Total pages in book: 166
Estimated words: 157273 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 786(@200wpm)___ 629(@250wpm)___ 524(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 157273 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 786(@200wpm)___ 629(@250wpm)___ 524(@300wpm)
Eva tsked. “A good sister would share, you know.”
“A possessive sister will cut you,” Allie warned in a sing-song voice, and I barely stopped myself from pulling her into a kiss.
“Relax.” Eva rolled her eyes. “I was just kidding. Like I’d ever dream about coming between the two of you when you took so damned long to get together.”
I blinked. Allie hadn’t told Eva the truth.
“Did you find your seat?” Allie changed the subject.
“Back with the steerage? I mean corps? Of course.” She reached for Allie’s hand, all pretense falling from her face. “Charlotte took your locker.”
Allie tensed. “I’m sorry?”
“This morning after rehearsal, she moved all of your stuff from your locker, and put hers in.” Worry lined the space between Eva’s eyebrows.
“What exactly did she do with my things?” Allie clipped her words.
I shot a look at the brunette, who was creeping closer.
“She just dumped them on the bench. I stuffed everything into my locker. Don’t worry, it’s all there.” Her shoulders dipped. “Allie, she already took your barre spot. She’s coming for that principal role. Tell me you’re healing. You’ll make it back, right?”
Allie nodded and squeezed her sister’s hand. “It’s all right. Vasily already told me that Equinox is on the fall program. I’ll be ready.” She forced a smile for her sister. “Don’t worry about Charlotte. Not on my behalf. Principals rise and principals retire. If someone is better than I am, then they’ll take my place. It’s as simple as that.”
“I can put laxatives in her yogurt if you want.” Pretty sure that was a genuine threat.
Allie scoffed. “Knock it off and go find your seat.”
Eva sighed, then walked away, heading toward a table another row back and to the left.
“So, nothing much has changed there,” I remarked.
“She’s pretty much a sour patch kid.” Allie took the step that separated us. “How do you like my world, Ellis?”
“Feels . . . slippery.” I grabbed the back of her chair and pulled it out. “You’re kind of a chameleon here, aren’t you? Putting on whatever disguise the person in front of you compels so you don’t get eaten?” She blended in a little too well. “How many people in the world actually know who you are, Allie?”
“Very few,” she admitted softly. “And unfortunately for me, I think you’re one of them.”
“Look out,” I warned her as Charlotte approached.
Allie pivoted, then weaponized the fakest smile I’d ever seen. “Hi, Charlotte.”
“Good to see you feel well enough to come tonight,” Charlotte replied, her smile razor sharp. “Since you haven’t been able to sit in on any rehearsals or even take class with us.”
“You did a marvelous job with Giselle.” The muscles in Allie’s back tensed, and her chin rose. Juniper didn’t just take after Lina in that regard.
“I know.” She glanced past Allie and all but eye fucked me.
I narrowed my eyes to let her know it wasn’t welcome.
“You should know”—her attention focused back on Allie—“that we all want you to take as much time to heal as you need. One ruptured Achilles is a disaster, but two?” She grimaced. “Imagine if you rushed it and suffered a third? That would be career ending, and none of us want that for you. You’re practically Company royalty.”
Allie’s shoulders straightened. “Thank you for the concern, but I’ll be back before fall for rehearsals, as I’m sure you’ve asked and I’m certain you’ve been told.”
A corner of my mouth tugged upward.
“Well, just in case, I don’t want you to worry.” A saccharine-sweet smile spread across Charlotte’s face, and she lowered her voice. “I’ve been learning the choreography to Equinox after hours with Isaac. That variation in the first act is just scrumptious. Probably a little hard on someone with an ankle injury, though.”
Equinox . . . Wasn’t that Allie’s ballet? The one Isaac had choreographed and created for her?
To Allie’s credit, she didn’t flinch.
The same couldn’t be said for me. What the fuck kind of viper’s nest was this, and why was Allie so hell bent on returning to it?
“You should take your seat, Charlotte. I think the performance is about to start.” Allie’s tone could have frozen a volcano.
“Enjoy your night.” She wiggled her fingers at Allie, then headed toward one of the soloists’ tables.
If this room was a shipwreck, Charlotte was the person I was putting on the helo last.
“Allie?” I whispered.
“Everything okay?” Reagan asked, leaning to the side to see past the centerpiece. “Was Charlotte being an ass?”
Allie startled, then blasted that fake smile. “She was just wishing me a speedy recovery.” She grabbed her clutch and sank gracefully into her seat before I did the same to her right.
“Think I just figured out why you build walls. They’re more like barricades. Ironic that I’m in the military,” I told her quietly, leaning in as she stared toward the stage, her face a rigid mask of control. “But I suspect you’re the one fighting wars.”