Page 37 of Teach Me to Fly

But Reign hasn’t been like that with me. He’s been gentle. Why is he a different person here?

It’s Wendy’s turn now, and she’s started with Odile. Iwatch her enter the stage, fierce, her eyes never leaving Reign, and when he joins her, the energy between them crackles.

“Wow,” I whisper as I watch them, something close to envy twisting in my chest.

This feels like I’m intruding on something personal. I can’t help but think this is exactly what Volkov wants from me, and I know for a fact I don’t have it in me to pull this off. Ever.

“They should just split the role. Let her have Odile,” I whisper, more to myself.

“Angelique Denise Sinclair, I never want to hear those words come out of your mouth ever again,” Lando hisses, twisting to look at me.

I wince. “Gross, I haven’t heard my full name said like that in years.”

“I’m serious. Don’t compare yourself to Wendy.”

“How can I not?” I whisper. “She’s literally auditioning for my role.”

He goes quiet, and we watch as Wendy finishes the adage with Reign. She’s brilliant and passionate enough to mask the complete lack of emotion in him. I’m not at all surprised to find not only Volkov standing and clapping at the end, but Layla and Terry as well.

“If only Angelique danced like this,” Volkov says, his voice bouncing around the room.

My stomach drops and humiliation floods through every ounce of my body as I feel the stares of my friends turn to me, but I refuse to look at them as I hold my breath.

“That is the seducing I talk about,” Volkov continues, gesturing to Wendy. “Maybe she should be Swan Queen.”

His words land like a slap and without a secondthought, I stand and quietly make my way up the auditorium stairs, toward the back exit doors. I’m too humiliated to sit here and listen to Volkov point out that I’m not the right fit for this role.

“Angelique is my partner,” Reign says, his voice firm. “If she doesn’t dance, then neither do I.”

I freeze, my hands hovering on the door handle as I look over my shoulder. He’s still standing on the stage, but his eyes are on me now.

How the hell did he even see me from that far away?

My heart pounds viscously as I hold his gaze, his words ricocheting in my head.

“What?” Wendy demands. “The whole point of an understudy is so that you can still perform without her.”

Reign drags his eyes from mine and looks down at Wendy, bored. “Like I said, if Angelique doesn’t dance, then neither will I. You can dance with my understudy if that happens.”

Wendy’s jaw drops as she watches him jump off the stage, rage written all over her face.

“Who’s that?” Terry asks from below.

I look down at where he and the instructors are seated and see that he’s facing me now, watching Reign stalk up the stairs toward me.

“That is Angelique Sinclair,” Layla replies, glaring at Volkov. “Our Swan Queen.”

“Is that so?” Terry grins. “I’d like to meet with you both in an hour.”

Reign nods and turns back to me. “Let’s go.” He takes my hand without hesitation, Willow squealing excitedly a few rows down, and walks out of the auditorium, gently tugging me along.

We catch the attention of nearly half the company on our way down the hall and up flights of stairs, each person looking at our joined hands in shock.

“Where are we going?” I ask, trying to pull my hand free, but Reign only tightens his grip and stays quiet.

A few minutes later, we step onto the rooftop and into a glass-domed greenhouse. Of all the things to find on the rooftop of a ballet company, a greenhouse would have been at the bottom of my list.

“Wow,” I breathe, staring at the lush chaos of greenery around me.

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