Page 41 of Natasha
"Nat, please!" Ashley reached forward and took her hands. "I know you needed a break, and that director you were working for, Pulaski, was a total shithead. But you're way bigger than your family's school."
Natasha looked off the side. "I know…" Why was everyone telling her to audition lately? She just wished they would give her more time to decide.
"Well, look." Ashley reached into her purse and pulled out a pen and paper. "This is the address for the auditions next week, okay? I'm doing costuming now, and I'd totally make sure you look like the most beautiful shade."
Natasha jerked back around to Ashley. "You're not dancing anymore?"
"Nah. Never was that great at it. Not like you. But costuming?" Ashley raised an eyebrow. "When it comes to that, I'm a legend."
Natasha laughed at that and took the paper from Ashley. "Thank you, Ash. I mean it. I'll give this some thought."
"If you come, I'll take you for lunch, okay?" Ashley pressed a kiss to her cheek and stepped back toward the crush of people to the side.
"Fine, but I'm getting the most expensive thing on the menu!" Natasha called after her friend with a wave. Ashley's laugh floated back to her, making her smile. It was nice to be reminded of the good people she'd met while dancing. It made it seem like maybe it was worth giving another shot, but was she ready? Was she strong enough to step back into the fire of it all?
Natasha was still lost in thought when she knocked on Silas' apartment door. He was smiling when he opened it, but he stopped when he took in her expression. "What's going on?" he asked, drawing her into the apartment.
"Nothing bad," Natasha assured him. "I ran into an old friend. She told me about an audition next week for a production she's doing costuming for."
"That's wonderful!" Silas took her bag from her and set it down with an excited smile on his face.
"Yeah, it is," Natasha murmured, her eyes on the window.
He paused and looked at her again, studying her expression. "But you don't look like it's wonderful."
"It's just a lot to consider."
"I think you should do it," Silas said, but he held up his hands. "I won't push you to, though. But Iamgoing to ask you to promise me one thing while you decide what to do."
"What's that?"
"Listen to you." Silas raised a hand to her chest, fingers played across her collarbones. "Listen to what your heart tells you to do. Don't do this for anyone else if you do it, baby. Can you do that for me?"
Warmth bloomed in her chest, and Natasha reached out to cup Silas' face in her hands. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For letting me be me, and for not expecting another thing from me," she whispered, stepping close to him. She lifted her lips to his and kissed him as thoroughly and as slowly as she could manage. She wanted to put every bit of her feelings into that kiss, and when she pulled back to see the soft look in his eyes, she knew she had succeeded.
"Thank you," she whispered again, tears wet on her cheeks.
"Shhh, baby girl. Shhh, shhhh," Silas crooned against her neck, scooping her up in his arms at the sight of her tears. He carried her into his room, and Natasha took the opportunity to show Silas exactly how much he meant to her.
* * *
"Listen to you.Listen to what your heart tells you to do."
Silas' words echoed in her mind the entire week. It was torture. Any time she was at the school, she was reminded by the young dancers in her classroom of the world she had walked away from. But her mother and grandmother's stern looks also reminded her of why she'd fled that world entirely. It was a delicate push and pull for Natasha. Blessedly, the week had passed by in a whirl of cuddles and nights spent with Silas.
There wasn't a night that they were apart from one another, and she had begun to keep a set of clothes at his place. Silas refused to let her take the subway home and drove her to the school every morning. If her grandmother noticed, she said nothing, and Natasha was grateful for the small miracle of the woman's discretion.
It was the end of another day. Silas hadn't brought Madeline to class today, but she knew he'd be waiting for her in front of her row house when she got to her street. She wondered if it was to keep an eye on her—if he was still concerned about Peachtree—but so far, the other man had seemingly vanished from her life. There was a lingering sense of doubt that she'd heard the last from the man, but every day she didn't, she relaxed a little more.
Natasha was on her way to her home when her phone began to ring. She didn't recognize the number, but she decided to break her rule and answer it anyway. "Hello?"
"Nat! Thank God." Ashley's voice came over the line.
Natasha let out the breath she had been holding. "What's up?" she asked, turning onto her street and grinning like a fool when she recognized the familiar sight of Silas' car sitting up ahead.
