Page 87 of A Certain Step
He pulled her to his chest and released her. Like he hadn’t even realized what he’d done, as though he couldn’t help himself, and it was his body’s instinctual way of reacting to hers.
They trekked down to the 36th Avenue station rather quietly, getting to the newly built venue quicker than they initially timed out.
Sahar and Willa went straight for Sam’s wife, Priya. She smirked at Willa, inciting her to roll her eyes. “Spit it out,” Willa jested.
“I’m just thrilled. You’ve no idea. Also, I’ve missed you beauties. We need a girl’s night soon,” Priya said.
Willa smiled sincerely. It was adorable how invested their loved ones were in their relationship, so she couldn’t fault them in any way.
“We’re definitely overdue for one. And ooh, what’s on the setlist?” Sahar asked, “Tell me you two will sing ‘Exile’ and rip my heart out again.”
Priya grinned. “We added it solely because of your reaction last time.”
Sahar pumped her fist. “Watch me go home and dump Martin.”
“I’vecalled him a prick for so long that I legitimately forgot that was his name,” Willa noted.
Sahar bit back a laugh. Priya did the same.
Ethan came over to say hi to Priya before walking back to where Declan and Sam stood.
“How’s the new pup?” Willa asked.
Priya curved her lips up and pulled out her phone. “She’s adjusting so well. And Ravi is obsessed with her,” she added, referring to their three-year-old son.
“I want to squish her!” Sahar screeched.
Willa cooed at it. “Please bring her to the theatre for five minutes one day. I need to see her again.” Willa and Sahar had been with Sam when he went to the shelter to pick up the pug for Priya as a Christmas gift. They’d deemed themselves her honorary godparents, too, but with their schedules growing increasingly chaotic in the last few months, they hadn’t been by in what felt like ages.
She chanced a glance over at Ethan, who was laughing at something Sam had said, and an outbreak of butterflies congregated in her belly. She turned back to Sahar and Priya, taking note of their discussion of the setlist.
“I had to stop him from turning this entire thing into Disney medleys,” Priya commented.
Willa grinned. “Somehow, you two would still make us cry with those, too.”
Sam and Priya put on shows together at least twice a year, belting their hearts out with their voices gorgeously married as synchronically as they were.
After a few beats, Naomi and her wife, Jeanie, joined the conversation. Lea, Tanya, and Innila did as well. Then, Miles and Clyde came by, and Miles put his arm around Willa. “My calves have been killing me since ‘Forbidden Corridors,” he said.
Willa turned her head quickly. “What’d you do?” she replied.
“I haveno idea. I felt something toward the end, but it’s such an odd pain. This one’s been good to me, though,” he replied, pointing to Clyde with the biggest smile on his face.
Clyde smirked shyly. “I hear I was right about you and the other one, but I’m not supposed to say anything.”
Willa beamed. “You were. Was it something we did that made you think that? Because really, a lot of us are touchy,” she asked, squeezing Miles’ ribs to demonstrate. He made a chirping sound. All three of them chortled.
“No, it was the way he kept looking at you. You’d do it, too. Like every time you were separated, you would gaze in the other’s direction. And when you’d talk, there was something there. I can’t explain it. Sorry, I’m a people watcher. I find it so fascinating,” he admitted, placing his hands in his trouser pockets.
Willa wanted to cry. It sounded so wholesome to hear someone else’s observations about her and Ethan’s relationship.
Miles grabbed Clyde’s face and kissed him quickly. “Do you understand how romantic this gem of a human is? God, how’d I get so lucky?”
Clyde wrapped his arms around Miles.
Willa smiled, big and bright. “No need to apologize. I have to thank the universe for your meeting because watching the two of you on that first night made me miss E so hard. I would’ve probably denied my feelings longer if it weren’t for that day.”
Clyde smiled wholeheartedly.
