Page 38 of Lessons in Sin

’Send it my way and I’ll get onto it.’ I hear shuffling in the background and the sound of her laptop starting.

This is another thing I love about her - she’ll help me with no questions asked. I send her the number, and she says she’ll call back when she’s got it.

‘And now we wait.’ I say, my tears, for the moment, frozen in my determination.

‘We’ll find them Scar.’ Noah squeezes my fingers.

‘I hope so.’ I whisper.

Tonight, is the final rehearsal before my performance, and I’m not quite sure if I’m ready.

I’ve got the moves down to a T but from the heavy feeling in my chest, I might just crumple the minute I’m on stage and see that empty seat where Tristan should be.

’Thank you, both of you, for being here.’

Noah and Lily smile, their eyes pained, and I know if they could, they’d take away this nightmare. Sitting up, I smile at them both. ‘You want to come learn some dance moves?’

I need to feel the music in my blood, but I don’t want to do it alone.

They nod and before long we’re In Andre’s studio, all of us collapsed in laughter as Noah rubs his sore ankle.

‘Okay, maybe ballet is a bit harder than it looks.’

Wiping my laughter away, I jump back up and go through the motions of my dance again, grinning as Noah whispers show off under his breath. My situation with Tristan still lingers in the corners of my mind, the unknown number lurking like a beast in the dark … but I feel more optimistic. If I can figure out who sent the text, maybe there’s a way I can blackmail them right back. Although it doesn’t guarantee anything.

What I said to Tristan … it was unforgivable but I’m hoping he will at least understand why I did it.

I spin into a pirouette, steeling my body to stay straight, narrow, but still allowing my skin to bend, graceful as a dove. The music soaks into my skin, ushering me through the moves until the last note falls.

I gasp for breath, the tears falling in the silence.

’Brilliant.’ I look up to see Andre standing with Noah and Lily - the former two gaping as if they’ve seen a ghost, the latter smiling like I’ve never seen. ‘Dance like that tomorrow and you’ll have them falling over your feet to sign you in the future.’

Noah sends a flirty smile to Andre, ‘Yep she’s going to blow them all away.’

‘And you are?’ Andre raises an unimpressed brow.

Noah’s smile doesn’t falter though, too secure in himself to let it phase him. He simply holds his hand out. ‘Noah, Scarlett’s best friend. Single if you want to know.’ He winks at Andre.

There’s a smile in Andre’s eyes - a hidden something. But ever the professional, Andre simply nods and turns to me. ‘Do you feel ready?’

I nod, pushing away the doubt, my resolve strengthening with the knowledge that whatever bastard has tried to break me won’t succeed.

‘Good. I’ll see you tomorrow.’ He walks to the door but pauses and throws a ‘don’t forget to invite your friends to the dance.’ Before walking out.

‘Okay, that means I’m in with him, right?’ Noah sounds smug.

I laugh. ’Sounds like it.’

And that’s when my phone buzzes.

Ruby: I’ve got the bastard.

Ruby: A woman called Nina Webbs. I’ll attach a photo.

The photo loads, the pixels slowly forming until everything clicks into place.

The anger doesn’t bubble or boil, it doesn’t make my eyes blaze and my hands tremble - it cuts. Icy calm slices through every thread of control I’m currently clinging onto leaving only a chilled clarity in its wake.

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