Nathan chuckled under his breath but didn’t push and I appreciated that he didn't demand I explain what I clearly was trying to deflect. He just stood there with that quiet steadiness I didn’t realize I needed.
I turned back toward the tripod and started adjusting the angle for another take. My account had a pretty decent following which I first gained through dance trends before I eventually started posting my own choreography and routines. It brought in enough revenue to keep me afloat, which was going to come in handy along with my savings once my time as Nathan’s assistant was done.
“I didn’t know you came down here,” Nathan said, quieter this time. “Let alone danced like that.”
I shrugged, folding my arms over my chest in a vain attempt to feel less exposed.
“Did it work?” he asked after a moment.
“Did what work?”
“Clearing your head.”
For a moment, I considered lying again. Telling him yes, that I felt better, that dancing chased the demons away like it always did. But the truth sat heavy on my tongue.
“No,” I admitted. “Not entirely.”
Something flickered in his expression. Not pity but something else.Understanding.
“I jog,” he said simply.
That made me blink. “You jog?”
He nodded. “First thing in the morning. Or whenever my head won’t shut up. I run until the noise dies down.”
I didn’t know why that confession hit me the way it did. Maybe because it felt like the kind of thing you tell someone you trust. Maybe because it was the first time I heard Nathan talk about his own coping mechanisms instead of barking out orders or hiding behind sarcasm.
“Guess we’re not so different,” I said softly.
He stared at me for a second longer, then his gaze dropped to my phone still mounted on the tripod.
“What were you filming?”
“A Tiktok.” I exhaled through a nervous laugh. “For the algorithm or whatever. It would be better if I had a dance partner though.”
He arched his brow. “The algorithm needs you grinding on a chair?”
I rolled my eyes. “You sound like an old man.”
“Iaman old man compared to you.”
“Please. You’re only twenty-nine.”
“Exactly. Practically prehistoric,” he deadpanned. I let out a soft laugh, shaking my head as I checked the recording on my phone. The little red light blinked out just as I reached it. “I’ll do it.” He said after a beat.
“Do what?” I stared at him, confusion scrawled over my face.
“I’ll be your dance partner,” Nathan clarified.
“Wait, what?” I was sure I sounded like a scratch record. He clearly said what I heard, but my brain wasn’t registering the fact that Nathan Edge wanted me to dance for him. The same man who made me feel things I shouldn’t. My pulse quickened as I tried to decide if I was about to make the worst or best decision of my life.
“Unless I make you nervous and you don’t think you can do it.” Nathan smirked and the challenge in his voice was clear as day.
Challenge accepted.
“Have a seat.”
Nathan obeyed, lowering himself onto the chair, his long legs spread, his arms resting on the sides. He looked like a king on a throne, like he owned this moment before it even began.
