Page 76 of I Don't Need Your Love

“You’re the best dancer on the team, Carly.”

“And I’m the only guy,” Ryder says with a chuckle. “Beggars can’t be choosers, slim pickings, you gotta work with what you’ve got, not enough fish in the sea—”

“Nonsense, Ryder, you’re a phenomenal dancer. And the two of you have perfect chemistry.”

“We do?” we both ask.

I give him a face. “Stop copying me.”

“You’re the one who copied me.”

“See?” Moreno gestures at us. “You have so much chemistry when you bicker. Imagine the kind of chemistry you can have when you dance as a romantic couple.”

We tear our eyes away from each other. I swear I might have seen his ears turn pink. My face definitely feels flushed. It’s odd to see Ryder blush. I didn’t think that was possible.

“It’s up to you guys if you want to add this to the routine,” Coach Moreno continues. “I don’t want either of you to feel uncomfortable. But I think we can hit a home run with this.”

I slowly turn my head to Ryder. He stares at the spot before him, clearly deep in thought. Does he find the idea of doing a romantic dance sequence with me so repulsive? I mean, we just decided to be friends yesterday. Maybe he doesn’t want to get that close to me.

He looks at me. “What do you think, Carly? Because I’ll follow your lead.”

“What do you mean? You have every right to decide for yourself. You shouldn’t do it just because I want to.”

“I don’t care about my feelings. The only things that matter are how you feel and what’s best for the team.”

“But I don’t want to force you to do it.”

“Who said I’d be forced?”

“Your face.”

He stares at me. “What about my face?”

“You’re not that hard to read. I know you don’t like the idea of doing it. Which is fine. You don’t have to force yourself.”

He moves closer until there are barely any inches between us. “Why do you insist you know me when you don’t?”

“I…I don’t.”

“Exactly.” He turns to Moreno. “I’m game if Carly is.”

She nods at me. “What do you say, Carly?”

“I’ve never choreographed a pair routine before. But I guess I’ve always wanted to.”

“And how do you feel about being paired up with Ryder?”

“It’s fine,” I say, noticing that my voice shakes. Because I’ve never danced with a partner before. And Ryder, the guy who makes me feel so many conflicting emotions, is going to be my first one. I have no idea how to feel.

Although, a large part of me is thrilled at the idea…

I blink and shake my head. “I mean, I’m totally fine with pairing up with Ryder. He is the only guy, after all,” I tease.

He frowns. “Thank you.”

I playfully slap his shoulder. “You know I think you’re a talented dancer.”

“Okay, great!” Moreno says with obvious relief. “This is wonderful news. Now, to get a feel of how you two look together, can you please dance for me?”