Page 31 of With You

“You can leave if you’ve got better things to do,” I tell him, passing the shoes off to one of the attendants.

“Never said that,” he replies, before coming around to sit next to me. “Was just curious.”

“Try these,” the fitter says, bringing me a new pair. I squeeze the block with my fingers, feeling the difference from the first, before I put them on.

I go back to standing, going through the same motions as the fitter pokes and prods at my feet again, but they still don’t feel how I want them to. A sigh escapes me as I drop onto the sofa, leaning back and tipping my head to the ceiling.

“None of them feel right,” I say.

“Why don’t we try somewhere else?” Evie suggests.

I look at her on the other side of the room, where Zena’s seat has been taken over by Damien.

“This is the only place in Paris that has brown shoes,” I tell her, a frown crossing her face.

“That’s ridiculous,” she says. She almost looks ready to start a war on my behalf. “Surely there’s other places?”

“Not here,” I explain. “I’ll try on a few more before I give up completely.”

“There’s a store in Milan,” River announces, not looking up from his phone as he taps away on it. “We’ve got an appointment this weekend.”

“What?” I say, my head snapping to him as the others start babbling excitedly about the idea of going on a trip to Italy. “We’re not going to Milan, River.”

“You need shoes; Milan has shoes. Seems like a no-brainer to me.”

I can only stare at him, searching for any trace that he’s playing a joke on me. But there’s nothing like that. Just grey eyes looking into mine, and the hint of a smile on his face.

“Let’s go to Milan!” Grayson shouts before the store staff shush him.

We leave a few minutes later, and the journey back to the university is spent planning a weekend away. River stays by my side the whole time.

Chapter 13

River

Grayson wasted no time in securing a private jet to take us to Milan. He had a car service ready for us on the tarmac to take us directly to the hotel. We booked a few suites, everyone pairing up apart from Amelie, who got her own room. I can’t say spending a night in a suite with Grayson is my idea of a good time, but it wouldn’t make sense for either of us to share with her.

With the trip on such short notice, we haven’t planned much apart from dinner tonight at a restaurant Evie has wanted to try for a while. Although our main reason for coming here is to get shoes for Amelie, she’s told us we don’t have to join her after already spending so much time in the store the other day.

The girls decided to explore a few boutiques instead, Damien and Layth joining them without a second thought. I expected Grayson to go with them, too, but for some reason he’s chosen to accompany Amelie and me as we head to her appointment. From my research before booking, it’s a much smaller store than the one in Paris, hence its appointment-only procedure for visiting. They’re usually booked out months in advance, but I pulled a few strings to get us in as soon as possible.

I know all too well how important pointe shoes are for ballerinas, and there was no way I was going to let Amelie settle for pink ones when that’s not what she wanted. It’s an utter joke that there aren’t more places in the world that cater to ballerinas from different backgrounds. It’s already a sport designed for the upper class, without these barriers. Learning is expensive, and so are the shoes needed for it. Never mind that they never last more than a couple of wears, or that you have to break them apart even after buying.

I’ll admit it’s easier for me. Ballet shoes are much easier to adjust, and there’s no added pressure of finding a block of wood comfortable enough to balance my entire body weight on the tip of my toes. It’s just another reason I admire Amelie. Her strength must have been forged through years of resilience and dedication.

It’s much the same process when we get into the store. Grayson and I take a seat as Amelie is shown various different shoes, picking out the ones she likes before trying them on. I text my mother as we wait, updating her on our appointment, which I couldn’t have secured without her help.

River

She’s trying on a few pairs now

Mother

Wonderful, hopefully she can find a good fit

Are you joining us at the auction?

She’s been relentless in asking, and I should just tell her that I don’t want to go. But I also know that it’s not often my parents are in Paris. Most of their time is split between London and New York, and while neither of those cities is particularly far away, they’re always busy so taking a trip out to see them is never worth it.