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I stopped suddenly at the top of the stairs, blowing out a frustrated breath.
Oh my God. Please stop fantasizing about Finn Whittaker. It was awkward and strange, but I couldn’t figure out how to shut down the feelings. I just wanted his sunshine, his eyes, his smile.
Shoving those thoughts away, I headed for the studio and pushed inside.
Empty.
For the first time in weeks, the studio was completely barren, and the warmth in my gut twisted into a knot and hardened. I’d gotten so used to pushing through the doors and seeing Finn as he sat inside, knees up and back resting casually against the wall.
He always beat me to the studio, and every time I walked in, it somehow felt like he was waiting for me. But today, he was just… gone.
I sighed, gnawing on my lip. Maybe he’s late.
That was possible. He could’ve gotten wrapped up in getting a blowjob from some girl somewhere else.
That thought made a spike of anger flare in my chest, even though I wasn’t quite sure why. Did I really expect anything different from him?
I threw my bag on the floor and walked to the barre quickly before starting my stretches. Don’t think about him, Tal. Don’t think about anything. Just dance.
Usually, I worked in quiet, but since Finn wasn’t here to be annoyed by it or mock my playlist or anything, I pulled up music on my phone and let it carry me away. I stopped doing drills and just danced, falling into old routines and ignoring the irritating pull in my chest.
He never showed up, and even though getting lost in the music helped, my heart still felt strangely battered when the hour was up.
As soon as class was over, I headed for the locker room. I set my bag down on the bench and pulled my uniform out of the locker as a group of senior girls gossiped and laughed behind me—though not about me, for once.
I yanked off my sweatshirt and was just about to tug down the straps of my leotard when a deep voice echoed through the room.
“Get out. Now.”
My head whipped around at the sound of Cole’s voice. He strode heavily into the locker room like he owned the place, ignoring the incensed shrieks that greeted him. He still hadn’t put his shirt back on after playing basketball all period, and his tattooed chest glistened with a sheen of sweat.
“I said out!” he barked, jerking his head toward the door.
A jet-black lock of hair fell over his forehead, and he shoved it out of the way as the girls all scrambled to leave.
Grabbing my bag, I abandoned my open locker and made a beeline for the exit, but Cole’s arm shot out, his palm slamming into the wall ahead of me, blocking my way. I stumbled to a halt, turning my head to meet his gaze.
“I—I thought you wanted everyone to leave.”
I couldn’t tell if I was whispering or shouting, could hardly hear myself over the blood rushing in my ears. Cole always radiated strength and feral danger, but today, something else was pouring off of him in waves.
Anger.
“Not. You.” His voice was a low growl as his hands pressed against the wall on either side of my head.
My heart throbbed in my chest, beating so hard and fast it hurt.
What the hell does he want?
He looked me over closely before he leaned in, his massive, shirtless frame dwarfing mine, and my throat closed up, choking off my breath. I shrank back against the hard concrete, my nerves on fire. I could feel him everywhere, even though no part of him was touching me. He smelled like musk and pine and a hint of ginger, and a trail of sweat trickled down the black ink that wove across his chest.
“What…” I swallowed, forcing my voice to work. “What do you want?”
“What do I want?” His eyes narrowed as he chuckled darkly. His irises were bright blue on the inside near the pupil, but darker blue on the outside edges… something I hadn’t noticed until our faces were only a few inches apart. “I want to know what the hell you think you’re doing, Legs.”
My stomach lurched at his use of the nickname. Only Finn had ever called me that.
Had Finn told the other Princes about the dance studio? Why would he do that?
