Page 57 of Dance With Me
“I had another message from the stalker on Sunday.”
Joe didn’t hesitate and pulled him into his side, holding his hands in his. He kissed Seb on the forehead, and Seb was grateful. He needed all the moral support he could get at the moment.
“I reported it to the police and have decided it’s best if I go away for a while.” Seb held his breath and waited for Joe to say something, anything.
Seb looked up at Joe to see a flash of disappointment in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced with concern. Joe held him even tighter, if that were possible.
“Jesus, Seb. I can’t imagine how hard this is for you at the moment. Where will you go? How long will you be gone?”
“I’m going to stay with my parents. That way I can take Rocco with me without needing to ask Dom or Nat to look after him. They’ll be busy enough with the studio, covering my lessons and private students. As for how long? I don’t know. We were thinking a couple of weeks, maybe? I needed to come and see you today, though, as I’m leaving tomorrow.” Seb burrowed closer into Joe’s chest.
Joe held him close. “So soon? I thought we’d have more time before you went, but I understand you need to go. I’m not going to lie and say I’m not disappointed, but that’s just me being selfish. You need to do what’s best for you and stay safe. I’ll be here waiting for you when you get back. If that’s OK, of course. If that’s what you still want?” Joe kissed his head again, and Seb leaned up into the kiss.
“I meant what I said about wanting to see where this leads. I care so much for you, Seb. It scares me just how quickly you’ve become a part of my life.”
Joe pulled away to look at him, and Seb immediately missed his warmth.
“I’d love nothing more than to see where this might go when I get back, and we can text and call whilst I’m away. I’m not cutting all contact with you, but I will need to send you my new number. I’ll be changing it so the stalker won’t be able to reach me anymore. The police said it would be for the best.” He reached towards Joe and ran his hands through his hair. It was as soft as he’d imagined, and he wished he didn’t have to go away as he gazed into his eyes, so full of understanding and love?
“I’m so glad. I don’t know what I would have done if we couldn’t stay in touch.”
Seb got up from the sofa, struggling to keep the tears at bay. Joe stood and put his arms around him and hugged him tight.
Seb looked up at Joe, meeting his blue eyes as they looked down at him. Joe licked his lips, and Seb followed his tongue as it flicked against his bottom lip.
He bent down slightly, a question in his eyes, and Seb leaned towards him. Joe grazed his lips against Seb’s, his arms enveloping him. Seb wasn’t sure which one of them moaned; it might have been him, but as their lips pressed together, Seb couldn’t imagine a better place to be. He wanted more though and tilted his head, slowly opening his mouth. Joe mirrored his movement and their tongues met, sweeping against each other. The soft feel of Joe’s lips as they caressed his was perfect.
The kiss went from soft to heated in a matter of moments and they devoured each other like they would their last meal, their breaths becoming ragged, hearts beating against each other. All they’d felt these past few months culminated in this moment. Seb melted into the kiss; it was everything and more at the same time.
Suddenly, they heard a shout and before they could part, the door burst open.
In walked Clare, a sneer on her face.
“Well, what the fuck do we have here? You had the audacity to accuse me of cheating when you were with him all the time!” Clare shrieked.
Hazel ran into the room after her. “Sorry, Joe. I tried to stop her, but she blasted straight past me.”
“It’s OK, Hazel. Don’t worry. Clare was just leaving. We have nothing to say that wasn’t said last night.” Joe tried to tuck Seb behind him, but Seb was having none of it. He was going to stand his ground. Joe had told her it was over. The wedding was off. Seb had done nothing wrong.
“Oh, I think we do. I came here to talk about last night, but I see you’ve moved on quickly already. You utter bastard. Is this why you wanted to call off the wedding? So you could shack up with the little gay dancer? Well, that’s not going to happen, and I’ll tell you why.
“I’m pregnant, Joe, and youaregoing to marry me. I confirmed it this morning, and there’s no way I’m having this baby and bringing it up on my own. Youwillmarry me and stop this thing, whatever it is, with him.” She motioned towards Seb, the long nail on her hand clipping his cheek. He felt a sting and hoped it wasn’t bleeding.
“I should have known better, should have seen the signs. Let me tell you something. I will make your life a misery. I’ll tell everyone I know that you’ve been cheating on me with some cheap dancer unless you stop this charade. The wedding will go ahead as planned.”
Seb had heard enough. He should have known all this was too good to be true. He needed to get away, the stress of the past few months and now this. It was just too much for him. He could feel the panic rising. He stepped towards the door, but Clare cut him off.
“Don’t even think about being with Joe. He’s mine and always will be. If you don’t leave him alone, I’ll ruin you as well as him. I suggest you not test me on this. One word from me to my friends, one little post about your affair withmyfiancé. How will it look when that spreads around the studio? That you’re a lying, cheating, dirty little slut. You and your little studio will be nothing by the time I’ve finished with you.”
Seb looked at Joe, both of them shocked at her confession and threats to ruin them both. He wasn’t sure she’d have the influence to affect Joe’s career, but she could certainly do damage to Seb and the studio. And that wasn’t something he was willing to risk. It wasn’t just his livelihood; it was Natalia’s, too.
He saw Joe reach for him, but he shook his head, stepped around Clare, and ran from the office. He heard Joe shout his name, but still he didn’t stop. This couldn’t be happening. His one chance of happiness dashed before they’d even started. If Clare was having a baby, though, there was no way he would get involved. It seemed the goodbye he’d planned was going to be more permanent than he’d thought.
As he ran through the city, the tears flowed freely. His phone rang and rang, but he ignored it. He knew it would be Joe, but he couldn’t speak to him now. He finally reached the park and sat on a bench, his face wet with tears. He pulled his phone from his pocket, and without listening to his messages, he deleted them all and blocked Joe’s number. He had to make a clean break, cut all ties with him.
He finally made his way home and stumbled through the door. There was no one there. Dom and Nat were at the studio, so he was alone. He went to his room and threw things into his bag. He couldn’t stay here a moment longer. Once he was done and he’d collected everything he needed, he loaded Rocco into the car and drove to the studio.
He said his goodbyes with promises to call as soon as he arrived, got back into the car, and drove away from the only true friends he’d ever known. Drove away from Joe and his chance at happiness.
