I gave her a questioning look, but I knew better than to ask why she allowed Bianca to act like that with her. But I figured she didn’t want to get into the details, not with Bianca hovering nearby. I filed it away in somethingI would bring up later.
Collette ignored my stare. “That’s fine,” she said to Bianca. “We were just finishing up out here.”
Bianca seemed to take that as a win and she turned to head back into the classroom. “Come on, Ethan. They’re all waiting.”
I moved to follow, but I paused in the doorway and leaned back out to look at Collette. “Where should I meet you tonight?”
She opened her mouth, but I knew what she was going to say.
“And please don’t say platform nine and three quarters.”
“You are no fun at all.” She bit her lip, her eyes twinkling in mischief. “Okay, fine. Meet me here.” She pointed to the spot where she was standing.
I looked around the empty hallway dubiously. “Won’t this place be locked up by then?”
Her smile was slow and mysterious as she held her hands up and wiggled her fingers like she was performing a magic trick. “I have my ways.”
EIGHT
COLLETTE
I need to breathe. That was all. Just breathe. In and out. In and o?—
Holy mother of crap. What was I doing? Why was I standing in the shadows by the front door, waiting for Ethan to show up?Washe going to show up? Had I been duped?
I could see Bianca and Ethan now, sitting in his truck, watching me through a security camera. They were laughing and clinking glasses as they celebrated their evil plan to torture me.
Ugh.
I should have known better than to think Ethan was serious. Served me right for actually thinking I might have a chance with that Juilliard audition. This was why daydreams should be avoided at all costs—they inevitably led to disappointment. There would be no private dancesessions with Ethan, no miraculous opportunities to perform for the Juilliard scouts, and no swoon worthy moments where Ethan-the-hottie-quarterback decided he wanted to kiss me.
Not that I’d been daydreaming about that or anything.
“Idiot,” I mumbled as I stepped out of the shadows and moved to walk up the stairs. Thankfully, Mom had been so distracted after her meeting with the board that when we got home, she took a bottle of wine—that she still thinks I don’t know is there—and barricaded herself in the room.
I knew I should have asked her if everything was all right, but I knew she would never tell me. And on the off chance that this was the first time she decided that her daughter was actually intelligent and a good listener, I didn't want to be late meeting Ethan.
It was disarming, this feeling of betrayal mixed with excitement. I felt like a rebel. Which was laughable. I’d never done anything that wasn’t straight-laced and perfect—well, unless it dealt with me dancing alone.
Clandestine pirouettes might have been awkward to explain, but I wasn’t exactly breaking the law. However, sneaking a boy into our all-girls’ school after hours…?
That was another story altogether.
Just as I reached the top step, three solid knocks sounded on the door. I paused as excitement rushed through me. And then slowly,as if I were worried Ethan would somehow disappear if I moved too fast, I glanced toward the door.
When Ethan met my gaze, he lifted his hand and waved. I couldn’t fight the smile that emerged on my lips. I nodded and then bounded down the stairs. I crossed the small foyer and then pressed on the metal bar to release the door.
“Hey,” he said, as he stepped forward and entered.
I tried to ignore the fact that doing so brought him right next to me. His chest brushed against my arm, sending tingles racing across my skin. Had he meant to do that? Or was it just a coincidence?
Or was I overthinking this?
Yeah, I was definitely overthinking it.
I took a deep breath as I tried to calm my fluttering heart. I needed to remove all thoughts about Ethan and I being more than practice buddies. Because if I was reading this wrong—and I probably was—I didn’t want to make a fool of myself. I doubt that I could come back from that.
Once he was inside the building, I let the door shut slowly behind me. Even though we were the only ones in the building, I didn’t want to alert anyone walking by.
