“She asked me to do this as a favor,” he continues. “She just got back to the city, and she didn’t have anyone to dance with. Connor really hurt her when he announced he was switching partners, so she wanted to show up here with dignity, and I agreed to help.”
“You don’t need to justify yourself to me, because we’re not dating.” There it is, the little frown again. He looks down.
“I know, but it’s only been a couple of weeks since we…” He takes a breath. “I didn’t want you to think she had anything to do with my decision.”
I take a breath. “Ollie, if I got my feelings hurt about you dancing with Eliana, that happened weeks ago, when we were still together. Now it’s genuinely none of my business.”
He says nothing for a moment, just takes a step closer. “Laura, can I ask you something?”
I nod once, still unable to meet his eyes.
“Are you back with Nick?”
My eyes shoot back to his. “What? No.” I am almost too stunned to speak. “I told you I wasn’t.”
“I thought that maybe if I was out of the way for a couple of weeks?—”
“So you broke up with me as a test? To see if I’d get back together with him?”
“No!” He looks shocked. “I wasn’t testing you, I just thought that if you wanted to do it, maybe I was in the way.”
“In the way ofwhat?” My voice is getting louder, my will to act mature swept away by a wave of outrage.
“I thought maybe deep down, you still wanted him, and you felt guilty telling me?—”
“I can assure you, I am not the one here who needs to feel guilty.”
He takes another step forward, and I get the insane idea that he’s about to grab me and kiss me, and I know that if he does then I’m going to shove him away as hard as I can.
“Laura.” He raises one tentative hand.
The teenagers open the door to head back into the ballroom, and music pours out the doors, along with Eliana, wearing her bright yellow tank-top and matching pants like she’s made of sunshine and lemon drops.
“Hey! I figured out when the practice session is,” she says brightly to Ollie, as if I’m not even there. She glances between us. “Oh, hi!” Her voice is full of sunny warmth, but I’m not buying it.
“Hi,” I reply, my eyes returning to Ollie. Then I wait. Some stubborn part of me doesn’t want to make this easy for either of them.
“Can I talk to you for a sec about the schedule, Ol?” she asks crisply.
He nods once. “Yeah, of course.” He doesn’t move.
Another long moment. Finally, I give him a smile and walk back inside the ballroom.
Just as the door closes behind me, I hear her say, “Wait, is that the woman you?—”
The door shuts.
