Page 51 of Blackwood

I smile, blinking faster than I want to. “Thanks Mom and Dad.”

Savannah freezes for half a second and then pulls me in for another hug.

Zeke hugs me and doesn’t let go right away. When he finally steps back, his voice drops low and quiet, but dead serious. “If anyone gives you shit let me know. If you go missing, we’ll know before the cops do. And just so we’re clear…”

He turns to Ellie, expression flat. “This whole room? Bugged. Chandelier, smoke detector, even the damn candle itself. So maybe don’t confess to any felonies near that lavender one.”

Ellie freezes mid-lip gloss application. “I’m sorry, WHAT?”

I roll my eyes. “You’re insane.”

Zeke grins. “Takes one to raise one.”

The door clicks shut behind them and for the first time since we stepped foot in Rosethorne, we’re alone.

Ellie flops onto one of the canopy beds with a groan. “We’re officially on our own. Like, adulting.”

I smile faintly and pull my phone out of my backpack. “I’m going to go call my dad really quick.”

We’ve been texting all summer. Quick check-ins. I’ve FaceTimed him from the penthouse a few times and Zeke even flew him in for a few hours on the Fourth of July. But other than that, it’s stayed… distant. Not because he doesn’t want to see me. But until we find Vince, it’s just safer this way.

I’m just about to hit the FaceTime button when the door bursts open.

“Bitches! I have arrived!”

Haley.

Tall, tan, green-eyed, redheaded chaos dripping in sex. Her long, fiery waves spill down her back like a warning. Fendi crop top, black leather skirt barely clinging to her hips, and heels sharp enough to kill a man.

She saunters in like she owns the place, a bottle of Veuve clutched in one hand and zero shame in the other. Lip gloss gleaming, perfume trailing behind her like smoke, she’s the kind of beautiful that makes people stupid.

We met her at the start of summer rehearsals when Coach Javi threw the three of us together for a trial set. A few dances later, he clutched his necklace, kissed the air, clapped his hands, and declared, “This is it. This is the future of The Legacy.”

The Trifectawas born.

Haley is the heartthrob, undeniably hot, magnetic. The kind of girl frat boys dare each other to talk to. Totally taken but totally doesn’t care. She demands attention and gets it.

Ellie is the sweetheart. Smiling, sparkling, and effortlessly lovable.

I apparently get to be center stage. Javi made it clear from day one that he wanted me to be the leader. He pushed me harder, handed me choreography duties, and even whispered about plans to have us mic’d up during football games. He said it’s so we can dance and command the crowd in real time.

Coach Javi is all Latin flair wrapped in muscle and a perfect tan. Broad-shouldered, late 30s, with dark hair slicked back like he just walked off a telenovela set. His jawline’s sharp, his voice smoother than top-shelf tequila, and his presence? Dominant. Commanding.

When he enters the room the energy changes completely. Dancers snap straighter and the music obeys. When he smiles, which is rare and always earned, it lights up the whole studio.

Javi doesn’t just coach dance. He is dance. Salsa, bachata, hip-hop, contemporary, he’ll show you how it’s done, and then make you do it sexier. Every routine drips with heat. Sharp hips, fast footwork, plunging necklines, and just enough scandal to make the Wexley board sweat.

He moved here from Barcelona last year with his husband, Rico. Where Javi is command, Rico is sparkle. He’s our costume designer, obsessed with making us “unforgettable.” Legacy uniforms? Him. The Trifecta’s sexed-up masterpieces? Also him. Every slit, every shimmer, every strap… Rico.

Designing for us has become his summer religion and we’re his very hot, very bendy disciples. Ellie’s already asked if he’ll design her wedding dress one day. Girl has zero boundaries. None.

Rico’s even assigned us our own signature colors. Two each, so we can flex across styles depending on the routine.

Ellie:Bright yellow and hot pink.

Haley: Emerald green and deep teal.

Me: Cherry red and royal purple.