Page 57 of A Certain Step
Sahar couldn’t stop smiling.
When they reached the end, realizing they’d gotten through the crowd, she turned back toward Ethan and Willa.
She could tell Willa was overwhelmed by the reactions because she kept looking at Ethan, easing in her stance when he smiled back at her. It was lovely to catch and understand that they were two people acknowledging one another as life vests in a sea of unruly waves. It had been a constant with them: picking up coffee for each other, movie nights, sitting together at most events, eyes locking together in crowded rooms—parallel lines at every turn.
Ethan and Willa gravitated toward one another in a way that looked as wholesome as it sounded.
Sahar had never felt that way. She wanted to, desperately. But every time she tried with Martin and her exes, she scarcely felt at ease. And good lord, she hoped that her friends would do the right thing and give their feelings a proper chance to grow.
“Thank you so much,” Willa replied to the last fan, her voice shaking slightly. They beelined quickly back into the theatre.
The air had shifted. The late spring night was suddenly a little warmer.
19
ETHAN
Ethan couldn’t process half the words spoken by the fans outside because all he could think about was Willa. And heavens, he was thankful to hear about all the ways they loved her performance. He did, too, in more ways than he could say.
Their emotions had subdued, a few glances here and there. Willa, especially, he could tell, was uneasy. She kept fidgeting with her nails.
He didn’t want to make it worse. He didn’t want to add to her agitation, but his damn heart wouldn’t stop thrashing inside of him. If they were in a quieter place, they would’ve all turned and asked him if he was okay.
Ethan wasn’t okay. Far from it. He was a man on the precipice of declaring his love for his best friend smack dab in the middle of the theatre’s hallway.
He’d have to ask her to wait for him, to get word from the guards that the crowds had dispersed, so he could safely step into the ride back home and hopefully have Willa come with him.
She turned to face him before stepping into her dressing room to grab her bag, likely to say goodbye for the night as they’d be going in opposite directions.
His heart thrashed faster.
He inched closer, grazing his fingers along her hand. Her eyes flicked down to where he touched her. “Wills, can I…uh, have a second,” he asked, pointing to his dressing room instead.
Willa nodded, sauntering over.
He took a deep breath and tried to speak, but the words locked in his throat. He regarded her for a second, willing himself to pluck up the courage to confront the emotions swimming around them, taking up the space he desperately wanted to close with his body.
She looked up at him, her face so lovely that it gave him the strength to continue. “Would you, uh, come over tonight? I…uhm, there’s something I want to talk to you about. Privately.”
Willa took a breath, an unreadable expression mounting itself in her eyes. “Okay.”
Grabbing his backpack from the hook behind his door, they walked out together.
Sahar came out of their shared dressing room, holding Willa’s bag as well. Taking it from her, Willa swung her arms around Sahar’s shoulder in a tight hug.
He was sure Willa whispered something to her because he could catch Sahar nodding.
Willa pulled away. “Text me the second you get home, Sahar. I mean it.”
Sahar crossed her heart. “I won’t forget. But also, you have my location.”
“Text. Me.” Willa emphasized.
Sahar rolled her eyes. “Okay, mum.” She walked toward Christian’s dressing room before the two of them headed out together.
Apart from a few words,Ethan and Willa were silent during the car ride over to his place. When he opened his front door, and they stepped inside, Tulip looked up from her favorite corner at the top of his sectional and silently uttered all her grievances with eyebrows squared and annoyance in her grumpy eyes.
He’d been gone all day today, and with the way she was looking at him, one would think he’d abandoned her with no food or water the entire time.Cats.
