Page 188 of Swallow Your Sorries

Gant

“What the fuck was that?” I hiss the second I get Aria alone. It’s a whole five fucking hours after the role assignments, thanks to Étienne. I had to wait for him to take a piss break, a rarity, as I swear he’ll only go if Aria does. He probably changes her tampons and wipes her ass.

“What was what?” she asks innocently as I drag her around the dining hall and glare down at her. She must be used to this angle with Étienne, who’s at least four centimetres taller than I am because she doesn’t flinch as she gazes up at me beneath her lashes.

“Aria.”

“Did you just growl at me?” she smirks in amusement, leaning against the dark stone wall. “I always wondered how ‘he growls’ in books sounds like in real life.”

“Aria.”

“Hmmm, I think I do like it.”

I smack the wall above her head and she jumps, only to ease back into that shit-eating smirk.

“I don’t have time for your little games.”

“Who says I’m playing?”

“You’venevercared to be a lead in any play, yet today you dance your little ass off.”

“I’d say it’s pretty fat if you take proportions into consideration. It’s all relative,” she says, bouncing on her toes to make it jiggle.

“Why?”

“Why not? It’s senior year, after all. I’ve suddenly realised it's time to embrace my full potential.”

“Hmm, and let me guess, Elle was the catalyst?”

She doesn’t deny it.

“Why the fuck would you want to beat her? So you can make Étienne jealous? Is this what this is all about? You’re still pissy over Étienne and Rin?”

She snorts, “If I wanted to make Étienne jealous I’d choose Bae. Not you.”

I pause, scrunching my brows. “Bae?You’d choose Bae?”

“Well, he’s already abae,isn’t he?”

“Over me?”

She rolls her eyes. “You think everything revolves around you, don’t you?”

“Yes. If Étienne’s not the reason, then that leaves three options. Elle, me, or both. You don’t give a damn about ballet. So cut the bullshit because I’m not playing whatever this is.”

“You sound just like Elle whenever she talks about you.I’m not playing his stupid games!” she mocks before pouting. “You never want to play with me.”

“Because I don’t want to deal with your demonic bodyguard who’s going to be looking for you in three, two…” I look around the trees for a tall, lean figure creeping along the branches before peering down at her again. “So what do you want, Aria? Tell me.Now.”

She tilts her head in thought. “I’ll tell you the night before the play. Then we can make a deal. A trade.”

I gape at her and shake my head slowly. “That’s three weeks away. Why so last minute?”

“One.” She lifts a finger. “So it won’t look suspicious to Madame that I’m already dropping out, and two, so you don’t have time to double-cross me.”

“And why would I do that?” I rub my throbbing forehead in frustration. “You know how badly I need Elle to be the lead.”

“I know how badly you want her to be,” she says, her smirk dropping as a serious expression overtakes her features. “I just don’t know why. What are you planning?”

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