Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 52178 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 261(@200wpm)___ 209(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52178 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 261(@200wpm)___ 209(@250wpm)___ 174(@300wpm)
“Marek,” I yell, and he pauses, but doesn’t turn.
“Seriously?” I yell, furiously. “Anytime the conversation gets hard, you run. Why don’t you turn around and face me, admit to whatever it is that’s going on here? I’m tired of the games. The moment I call you out, you run.”
He doesn’t turn.
“So big and strong,” I growl. “Yet when it comes to matters of the heart, you’re weak. It’s pathetic, Marek. Face me. God dammit.”
He doesn’t face me.
He just walks out until he disappears into the darkness.
I exhale, releasing the breath I was holding, and push away from the wall. Marek’s bloodied handprint is stark against the cream paint, and I can’t help but stare at it, reaching my hand up and splaying my tiny fingers out. They’re so small against his. My heart aches because I don't understand why he came here tonight.
Was it simply to torment me?
To remind me that he’ll never change, and I’ve let myself fall for him?
I might feel some type of way about him, but I’m never going to let it go any further.
I have the strength to stay away, I do, but dammit, he makes it so hard.
Swiping my hand down, the blood smears on the wall, marring his handprint.
It’s for the best.
It’s all for the best.
THROUGH THE AIR I SOAR, music playing loudly in the background as my legs stretch out, the ribbons tied around me enough support that I won’t fall, but I can still twist and turn. I flip and roll, losing myself in the moment. The crowd below is quiet as they watch me in awe, and I know the show we’re putting on is spectacular.
The best part is when the cages are lowered from the ceiling, and the girls all climb out of them in a beautiful motion. Then we’re all moving together, ribbons tangling, our bodies moving in perfect rhythm around one another, an act we spent so many weeks working on. Little by little, we’re lowered to the ground, where we continue our dancing under the stark blue lights.
By the time we’re done, not a sound can be heard in the crowd.
Then, they stand.
I watch, panting, my skin slick with sweat, as one by one the crowd pushes to their feet and then all we can hear is applause. Roaring applause. It’s almost deafening it’s so loud, and I can’t help but gasp, pressing a hand to my chest as all the girls take a bow, sending the crowd into an even bigger frenzy. This is unlike anything I’ve ever felt before in my entire life.
It’s exhilarating.
I want to experience this until the day I die.
Heart racing, adrenalin pumping, shivers running up and down my spine as people cheer and bellow, kids jump up and down, no doubt ready to go home and tell their parents what they want to be when they grow up. It’s a moment I’ve worked for, for so long. A moment that simply cannot be explained. No school in the world could give me this feeling.
I’ve just opened a door, and now, I have a whole road ahead to explore.
Bonnie, Acacia, and Alexis are in the crowd, and they’re all squealing with delight as they wave at me. I return the wave and blow them a kiss. Flowers are being thrown onto the ground, confetti explodes as the music blares, a finale like no other. Then, Marek is there. He stands in the middle of the spotlight, his eyes flashing with shock and appreciation, as he takes it all in. I think he’s absolutely stunned because he was skeptical. He didn’t think I could pull it off and pull it off I have.
Emotions unlike anything I’ve ever felt swirl in my chest as Marek thanks the crowd. I turn to walk off the stage when his strong Russian accent calls out my name. Pausing, I turn back to him, confused. He strides towards me, the spotlight following him, and I’m not certain what it is he’s going to say or do, but I don’t move. All eyes are on us and when he stops, he blows me off my feet.
He reaches out, curling a hand around my neck, and he pulls me to him.
Then his mouth is on mine.
The crowd goes absolutely wild, sparklers explode, the smoke machines flare to life, and I drown out to it all because my legs get weak, Marek is forced to hold me up as I melt into him. The kiss, it’s explosive. I grip his arms, terrified I’ll fall, as our mouths move together in the most exquisite dance of my life. His hand remains firmly around my neck, and his other hand cradles my lower back as he presses my body to his.
The roar of the crowd can’t drown out the roaring of my heart as our tongues dance and our bodies press together.