Page 93 of Master of My Heart

Sabrina didn’t know what to say. What could she say? He was right. She couldn’t handle everything going on in her life right now.

“Maybe you’re just not cut out for a professional dance company.”

Sabrina closed her eyes and hung her head. “Yes, Martin,” she whispered. “I understand.”

“I’m afraid you’re going to hurt yourself.”

“Yes, Martin,” she whispered again. The tears began to fall, trailing hot streaks down her cheeks. She turned and hurried over to her bag, picked it up, and ran out of the room.

Jayson called after her, but she ignored him. She paused long enough by the door to change shoes, then walked home as quickly as she could.

What would she do now? Jayson and Liz wouldn’t let her stay with them if she wasn’t dancing anymore, would they? Maybe for a little while, but then what? Could she get a job somewhere? What did she know how to do except dance? Not much. Except sex.

When she got home, she threw herself onto the bed, then flipped over to stare at the ceiling, thoughts circling through her mind. Her phone buzzed in the other room, but she ignored it. It was probably Jayson, but she didn’t want to talk to him right now.

She heard the apartment door open and close. A moment later, Jayson stood in her doorway. “Sabrina, I know something’s going on. Why won’t you tell me?” She turned onto her side, away from him. He walked around the bed and knelt beside her. “You were doing so well until this week. What happened?” His brown eyes were so earnest, she longed to tell him everything.

“I can’t... I can’t tell you,” she said in a broken whisper

“Why not?”

She shook her head. “I just can’t. I can’t let them get hurt.” She turned onto her stomach and buried her face in her pillow, wishing she could suffocate herself.

“What? Who will get hurt?” Jayson pulled on her elbow until she looked up. “Who is getting hurt?”

Sabrina blinked. Had she said something she shouldn’t have? “N-no one.”

Jayson frowned, his eyebrows lowering until she could barely see his eyes. “Sabrina. Tell... me... what... is... going... on.”

She yanked her arm out of his grip and shifted away, making Jayson huff. He frowned at her for a moment more, then stood and stomped out of the room, almost slamming the door behind him.

Sabrina sighed in relief. For a moment. Then the questions returned.

When she heard her phone ring again, she figured it was Aiden. He was the only one who called her. But she didn’t have the energy to get up and find out.

*****

The phone ringing startled Chase. He’d been staring at an inane TV show for the past hour, trying to get his mind off Sabrina. He’d almost succeeded. Looking down at his cell sitting on the table, he saw it was Jayson. Why would he be calling so early in the afternoon? He was supposed to be in rehearsal.

Chase tapped the screen to answer and put it on speaker. “Hello?”

“Are you busy?” Jayson’s anxious voice came through.

Chase glanced at the TV. “Not especially. Why?”

“I need you to come over to my apartment. Now.”

The urgency in Jayson’s voice had him on his feet in an instant. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

He hurried across the condo and down the stairs to the media room where Ethan was staring, wide-eyed, at the TV and rapidly pressing buttons on the controller in his hand. He grimaced and shouted something intelligible before narrowing his eyes and tilting his whole body sideways. He was shirtless and his feet were bare.

“I need you to take me over to Jayson’s.”

Ethan didn’t look up from his game. “You can’t drive yourself?”

“You know how hard it is to find parking over there and I needed to be there five minutes ago.”

Ethan rolled his eyes and grimaced, though Chase suspected it was more about the game than Jayson. “What’s wrong now?”

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