Page 97 of My Last Dance

Because with this song, we needed to get into character.

We needed tofeelthe lyrics.

And these lyrics were extremely…romantic.

“Okay, let’s try again,” Patrick said, pausing the music. “Remember, let’s really feel the song. He wants to touch hersobadly, but can’t. So for the opening, you guys aren’t touching. We’re putting all the solo skills first, but you two need to be in sync and as close as possible. I need to feel theyearningso the feelings explode for the audience when you finally touch. Can you do that?”

Oh, dear God.

Beside me, Kappy’s throat bobbed with a swallow.

My chest heaved with a breath.

“All right, let’s try again. And remember, the guy is the stem, and the girl is the rose.”

Kappy gaze jerked up. “Not you, too.” He regarded Patrick with a look of betrayal.

His reaction thankfully broke the tension, making me laugh. “C’mon stem, let’s try again.”

We held our starting position, facing each other, but about ten feet apart.

As soon as the music started, we glided toward each other, then stopped before we could touch. We both turned away into swizzles before falling into stride with each other for our first solo sequence, close, in sync, but not touching.

To end the sequence, Kappy reached for me, almost grazing my face, but not quite.

And when he looked at me like that, like all he wanted was to hold me in his arms… Well, my body had a hard time not responding, which was bad.

So,sobad.

I tried to turn my brain off and write it off as just pure athletic movement.

But I couldn’t.

Each time he almost touched me, I fuckingtrembled.

He smoothed into back crossovers, while I skated forwards, chasing him. His mouth came close to mine. We were only inches apart. My heart quickened. His eyes had that glazed look in them. It’d be so easy to just—

Patrick cut the music. “Wow, guys, this is great, really great stuff. Piper, your acting is phenomenal.”

The only problem?

I wasn’t acting.

__________

The next day, Kappy and I were working on lifts in our tennis shoes when Patrick marched into the lobby, shaking his head and muttering under his breath.

“We’ve got a problem, guys,” he announced.

Kappy gently placed me back on my feet. I stole the opportunity to stretch out my tight, aching muscles.

“We have to compete all the way up. Kappy’s never competed in a USFSA event, so we don’t get the bye.”

My eyebrows scrunched together. “But you can petition to—”

“Already tried, they said no.”

“Those motherfuckers,” I breathed out.

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