Page 7 of The Breaking Pointe

leave me on read

NOELLE

My feet hit the wooden floor, flat beneath me as my dance partner releases his grip from my waist. Now planted on the floor, I feel far from as free as I did while the music was going and my limbs were moving like I was mid-flight.

“You didn’t even need my help for that routine, Noelle. You’re a natural, and you know it,”

Jake says, picking up his water jug as we disperse and go to our belongings, both sitting down on the hard floor.

“I did need the help. It has to be perfect,”

I tell him, rushing a hand over my smoothed, pulled-back hair as I pick up my water jug and attach my lips to the straw.

“You aren’t even performing it. I don’t see the big deal,”

he says, shrugging and propping open his bag. He pulls out two little wax cubes and rolls them over to me”

Here, you said you needed to wax your shoes.”

I catch them against the floor and pick them up, pressing one against my right pointe shoe and rubbing it in. Reaching inside my bag, I pull my phone out and see a few different messages. Two from Lauren, one from my dad, and one from someone who I was least expecting.

Colton.

It’s not that I didn’t have a good time. I actually had an amazing time. He bought drinks for me and my friends, without even thinking twice, and his flirting skills are the best I’ve encountered in years. He had me starstruck. Even with minor cuts and bruises on his face, dressed like he’s doing some undercover job. My mind was still so thrown by him whooping the shit out of Daniel, that I fully would have believed this man was a superhero if I didn’t know his occupation.

He smelled so good. I felt safe with him dancing against me. If you call it dancing—considering he was moving like he’d never been to a club at all. He was playing my game, and he won. He put his pride aside and didn’t care about embarrassment. Only getting my attention. I wanted his attention, too. It was mutual, and there was a tension that was magnetic, but only between us, and when he and I locked eyes under the shimmer of the lights, it felt like there was nobody else on that dance floor.

I usually only feel that with other dancers.

Setting my phone beside my foot, I use my fingers to swipe it unlocked and get to his message while I continue to wax.

Hey, beautiful girl. I had such a good time with you at the club. Just wish I could see you again.

Well, fuck. I didn’t think he would hold onto the moment. That’s usually how us women operate. I’ve been holding on too, but good God, why must he be so charismatic about it?

“Why…”

I say aloud, mistaking it as an inside thought”

Why, what?”

Jake asks, looking at me with furrowed brows.

Flashing my eyes wide briefly, I shake my head”

Nothing.”

Resuming my thought process, I look at the message again.

I want to say something, but what do I even say? I thought we were only having fun.

The thought of anything more is like jumping off a cliff.

He’s a boxer.

He’s most likely not far off from Daniel.

But then there’s the off chance that I’m wrong. He could be so sweet, and maybe even change my life—but all I can think about is fucking Daniel being the blueprint for any interaction I have with other men.

Daniel would be pissed.

First, he gets rocked by this man, and then he goes and makes a move on his ex-girlfriend, although according to Daniel, I still am his girl.

I don’t know if I want to be anybody’s girl.

Moreover, I’m now stuck in the middle of something that could end horribly.

If Daniel finds out, then I’ll have more things to be worried about.

He already follows my every move, so I bet he’s planning a way to get to me as we speak.

It wouldn’t be Colton’s fault, it would be mine. All because I decided to have a night out on the town and live a little.

I look at the message again, deciding whether or not I should feed into his flirtatiousness.

I want to.

He’s cute, and funny, and he reminds me of olives.

I wanna smell him again, and hear his voice again, but not at my expense.

Not when I could face Daniel’s anger because of it.

I wish I could get answers about him without giving him any parts of me, yet. I need more confirmation that he’s not like Daniel. That he is a superhero. Or at least close to one.

“You got freakishly quiet, all of sudden. Your boyfriend being all annoying again?”

Jake asks, chuckling as he takes his pointe shoes off.

“What?”

My eyes pull away from my phone screen again and I lock it, now leaving Colton on read”

No, I’m just…reading messages.”

I briefly shut my eyes, now fully processing his words”

I don’t have a boyfriend, Jake.”

He chuckles more, his brows now bouncing as he dismisses my statement.

“You should tell Daniel Aguado that. I bet he’s pissed he got whipped by that Jewish dude last night.”

Looks like Daniel getting his ass kicked is becoming the talk of the town. One point for Noelle, and zero for that loser.

“It was a good fight.” I nod”

But he’s not my boyfriend. Hasn’t been in forever,”

I correct him, now taking my shoes off as well”

I like the Jewish guy. Not sure if he’s actually Jewish, but he’s really nice to look at,”

I suggest, smiling innocently.

Jake shakes his head with a soft smile”

You like Jewish boy then, huh?”

My cheeks feel warmer now”

I think he’s cute. I mean, don’t you? Isn’t your boyfriend similar looking?”

“Devin is blond, Noelle. They don’t have the same tall, dark, and handsome effect.”

He laughs softly”

And if Devin were that ripped, I wouldn’t be topping all the time.”

“Okay—too much info, Jake.”

I hold up my hand to stop him, laughing softly.

“So then, if it’s not Danny boy, then who’s got you on your phone like you’re finding Waldo?”

He peers at me.

“Um…”

I contemplate before answering while looking down at my lap”

Jewish guy?”

Jake’s smile slowly grows as his laughter thickens”

You’re kidding me, right?”

I shake my head, starting to put my things in my bag”

I wish I was. Because now I have no idea what to do, and I’m sure Danny boy is waiting to come and ruin any good things coming my way.”

“C’mon, don’t say that. Daniel is crazy, yeah, but he’s just obsessed with you. Once you find a new man, I’m sure he’ll disappear.”

Yeah, you’d think, right?

“It’s not that simple, Jake. Daniel is complex. There’s a lot more to it than you’ve heard from me,”

I say, then look at him with a big smile”

But it doesn’t matter because I’m done with him, and I don’t plan on dating again. It’s not for me. I’m not good at it.”

“That’s a bit dramatic, don’t you think?”

he questions me”

No. Not in the slightest,”

I tell him.

It is dramatic, and I do want the Jewish-looking guy. I want to see if he’s as sweet as he’s let on, but why does it have to scare the shit out of me?

Fucking Daniel Aguado.