Page 65 of Survival

I waited, tucking my head against the wheel as Micah put away the pump and replaced my gas cap, and he tapped at my window when he was done. I sat up, my hands shaking as I rolled it down.

“You okay?” he asked.

I nodded, though I was about three seconds away from breaking down. I was so confused. My nerves wrecked. “I’ll be okay.”

He studied me for a moment, and I saw the skepticism in his blue eyes when he finally jerked his head in a nod. “You should call Tucker.” I nodded, and just when Micah started to walk away, he turned back. “I know this isn’t the best time to ask, but I don’t know when else I’ll get a chance. So, first off, I’m sorry. I know Ryder and I messed up, but I was hoping you could ask Tucker to give us a call. He’s got us both blocked, but we just want the chance to work things out with him. With both of y’all.”

I stared, speechless.

“Just think about it,” he finished before walking away.

Leo didn’t say anything when I got to the studio. He just took one look at me with my leggings and t-shirt and hair still in a sloppy bun from the party last night, and he turned on the music, holding out his hand for our starting pose.

I seriously couldn’t ask for a better dance partner.

We were there for hours, the majority of the day ticking away as I lost myself in the dance, and by the time we were done, I collapsed onto the mats in the back of the room. Leo looked down at me, and I scooted my aching and buzzing and tired body over a few inches so he could sit. He took the offered spot and leaned back against the wall, dabbing a towel over his sweat soaked skin and hair.

“I don’t know what went down today, but I’ll tell you this. The energy you brought in here and everything we just did? You’re going to nail that audition.”

My head rolled to look at him, shocked. “Are you serious?”

“Dead.”

“How?” I asked, that familiar doubt creeping in. “I still feel so behind. You know how much I regressed.”

He leveled me with a look. “And you’ve worked your ass off to make up for it. Plus, that latest choreography you put together. It’s about Zoey, isn’t it?”

I blinked and looked away, my chest growing tight again. “How did you know?”

“Because your heart is literally out on that dance floor. Ifeeleverything in it, and those judges will, too. You need to trust yourself.”

I nodded, processing.

“You want to talk?” he hedged next.

“Mom’s coming back. Today.” I blurted it without even thinking, and Leo sucked in a breath, looking away to stare out at the studio floor for several minutes before he replied.

“I wondered what tipped the scales today. You’ve been through hell, Izzy, but honestly, that’s your ticket. You take all of that emotion and leave it out on the floor, and it’s fucking stunning.”

I couldn’t speak for a moment, overwhelmed. “Thank you,” I managed to choke out. “Guess something good had to come from all the shit I’ve been through.”

My eyes widened, shocked at my brazen humor, and Leo grinned. “There’s my dance partner. I wondered where you’ve been.” He bopped me lightly on the head with a karate chop and stood, holding out his hand. “Come on. Time to call it. You’ve got a mom waiting at home.”

Oh, God.

I called Tucker when I got out to my truck, wishing I’d called him back sooner.

“Hey, princess.” I heard the worry and all of the questions that filled those two words.

“Hey. I’m sorry I didn’t call sooner. I was at the studio with Leo…” I paused, and Tucker left the quiet to sit, somehow knowing I was working up to more. “Mom’s coming home today. Or she has. I don’t know.”

“Annie told me. And yeah, your uncle pulled up with her about an hour ago. Archer’s back home. He couldn’t get over there fast enough.”

I closed my eyes. “Meet me there when I get home?”

“Whatever you need.”

TUCKER

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