Page 62

“I’d like that.”

Chapter 31

Lia

“Are you okay?”

Lost in thought, I stir my latte while trying desperately to keep myself from falling asleep in my chair. We should have slept a little longer, but on the other hand, it was really nice to start the morning with Phoenix.

“Lia? Hello?” I only look up when Katie snaps her fingers in front of my face. “Are you okay?” she repeats, and I realize she was talking to me before. “You’re acting kind of strange today.”

“Yes, of course. Everything’s fine,” I say quickly, clearing my throat as I struggle to stop myself from blushing. “Sorry, I was just . . . thinking.”

“Thinking about what?” Susannah’s eyebrows go up.

“The . . . rehearsals,” I stammer.

“Did Mr. Sutherland tell you why Pearson wanted him to rehearse with you?”

I shake my head. “No. But it doesn’t really matter, does it?” Susannah gives me the impression that it certainly matters to her, but I keep talking anyway. “It was Pearson’s decision, and I’m not going to question it.”

“How did it go?” Katie gives me a curious look. “We didn’t see you at all yesterday.”

They didn’t. My rehearsal with Phoenix didn’t take nearly as long as the main rehearsal. I ate dinner alone while my friends were still working, and then . . . well, other things happened.

“Pretty well, I guess.” I shrug, and I know that Susannah will insist on getting some answers because she’s obviously still suspicious about Phoenix rehearsing with me. So I make up one lie after another. I tell them how he helped me with the steps, even though in reality we did everything but dance. Then I ask them about their own rehearsals to distract them from my apparently strange behavior.

I couldn’t credibly deny it if they asked me again. I know I’m acting weird. Different than usual, because everything is different now.

When we finally make our way to class, my whole body is tingling with excitement, and it gets even worse when Phoenix and Francesca enter the studio. His eyes immediately seek me out among all the other students, and my heart skips a beat when they light up as soon as he spots me.

I want to smile so badly that it’s almost impossible not to, but we both pull ourselves together, because we don’t want anyone to notice. We look away from each other at the same moment, suppressing our smiles. I’d like to imagine that he feels the same way I do. That I’m not alone with this longing and the urgent desire to touch him again, to kiss him, to feel his weight on my body.

We keep ourselves under control until Francesca assigns me to Phoenix’s group for the first time since he started sharing her classes. Then we both fail miserably.

I make mistakes deliberately just so he has to correct me. I want his hands on my hips, a fraction of a second too long, with a grip that’s a little too firm. Everything tingles and my skin glows. I have to bite my lip to suppress a smile, which makes me think of Phoenix’s mouth. His eyes take on a hungry expression, and I never thought that doing something forbidden could be so exciting.

But we’re not really doing anything forbidden, at least not right now.

But who am I trying to kid? Myself, of course. But I can handle that. After all, I have a lot of practice at it.

Phoenix lets go of me when I nod and pretend to understand his advice, even though I didn’t catch a word he said. All I heard was his voice sending shivers up my spine.

Besides, it doesn’t matter, because I know exactly what I did wrong and how I can do better.

The moment is over; the spell is broken. It was only a few seconds that felt like an eternity.

The look in his eyes is now friendly but distant. He moves on to the next student, and I know I shouldn’t overdo it. I can’t make too many mistakes, even though I desperately need to feel his hands on my body again.

I’m afraid I’m losing my mind.

Chapter 32

Phoenix

I’m having trouble concentrating. Lia is always on my mind, and I’m unable to do anything about it. Not during the first lesson, when I go over to her too often to correct mistakes that she hasn’t made once in the last few weeks. Mistakes she’s probably never made. She’s doing it on purpose, and it’s making me crazy.

I can tell Francesca notices the mistakes too. I know that she’s watching us both, but she’s blaming Lia’s mistakes on her disappointment with being the understudy. She doesn’t even notice my hands lingering on Lia’s body for a fraction of a second too long every time, because I can’t control myself.