Page 19 of The Breaking Pointe
“You’re an ass.” Trey throws his hands up, chuckling.
“Thank you, I’ve been working hard to perfect it,” I say vainly with a smile as I exit, closing the door behind me.
He scoffs and shakes his head, sided by another chuckle before he says, “Let’s go.”
7
leave me on read
NOELLE
My feet hit the wooden floor, flat beneath me as my dance partner releases his grip from my waist.Now planted on the floor, I feel far from as free as I did while the music was going and my limbs were moving like I was mid-flight.
“You didn’t even need my help for that routine, Noelle. You’re a natural, and you know it,” Jake says, picking up his water jug as we disperse and go to our belongings, both sitting down on the hard floor.
“I did need the help.It has to be perfect,” I tell him, rushing a hand over my smoothed, pulled-back hair as I pick up my water jug and attach my lips to the straw.
“You aren’t even performing it. I don’t see the big deal,” he says, shrugging and propping open his bag. He pulls out two little wax cubes and rolls them over to me. “Here, you said you needed to wax your shoes.”
I catch them againstthe floor and pickthem up, pressing
one against my right pointe shoe and rubbing it in.Reaching inside my bag, I pull my phone out and see a few different messages.Two from Lauren, one from my dad, and one from someone who I was least expecting.
Colton.
It’s not that I didn’t have a good time.I actually had an amazing time.He bought drinks for me and my friends, without even thinking twice, and his flirting skills are the best I’ve encountered in years. He had me starstruck. Even with minor cuts and bruises on his face, dressed like he’s doing some undercover job.My mind was still so thrown by him whooping the shit out of Daniel, that I fully would have believed this man was a superhero if I didn’t know his occupation.
He smelled so good. I felt safe with him dancing against me. If you call it dancing—considering he was moving like he’d never been to a club at all.He was playing my game, and he won.He put his pride aside and didn’t care about embarrassment.Only getting my attention.I wanted his attention, too. It was mutual, and there was a tension that was magnetic, but only between us, and when he and I locked eyes under the shimmer of the lights, it felt like there was nobody else on that dance floor.
I usually only feel that with other dancers.
Setting my phone beside my foot, I use my fingers to swipe it unlocked and get to his message while I continue to wax.Hey, beautiful girl. I had such a good time with you at the club.
JustwishIcouldseeyouagain.
Well, fuck. I didn’t think he would hold onto the moment. That’s usually how us women operate. I’ve been holding on too, but good God, why must he be so charismatic about it?
“Why…” I say aloud, mistaking it as an inside thought. “Why, what?”Jake asks, looking at me with furrowed
brows.
Flashing my eyes wide briefly, I shake my head.“Noth- ing.”
Resuming my thought process, I look at the message again.I want to say something, but what do I even say? I thought we were only having fun. The thought of anything more is like jumping off a cliff.He’s a boxer.He’s most likely not far off from Daniel. But then there’s the off chance that I’m wrong.He could be so sweet, and maybe even change my life—but all I can think about is fucking Daniel being the blueprint for any interaction I have with other men.
Danielwouldbepissed.
First, he gets rocked by this man, and then he goes and makesamoveonhisex-girlfriend,althoughaccording to Daniel, I stillamhis girl.I don’t know if I want to beanybody’sgirl.Moreover, I’m now stuck in the middle of something that could end horribly. If Daniel finds out, then I’ll have more things to be worried about.He already follows my every move, so I bet he’s planning a way to get to me as we speak. It wouldn’t be Colton’s fault, it would be mine. All because I decided to have a night out on the town and live a little.
I look at the message again, deciding whether or not I should feed into his flirtatiousness.I want to.He’s cute, and funny, and he reminds me of olives. I wanna smell him again, and hear his voice again, but not at my expense.Not when I could face Daniel’s anger because of it. I wish I could get answers about him without giving him any parts of me, yet. I need more confirmation that he’snot like Daniel. That
heisa superhero.Or at least close to one.
“You got freakishly quiet, all of sudden.Your boyfriend being all annoying again?” Jake asks, chuckling as he takes his pointe shoes off.
“What?”My eyes pull away from my phone screen again and I lock it, now leaving Colton on read.“No, I’m just…reading messages.” I briefly shut my eyes, now fully processing his words. “I don’t have a boyfriend, Jake.”
He chuckles more, his brows now bouncing as he dismisses my statement.
