Page 177 of Dance of Ruin

“That isnotwhat I said! Don’t be gross!”

Val grins, wrapping a muscled arm around her shoulders. “Evie, if the day ever came where you actually shed that innocent persona and let someone touch you, I feel the Earth would actually stop spinning.”

Evie blushes and playfully elbows Val in the ribs.

Milena rolls her eyes. “Don’t a be dick.”

Val grins, taking a dramatic bow. “C’mon, Milena. Would you ask the sun to stop shining? Lucali’s Pizza to stop being delicious? Naomi to stop coming to morning class with sex bruises all over her body?”

My jaw drops as my face throbs, and I whirl to jam a finger into his shoulder.

“I liked you better when you were Vaughn.”

Honestly, I thought it would be harder to switch from Vaughn to Val after, well,surprise. But it’s actually been pretty easy.

Still doesn’t stop me from coming out with zingers like that, though.

“Well,Vaughnis currently setting up shop as New York’s newest criminal kingpin, so…” Val shrugs. “You’re stuck with me.”

“Does this little meeting of my favorite people have room for one more?”

The four of us whirl, grinning when we see Bianca walking in with Lyra.

“Hey!”

I bolt to her, losing the first hug to Milena, who gets there a little faster. But when it’s my turn, I squeeze her tight.

“God, you look terrifying,” she says with a grin, pulling back and admiring my makeup.

“Mission accomplished,” I smirk.

“You made it!” Eveline squeals as she hugs Bianca.

She and the baby are doing just fine, but our friend has officially taken a leave of absence from the company. Which is obviously sad, but it’s to make sure she’s extra safe and sound. She was planning on starting mat leave when she hit her second trimester anyway, so this only kicked the timeline up a few weeks.

She’sswornthat after she has the baby, she’ll be coming right back to work. But I have a feeling there’ll be aslightgrace period there.

“Of course I came!” She winks at Evie, like that was ever a question. “For now, I just can’t wait to see you guys kill it out there.”

Val and Lyra walk her back to the stage door, and Milena and Evelina skip away to stretch on stage. I head to my private dressing room because…

Oh, yeah. I getmy owndressing room.

Welcome to the world of being a principal dancer.

Yes, itdoesfeel a little elitist. But it’samazingto have my own space where I can just zen out before the performance starts.

I step inside and close the door before heading over to the gorgeous, old-school vanity with the lights around the edge, like something out ofCabaret.

I’m leaning in to check my eye makeup when suddenly I feel it.

The shift in the air. The heat crawling over my skin, like it knows something before I do.

I turn.

Nico stands in the doorway of the dressing room, leaning against the doorframe, dressed all in black and looking like fuckingsin. The black button up stretches across his firm chest, open at the neck to show the swirls of his tattoos.

I walk toward him without thinking.

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