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“Good.”
Their lips met, and euphoria washed over Leah as white foam on swept sands.
****
Cole dropped his keys in the basket. He hated saying goodnight to Leah, but he lost track of time and the hour drew late. As he entered his room, his body tingled. Leah. She mattered to him more than anything in the world did. Could they make it work? Did that explain her sad eyes at the studio?
Cole settled on his bed, rubbing one hand down his pant leg. Did Seth text her? Would she tell him if he did? He rubbed his eyebrow. Now came the test, and he wouldn’t fail.
He waited too long for this moment. The nights they spent studying together, how he wanted to drape an arm around her. The night of prom, he wanted to kiss her goodnight. Graduation day, he longed to hold her hand when they tossed their caps in the air. He asked tonight if she trusted him. Transparent as the shining sun, she answered from her heart. Didn’t she?
Yet, his doubt lingered like an unloved guest. Though Leah played off her frustration, he sensed something more, but he didn’t pry. Things being so new between them, he didn’t want to pressure her.
Lowering his head, he couldn’t deny the joy blossoming inside. Heat radiated through his chest. Whatever the future, he wanted to face it with Leah. Love beamed on him like an unclouded sun.
****
“Leah, you seem sad,” Luis pointed out as they danced back and forth.
Leah pressed her lips together in a slight grimace. Though the salsa music played in the background, a heavyweight settled in her chest like a stone. In less than forty-eight hours, her life had flipped. Then she fumbled, tripping over her own feet, throwing her and Luis off balance. Thankfully, he steadied her.
“Leah, do you need a minute?” he asked, sounding concerned.
She blinked her eyes, refocusing on the conversation. “I’m okay. I’m sorry.”
He cocked his head toward her. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
She and Luis resumed their positions, falling back into the rhythm of the class. For the rest of the class, Leah kept up with the rest of her salsa lesson. By the time Juan and Gia called it a night, Leah dabbed the sweat from her forehead. If only she could hide out. If Cole were with her now. He had held her hand gently as he kissed her, brushing his fingers against hers.
What did Brian want? As soon as she accepted her feelings for Cole, Brian texted her and later called when she made it home from Cole’s studio. She couldn’t avoid him forever. Waving goodbye to her dance classmates, she stepped out to the sidewalk. She heard the cars driving past, along with the breeze fluttering. Curiosity rising inside her, she listened to the voicemail.
“I guess I missed you,” Brian said. He cleared his throat. “Look, Leah, I need to talk to you. I don’t want to say it over the phone because it’s too important. Call me back, please.” Silence followed.
Leah lingered with her phone to her ear as she paced to her car. Did they not settle everything when he left Piedmont Valley? She would never forget the tears she shed when he moved away. Her heart wept like a full sponge and loneliness had struck her like a blow.
Yet, Brian’s voice sounded serious. Perhaps he wanted to catch up, but why? Leah was living her life and getting along without him. New beginnings stood ahead for her. Contentment spread through her body.
Entering her home, she saw a note from her dog walker. Then she heard Chip’s barks. He rushed to her feet, and she squatted to embrace him. She scratched his belly, and Chip wiggled on his back, his tongue hanging from his mouth.
“When did everything get so complicated?” She couldn’t talk to Brian—at least not now. He would have to wait. Leah stood, leaving Chip wagging his tail in front of her.
She strolled to her kitchen and rested her elbows on the island. How did she clean this up? Meeting with Seth for lunch, he didn’t deserve her silence, although he agreed to give her time to think. Leah blew out her cheeks, clueless on her next move.
Chapter 23
Leah tapped her heels on the checkered tiled floor of Carol’s Diner. Cutlery clinking on tables and scratching against plates filled her ears, along with the gurgle of water filling glasses, and friends talking and laughing. She rubbed her clammy palms together. She gulped her water to relieve her dry mouth, but it didn’t extinguish her frayed nerves.
For the first time, it fell in her lap. Is this what it felt like to break someone’s heart? Then the front door swung open, and the bell rang above as more customers trotted inside. He walked over to her booth, a grimace lingered on his face.
“Have you ordered yet?” Seth asked, his voice clipped.
Running her fingers through her hair, Leah’s pulse increased. “Not yet. How are you?”
Seth’s eyes flashed at her. “Alright.”
“Thanks for meeting me.”
