Page 108 of I Don't Need Your Love
“I feel your heartbeat,” he whispers in my ear. “It’s racing.”
“I think I’m getting more nervous,” I admit.
He reaches for his backpack and slips out his earbuds. “Maybe music will help?”
He gives me one of the earbuds and scrolls through his music, trying to find the perfect one that will help me relax. I smile when he chooses one of my favorite songs and rest my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes.
Moreno steps on the bus after the final dancers have arrived and takes attendance one more time. It’s a little hard for her to get through the names because everyone is gushing about the performance. When she’s finally done, she nods for the driver to take off.
Addie pops up from the seat in front of us and rests her hands and chin on the back of it. “Feel the energy, Carly? I have a good feeling we’re going to do extremely well today.”
Naya pops up, too. “And with your and Ryder’s duet? You guys are like our secret weapon.”
“I can’t wait to show Langley Academy for Girls what we’ve got,” Miriam from behind us says with a scowl. “My cousin goes there and is always boasting that her team’s routine is fire and they’ll win first place.”
“And did you see what Vandhel Prep was posting online last week?” another kid says. “They were bullying other teams to get them to forfeit.”
“They should have been disqualified.” Her friend rolls her eyes.
I stand and hold up my hands. “Hey, everyone. I think we should ignore all the other teams and just focus on ourselves. I don’t want any of you to psyche yourselves out. We are an awesome team with a flawless routine, and I know each and every one of us will put 1000% into the performance. All the other teams are background noise. We’ve got this, guys!”
After everyone nods and cheers and settles in their seats, I drop down and snuggle back in Ryder’s arms.
“You know something, Captain?” he whispers in my ear. “I love seeing you give pep talks to the team. It’s kind of hot.”
I laugh and slap his shoulder.
“I’m serious. It makes you look so confident, like you know who you are and what is best for your team. And I can tell you care for each and every one of them.”
“I do. They’re like a family to me.”
He smiles. “Me, too.”
He leans forward to kiss me, but I once again shove his shoulder. “You’ll ruin my makeup!”
“Darn it, sorry! I forgot.” He taps his cheek. “Planteth another one here, pwetty pwease?”
“You may planteth one here if your lips are gentle.” I point to my cheek.
“Score!” He bends his head and very gently, like a feather, brushes his lips across my cheek. Even that small gesture causes my stomach to flutter and my toes to curl.
“Now we’ll for sure win first place,” I tell him.
For the rest of the drive, I lie on Ryder’s shoulder and we listen to music, talk, chat with Addie, Naya, and other teammates, and I go over the routine in my head. When we eventually pull up before the school that’s hosting the competition, my heart leaps into my throat.
Ryder must feel the change in my body because he buries his face between my neck and shoulder and whispers soothing words. I whisper encouraging words, too, because I know he’s also super nervous and is trying to be strong for me.
We file off the bus and make our way into the school, the team nervous and excited and anxious and full of hope. We say hello to all the teams we meet.
Addie, Naya, and I peek into the audience to locate our family and friends. Naya jumps in her place as she points out her mom, who is talking animatedly on the phone. She frowns at that, but then lightens up when her mom ends the call and drops her phone into her bag.
Nathaniel Bradshaw once again looks uncomfortable amongst the huge audience, but I can tell he’s looking forward to the performance and that he’s extremely proud of Addie.
When Raven and Sophie notice us peeking out, they wave and tap my parents and Blake. They, too, wave at us, Mom blowing us a kiss. I look over my shoulder to call for Ryder, but see him standing on the side with his eyes glued to his phone. He has a pained look on his face, though he’s trying hard to hide it.
Focusing back on the audience, I sweep my eyes over all the people there, trying to find the familiar faces of Mr. and Mrs. Bennett. There are tons of people here, but I don’t see them anywhere. I know his home life is a sore subject for him, and I don’t want to bring it up and ruin his mood when we’re about to perform, but my heart aches for him. I wish I could say something to make him feel better, but I don’t think anything I say will help. So I walk over to him and slide into his arms, squeezing him very tightly.
“What’s that for?” he asks with a laugh as he closes his arms around me.
