. “You’re gonna get me in trouble.”
“Apparently, I’m good at that,” I say, giving her a wink.
She leans over and presses her mouth to mine, and I fist her hair in my fingers.
Reluctantly, I pull away before things get too heated. “Have a good day. I love you.”
“I love you more,” she insists, and before I can tell her how wrong she is, Maddie hops out of the truck, blows me a kiss, then walks away. Of course I watch how her hips sway when she walks and it causes a smile to fill my face as she shakes her ass.
She’s mine and always will be.
Chapter Thirteen
MADDIE
When I was stuck in the middle of nowhere, I dreamed about my monotonous life of going to school every day. I’m thankful to somewhat have my old life back and don’t have much to complain about these days. In my regular classes, it seems like no one noticed I was gone for over three weeks other than my professors, but that all changed as soon as I went to dance. I’m bombarded with questions regarding where I’ve been and what happened. Thankfully Joel walks up, wraps his arms around me, and shoos everyone away. We’ve got ten minutes before we start, so I take the opportunity to stretch.
“Thanks for saving me,” I finally tell him, dropping to the floor and reaching for my toes.
Joel lowers his voice. “You’re not getting out of it that easy.” He gives me a boyish grin and continues, “I was worried. You ever gonna tell me where you were? I spoke to your sister, remember. I know something’s up.”
I give him a small smile, hating that I’m still lying to people I care about because of Victoria. They say the more you lie, the easier it gets, but I call bullshit. Each time I do it, I die a little inside, but I can’t tell him the truth. Most people wouldn’t believe me anyway.
I dodged the question as soon as I came back, but it’s now the third time he’s asked so I can’t keep putting it off. “There was a family emergency so I flew home to Utah.”
His face contorts, full of worry, and it seems like he’s going to push me on the issue. I know Sophie called him and asked him if he’d seen me, which kinda puts a hole in my story, but I’m going to roll with it. Before he can continue with more questions, I add wanting to talk about anything else, “Everything’s okay now.”
The day after we returned home, I went and got a new phone and called my parents. I had to confess I missed the first three weeks of class, and yet again, I had to lie. I made up a story about needing space because I wasn’t sure that this was the right career path for me, and after some deep soul searching, I decided to keep pursuing it and returned to school. I’m not sure if they’ve been calling or not, but my mother sounded panicked, so I’m guessing Sophie and Lennon were hearing the wrath of her worrying as well.
Joel smiles, almost as if he’s relieved, and drops it. That’s one thing I really like about him, he knows when to pry and when to leave things alone. He’s my favorite dance partner for a reason.
Annie walks into the room wearing dance flats and leggings. She glances at me with a small smile as if she’s surprised and relieved I returned, then starts the class. I’m not exactly sure what my teachers were told once I explained I had an “emergency” to my advisor and the dean of the college, but I’m just happy I wasn’t kicked out. Thankfully, they gave me another chance.
Joel and I get into place after we warm up and start working on choreography. I didn’t realize how behind I was until now. The whole routine is complete, and I’m frustrated as hell that I’m twirling around mindlessly, not knowing my next step. Feeling like a newbie doesn’t happen often for me, but right now, I’m out of place. When we’re given a ten-minute water break, Joel comes over to calm me down.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” he tells me sincerely, noticing my aggravation. He doesn’t realize it stems from being frustrated with myself, the situation, and even Victoria. Her name is like poison on my tongue, but I swallow down the venom I have for her and force a smile.
“I know. I’m just annoyed. I don’t like not knowing what’s going on and feeling like a transfer student.” I chug half my bottle of water, determined to recount every step, dip, and jump. Joel tried to lead me as best he could, but I should've just watched from the side, like the kid who didn’t get picked for a school sport.
“Mads. You’ve been gone for over three weeks. You can’t expect to hop into the middle of a routine and predict the next move. That’s just insanity.”
I let out a huff the suck in air through my nose, trying to calm down. “You’re right.”
“We can stay after class and go over it a few times if you want. You’ll have it by next time. I know how meticulous you are.” He places a hand on my shoulder and squeezes before we’re called back to the floor. I didn’t realize how stressed I still am from being gone, even though we’ve been home for a little while. Is it possible that the whole experience changed me? That thought alone has me cursing under my breath.
The next time we go through the routine, I’m not as lost. Joel grabs my waist and gives me a supported cartwheel before I land into a perfect split. The toe work will take some time, but for the most part, I think I have the basics. Thankfully I’m a quick learner because I might walk out of here in tears otherwise.
I want to be the best at everything I do. The best dancer, sister, and even girlfriend. It’s why I try to give my whole heart to Liam every chance I get and why I agreed to leave in the first place. I might’ve recently given away my V-card, but when Liam and I are together, it’s special. What we have is more than just sex or the meaningless motions of two people being together. It’s always been more than that.
After everyone leaves, Joel and I stay behind, and I’m grateful for the extra thirty minutes he gives me of his time. We start slow at the beginning, then go faster, and I even recorded us on my phone so I could watch it again at home. It’s something I learned in high school so I wouldn’t forget the details my teacher gave. Once we change out of our practice clothes, relief washes over me that I made it through another day. Things aren’t back to normal yet, but maybe I’ll find it soon.
“Thanks, Joel,” I tell him as we go our separate ways down the sidewalk.
“For what?” he asks, though I think he knows exactly why I’m thanking him.
“For not calling me a sucky ass partner and requesting someone new to dance with while I was gone.”
He shakes his head, his lips turning up. “Pfft. You’re the best dancer at this school, even on your worst days, Mads. You’re stuck with me until we graduate.”