Page 118 of After All This Time

Harry's eyebrows hit his hairline. "Okay, so you're in love with her."

"No."

"Bullshit."

"I love her. Of course I love her. I always have. She's the closest person to me. But I'm not in love with her."

"So let me get this straight—you love her as a friend, but you want to keep sleeping with her like she's more?"

"This is so fucked."I shake my head, dragging a hand down my face. "This is even more fucked in my head now than it was before we started talking about it."

"I'm just saying—at some point, your feelings will hit you square in the face. Because now that you're doing whatever it is you're doing, that friend love will turn into real love without you even realizing it."

If it hasn't started to already.

I ignore the truth trying to tear its way out of my chest as I finishHarry's tattoo.After wrapping his wrist, I walk him to the door.

"You know where I am if you need me,"he says, clapping a hand on my shoulder before stepping out.

"Yeah. Thanks, man."

I close the door, leaning against it and letting the silence of the shop settle around me. For the rest of the day, I do everything possible to focus on anything but the girl waiting for me at home. But it's useless. She's in my head. She's under my skin. And no amount of denial can erase the truth starting to take shape there.

Chapter 46

Amelia

"Auditionsarein two weeks," Betsy announces, her voice ringing through the studio with the same authority as her infamous heel clicks. "We'll be selecting two of you fresh faces to come on the tour with us. It won't be a lead role, but I want you to audition like you're fighting for Juliet herself."

A ripple of excitement and nerves spreads across the room, but I barely register it. My muscles are already humming, my body memorizing combinations, even as my mind races ahead to what piece I'll perform to show them everything I am.

"I can't wait to watch you crush it," Harper whispers, squeezing my arm as we grab our dance bags.

"What do you mean?"

"The auditions are in the auditorium.Everyone watches."

My stomach plummets, falling straight out of my ass. "You're shitting me."

She shakes her head, her grin widening. "They want everyone's input on who fits the company vibe. It makes sense—we'll be living in each other's pockets during the tour. This isn't just about how well you can point your toes."

I swallow the panic rising in my throat and straighten my spine. "I'm going to manifest the hell out of it. But I'm going to do it."

"I love this energy for you!" Harper's whole face lights up as we head for the door. "And you know Logan and I will put in a good word for you. You've got this."

The hallway echoes with the sound of dance bags hitting shoulders and scattered conversations, but my mind is already in that auditorium—planning out every arabesque, every turn, every moment that could make or break my future.

"Speaking of Logan, what's the deal with you two?" Harper doesn't flinch, her expression impressively impassive. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, please. There's something between you two, even if you're both pretending not to see it."

She whirls to face me, her eyes wide with panic. "Do you think he knows I'm in love with him?"

My heart stutters as I grab her arms. "Hold up—what?"

"I'm kidding… except I'm not… Oh god." She buries her face in her hands like she can hide from the truth she just spilled. "What if he only hangs out with me because he feels sorry for me?"

"Harper, I've seen the way he looks at you when you're not watching. If he's not in love with you, he's at least tumbling headfirst in that direction. I just don't understand why neither of you has taken that leap when you're already so close."

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