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He held her gaze. “I love you,” he said. “I didn’t recognize it, and I couldn’t say it, but I love you, and I’ve loved you for a while. I don’t expect that to change things or affect your decisions. But I wanted you to know. You asked me if I’d ever been hooked, and I have. Just once, when you smiled at me.”
Joy flooded her, sweeping away the tension in her chest, and she very nearly saidI love you too. It wasn’t a choice, but a reaction, a response that didn’t need any thought. But thinking about it had never been more important.
“Thank you,” she said instead.
He nodded once. “You’re welcome.” He put on his glasses and reached to roll up the window.
She took a shaky breath. “Nick?”
He looked at her. “Yes?”
“What do you want?”
“You.” No ifs, no hesitation. “I want to keep dancing with you.”
Hayley knew she should head back into the house after he drove away, but her legs didn’t get the message.
“How’d that go?” Denise walked up beside her.
“You said he didn’t come to get you,” Hayley said. “Why was he there?”
“Kevin.”
Her eyes widened. “What? Tell me.”
“I don’t have to,” Denise said. “The video’s on my phone.”
49
There was no contest, Nick decided. Not even close. Vivez Dance was better than Icarus.
Even if Vivez hadn’t had cake.
“It’s good that she feeds us,” Cal said, putting a plate on the table in front of him.
“Uh-huh.” Nick lifted a fork. “I’m so surprised you think so.”
“I’m saying I have a theory,” Cal said. “Feeding us gives us more calories to work off, which makes us dance harder.”
“What am I supposed to do, then?”
“You just keep running your mouth.”
It was Labor Day, a week or so since Nick’s trip to Indiana, and in accordance with tradition, Vivez Dance was having an end-of-season party. It was time to give the seasonal help a proper send-off, and that time was ten in the morning, because tech week started after lunch for a show that opened Friday night. Nick had been told his attendance was absolutely required, but he would’ve come regardless. He was even a little disappointed he wouldn’t be around for tech.
Nick asked, “How’s my favorite person today, Cal?”
“Mimi is retrieving potential musical talent,” Cal said.
Nick squinted at him in mid-bite. “She’s what?”
“Uncle Nick!”
It was a sneak attack. Rosie must have crept across the room before yelling at the top of her lungs, because Nick only had a second to drop his fork before she took a running jump at him. Fortunately, he was no stranger to sneak attacks.
“Rosie Bear?” He swept her off her feet. “What a fantabulous surprise, baby girl! You came to our party!”
“Mommy and Daddy came too,” she said, pointing.
