Page 10

Heat flares across my face as every head swivels in my direction.

I hold still under the weight of their stares, my grip on the barre tightening.

Wendy zeroes in on me like a predator and I internally groan at the fact that I’ve somehow made an enemy on my first day, and of course it’s Reign's girlfriend, of all people.

“The customary response, Wendy,” Layla says coolly, “would be to congratulate your fellow dancer.”

Wendy whips around to glare at Layla, then turns to Reign with betrayal in her eyes when he doesn’t respond, choosing to ignore her altogether. She grabs her bag and storms out of the room without another word.

“Looks like Wendy’s not thrilled someone else gets to dance with her boy toy,” Willow murmurs beside me.

Layla continues, as though none of it happened. “Angelique’s understudy hasn’t been selected yet. So, if you're interested, let me know, and I’ll sign you up for the upcoming audition.”

There’s a faint buzz in the air as dancers disperse, conversations picking back up. Before leaving the studio, I risk a quick glance at Reign and his eyes find mine, but this time I don’t look away until he does.

The sun peeks through a patch of clouds, lighting up the white stone steps outside of Imperium.

It's finally lunch break, and the steps are already crowded with dancers lounging in the sun, peeling off their warmup gear, and eating from Tupperware or takeout containers. It’s rare to get a sunny day like today in Marlow.

I sit on the third step from the bottom with Lando next to me, one hand shading his eyes as he squints up at the sky, studying the cloud shapes.

Willow plops down cross-legged in front of us, her lunch balanced neatly on her lap, and Max and Alfie lean against the nearest column with overpriced smoothies.

Their partners stayed behind to speak with Layla about other available roles in Swan Lake , too eager to pass up a chance to impress her.

“I still can’t believe it,” Lando, who’s positively glowing, says for what must be the tenth time, picking at the corner of his sandwich wrap like he needs to touch something to ground himself. “Understudy to the prince . ”

“You earned it,” I say, bumping his knee with mine. “Every bit of it.”

Willow raises her iced coffee in salute. “And Angelique is just over here casually snatching both leads.”

“Odette and Odile,” Max adds with a dramatic bow. “All hail our new swan queen.”

Alfie whistles low. “Did you see Wendy’s face? The girl looked like she was about to breathe fire.”

“Alfie,” Lando warns, half-laughing, half-scolding.

“What?” Alfie grins. “I’m just saying. That was some top-tier dramatics.”

We all laugh, and for a moment, it’s easy to get swept up in the energy, the camaraderie, the weird comfort of being seen and not judged.

The minute I became a principal dancer in New York, the other dancers kept their distance, gossiping behind my back and sometimes in front of me.

They all thought I had got there with the help of my mom.

But something itches at the edge of my mind, and before I can second-guess it, I ask, “So… how long have Reign and Wendy been dating?”

The conversation stutters and Willow blinks at me. “Who said they’re dating?”

I try to keep my voice light. “I don’t know. They came in together and she was hanging on him, so I just assumed.”

“They’re not,” Willow says, shaking her head. “They’ve been cast opposite each other a lot in the past. There’s chemistry, sure. But it’s not like… sexual…at least not for Reign from what I’ve seen.”

“They probably do fuck though,” Alfie mutters around his straw.

Lando smacks his arm. “Alfie, shut up . ” Then he turns to me with a wince. “Ignore him. He has the emotional depth of a teaspoon.”

“Wait a minute,” Willow says slowly, her voice curling with disbelief. “Do you have a thing for Reign?”

My head snaps up. “What? No. Absolutely not.”

“Ouuu, the blush is blushing , ” Alfie teases, pointing a straw-stirrer in my direction before putting it back in his mouth, biting down on it as he grins.

“I do not—he’s not—Reign isn’t…” I throw up a hand. “He’s no one to me.”

“Is that so?” a deep voice says from behind me.

The silence that follows is too sudden and I feel my stomach drop as I realize who that voice belongs to. I twist slowly in my spot, and sure enough, there he is, standing a few feet behind me, hands in his pockets, his icy blue eyes locked on mine.

My face explodes with heat and my skin prickles with awareness, mortification flooding through me in waves. As serious as he looks, I catch the faintest twitch of his cheek—a half smile that sends my stomach into free fall.

“Holy shit,” Alfie whispers to the others behind me. “Is he smiling? Like... actually smiling?”

He falls silent again as Reign lifts his chin, breaking eye contact with me long enough to look at Lando and give him a short, respectful nod.

“I just came by to congratulate you on landing my understudy,” he says, as if he wasn’t the one who decided.

Lando straightens in his seat, his face lighting up before he quickly clears his throat, voice a little deeper than usual. “Thanks.”

Reign nods again, then looks back at me. “I’m leaving early today,” he pauses. “See you both at home.”

Home.

He says it like it belongs to me too and something inside me stirs, wild and electric. Reign walks down the rest of the stairs and toward his parked car. Once he’s out of earshot, it’s like the group finally takes a breath of air.

“I know I’m taken,” Alfie says, slowly, “but holy shit, your brother is so hot, Lando.”

Willow snorts into her drink and Max leans in slightly, brow raised. “He was giving Angelique fuck me eyes.”

Lando groans in disgust, but I barely register it because my heart is still pounding, my skin buzzing, and I can’t stop hearing his voice in my head.

See you both at home.