AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Each dance I performed lacked the spark that had once fueled my every move. The club goers’ admiring gazes felt like distant echoes, their forced cheers and applause mere reminders of a time when my heart had danced alongside my body. The whispers of my fellow dancers, the laughter that once echoed through the dressing room—it all seemed to fade into the background as the ache of loss consumed me.
It didn’t take long for Darien to notice. In order to try to cheer me up, he made me go out to my favorite champagne piano bar for bubbly and girl talk and it had gone about as well as a funeral. Mostly, I just drank a few cocktails to make him happy and then I went home and collapsed into bed.
And then, about two weeks later, my manager called me into his office, his expression a mix of sympathy and tired resolve.
“Lexie, I’m sorry, but we have to let you go.”
The words hung in the air like a sentence I had feared but couldn’t escape. My heart sank, the weight of the world pressing down upon me. I didn’t blame him. When I danced now, people started to look away. I wasn’t bringing in the money I used to.
This was a business, and I was replaceable.
I nodded and he showed me to the door.
I walked out of Lunar Elegance, my heart heavy, but I didn’t look back. I drove home and walked through the door, slumping onto my couch. The silence seemed loud, and I sighed, just to hear something different than the melancholy thrumming through me.
Uncertainty gnawed at me as I stared at the closed door, wondering where to go from here. I had enough saved up to get by for the next few months, but that wouldn’t last forever. Thankfully, my college had been paid up for the semester, so I didn’t need to worry about that until the fall. Eventually though, I was going to need to get another job, sooner rather than later.
Tonight though, I didn’t really care.
I glanced into my kitchen and a bottle of cabernet caught my eye, a silent invitation to drown my sorrows and numb the ache that seemed to have taken up permanent residence in my chest.
I uncorked the bottle with a mixture of resignation and defiance, the rich aroma of dark berries filling the air as I poured myself a glass. As the velvety liquid touched my lips, the flavors danced on my tongue. It was a bold and full-bodied wine, with notes of blackcurrant and hints of oak. It was delicious.
I took another sip, the warmth of the wine seeping into my veins, dulling the edges of my sadness. My gaze drifted to the window, the city lights casting a muted glow against the darkness.
My mind drifted back to Kane—his enigmatic eyes, his touch, his lips on mine. I couldn’t help but wonder where he was now, if he was out there, thinking of me as I was of him. As I swirled the wine in my glass, I grappled with the bittersweet ache of what could have been.
I touched my lip where he had nipped me. I should hate that he had done that, but a part of me had liked feeling the pain of his teeth for the days following his bite. It had healed now, which was sad in a twisted sort of way, because I could no longer feel his mark.
My phone’s ring shattered the melancholy that had settled over my apartment. I looked at the screen to see Darien’s face and sighed, picking it up. If it had been anyone else, I would have ignored it.
“Hey,” I said, my voice reflecting the heaviness in my heart.
“I heard about Lunar Elegance.”
“Yeah,” I said quietly.
“I know it’s tough, Lexie. But you can’t stay in that gloomy house all night,” he murmured quietly.
“Yes, I can,” I moped.
“Lexie…” he scolded, his response swift and full of understanding, but firm all the same.
I let out a resigned sigh.
“Don’t be so dramatic. You’re young, you’re beautiful, and you’ve got an ass to die for,” he added. “We’ll find another place for you to work before you know it, but there’s no use wallowing away by yourself when you could come out with me and my girls.”
“You’re right. Being alone tonight isn’t going to help,” I said, but the sound of my voice was lame even to my own ears.
“That’s the spirit. Get dressed in something that makes you feel fucking unforgettable, Lexie. I’ll be there in an hour, and we’ll take the town by storm,” Darien exclaimed, his upbeat mood just a little infectious.
I washed my face, but the cool water couldn’t wash away the heaviness that seemed etched into my very being. Applying makeup felt like a mechanical task, each brushstroke and layer of foundation applied with a sense of detachment. The shimmery black dress I chose was one of my favorites. I slipped it on, but the elegance of the fabric did little to lift my spirits. My black heels felt hefty as I fastened them, and I pondered my need to even wear them at all.
What the hell was I doing?
I poured myself another glass of wine and slumped back onto my couch, waiting as the seconds ticked by. If it was anyone else, I probably would have cancelled by now, but Darien was my best friend. Maybe he was right and a night out on the town was what I really needed. Tonight, I would let loose, at least I would try, and I would pick myself back up in the morning.
When Darien finally arrived, his dazzling presence brought a glimmer of light to my otherwise dim evening. He swept into my home with his usual flamboyance, his laughter and excitement contagious.
