AllFreeNovel
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29
Present day
“Again!” Zayn snaps, striding across the studio in front of us.
He’s sweating, tiny beads of water forming on his forehead as he waits for us to drag our tired-arse bodies up off the floor. The arsehole has given us just five minutes to rest after two hours of dancing nonstop. Picked by Xeno as the choreographer for the group dance, Zayn has taken it upon himself to act as a tyrant whilst Xeno watches from the side lines.
We’ve been learning the steps for our group dance for almost two hours without a break and there’s not one of us who doesn’t look like they’re about to collapse. I’m strong and fit, but this is fucking ridiculous. It’s Friday afternoon and tonight I have to get ready for Jeb and whatever the fuck he has planned. I need this like a hole in the head.
“What the fuck’s got his goat?” River grumbles, casting a look at Clancy who shrugs.
“I’ve no idea. It’s not as if the show is any time soon. Maybe he needs to let off some steam. I could totally help him out in that department,” Sophie pipes up, butting into our conversation.
She can fuck right off in her skimpy dance outfit that shows of her tight figure and six pack.
“Never going to happen,” I respond, glaring at her over my shoulder.
She tips her head back and cackles, drawing everyone’s attention. I want to fucking scream that he wasminefirst. That he lovedmefirst. I also want to fucking scratch her eyes out.
“Right, that’s enough!” Xeno gets up from the bench and saunters over, flicking me a dark look.
“I’m not finished,” Zayn grunts.
“Yeah, you are,” Xeno retorts, handing Zayn a bottle of water which he snatches out of his hand. I watch him unscrew the bottle top and down the whole thing. “It’s the weekend. Get some rest. We’ll start up rehearsals again next week. In the meantime, try not to fucking kill each other.” Xeno looks directly at me and I roll my eyes.
What the fuck ever.
Everyone disperses, gathering up their stuff. Clancy drops down on the bench, her creamy cheeks pink with exertion. She blows a strand of curly orange hair out of her eyes.
“Fuck, that was brutal. Was he always such a goddamn tyrant?” she asks, taking a deep glug of water from her bottle.
I give her a look that says, not here. No one bar Clancy and the Breakers actually know that we were old friends and I’d like to keep it that way.
“Sorry,” she mutters.
“I gotta run,” I say. Grabbing my bag and swinging it over my shoulder.
“You working tonight?” she asks.
“Yeah…” It’s not a lie per se, but I don’t want her to come to Rocks and find me not there.
She grimaces. “You don’t mind if I give it a miss, do you? Only I got my period and I’m bloated as fuck.”
“Of course I don’t mind. We’ll catch up Sunday,” I say, trying to hide the relief I feel.
“You not around tomorrow?”
“No, I’m going home to see my little sister.” Another lie. They seem to slip so effortlessly from my mouth today.
“Okay, cool. Catch you Sunday.”
“Yeah, Sunday,” I mutter, heading out of the studio, just as my phone starts vibrating in my bag. I snatch it up and answer. “Yes?”
“Penelope, that’s no way to greet me, now is it?”
Shit. It’s Jeb. That’ll teach me not to check the caller ID before answering. I push through the door leading into the flight of stairs that leads up to the flats.
“Hey, sorry. Just got out of a rehearsal,” I explain, forcing myself to be polite.
