Page 59 of Burning Bridges Duet

“Well, not as good as you all are doing it seems,” Chase says, but he’s smiling. I blush and glance down at the floor.

“I’m going to work on my choreography for a while. See you all later?” I ask, glancing up at a still angry-looking Jaxon before turning towards the locker room.

As soon as Liv is out of earshot, Jaxon’s eyes narrow and he points his finger behind him.

“My office, now,” he rumbles.

“What is your problem, Jax?” Ryder asks, but Jaxon’s don’t mess with me expression silences us all. We follow him to his office, knowing better than to defy him when he’s in this kind of mood. As soon as we’re all in the room, Jaxon explodes.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

“What? Because we did what you didn’t have the balls to do yourself?” Ryder retorts, standing in front of him.

“Ryder!” I hiss, since getting into it with Jaxon isn’t the best strategy.

“You two are being stupid!” Jaxon shouts. “Kissing her both in public, when Chase and I are close with her too. Do you know what people will think? I can already hear Chase’s dance students bitching about her getting special treatment from the owners.”

“Yeah, I don’t like to say it, but that’s more than possible. Some of them are mean bitches,” Chase says, grimacing.

“We don’t give a damn about what everyone else thinks,” Ryder declares as he begins pacing. “The only people who matter in this situation are Liv and the people in this room.”

I nod in agreement, but I can feel the tension rising. Jaxon looks pissed, and I know he’s about to unload.

“Ryder, you don’t understand. This isn’t just about appearances. Liv’s reputation and our studio’s reputation are on the line here. We can’t just make reckless decisions without considering the consequences,” Jaxon explains.

“I understand your concerns, Jax, but you also need to trust that Liv is capable of making her own choices,” Chase says calmly.

“But what if she’s just using us all?” Jaxon asks, frustration apparent in his voice. “We barely know her, and there’s something off about her that we can’t ignore.” Ryder stops pacing and turns to Jaxon,

“We don’t know her completely yet, that’s true. But what we do know is that Liv is a good person with a kind heart. And that’s all that matters,” he says, his voice firm. “We can’t let our fears and doubts cloud our judgment and ruin something potentially great. Can’t you see that? All of us being with her, being even more of a family?”

“Keep me out of that equation,” Chase interjects.

“She could be playing us against each other!” Jaxon shouts.

“Liv isn’t like that, and you know it!” Ryder nearly yells.

I enter the locker room and realize that River still has my bag with him. Checking myself in the mirror, I discover that the happy spark is back in my eyes and smile. I go back out to the reception area to search for River and my bag, but the guys aren’t there anymore. I hear raised voices coming from Jaxon’s office, so I approach the door but stop when I overhear Ryder mention my name.

“Liv isn’t like that, and you know it!” he yells.

“She’s already standing between us—can’t you see that? What you want is not going to work, Ry!” Jaxon retorts.

“What we want,” River chimes in. “Don’t tell me you don’t want her just as much as we do. I see how you look and act around her.”

“That’s the fucking problem!” Jaxon shouts. “I want her for myself as much as I can see that she would be good for both of you, even Chase. She can’t choose one of us and make the rest of us have to watch the other one be with her, and I don’t think the one she chooses would like that either.”

“But think about it, Jax. What if you don’t make her choose? What if she can have all three of you?” Chase asks, and my heart hurts that he doesn’t include himself in that question. At least I have my answer concerning him—it’s never going to happen.

Jaxon huffs. “That would just be selfish of her. She would come between us eventually. Think about the jealousy and the things people would say about us, the studio, and especially her. Plus, even if she wanted all of us the same way, can you say you wouldn’t want to break my face when I kiss her in front of you, Ryder?”

“I can. River and I know that it works. We proved it already one time,” Ryder tells him.

“It worked for you because you guys know nothing but sharing, but I can’t see myself sharing the one I love. The thought of her jumping from your bed into mine…I just can’t. If you guys pursue this further, the only outcome I see is that her heart gets broken and our family will break apart. It’s better to have her around and care for her as a friend than to ruin everything we have.”

I listen to them, and my heart breaks. Jaxon’s words ring true. The fact that I wanted to share myself with all of them shows how fucked up and selfish I am. Maybe Liam was right about me all along.

Except I’m done running. I’ve spent so much of my life running, from the abuse, the fame, the paparazzi, the trauma, and even from myself. I’m a runner, but I won’t run from what I’ve built for myself here, not if I can help it. I can take a few steps back and be friends with them. I can break my own heart, hold my feelings in, and make life easier for everyone but myself, just like I did for years before. So I straighten my spine, take a deep breath and step into the room.