Page 13 of Love is a Dance Step
They didn’t, but he’d almost lost everything before he even had it.
But this… this was worse.
His best friend’s scream echoed in his mind as the music faded and the sounds of the crowd pushed in on them. He dropped to the stage beside Leah. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
Tears or sweat—he didn’t know which—glistened on her face. “It hurts, Drew.”
“What hurts? Talk to me.”
“My leg. I don’t know what’s wrong. One moment I was fine and the next, it felt like a knife stabbing through my shin.” She reached for her leg. “It’s probably a muscle cramp. I can rub it out and finish the concert.”
He pulled her onto his lap. “You are not dancing again tonight. It’s going to be okay. I’m going to take care of you.”
Dancers crowded in on them, trying to see what happened, but Drew paid them no mind. He gathered Leah’s small body in his arms and stood. Catching sight of Piper off to the side of the stage, he rushed toward her. “We need an ambulance.”
“Drew, calm down.” Piper fixed her eyes on Leah. “You okay?”
“I think so. Just… pain. Drew is overreacting though.”
“I’m not overreacting. You just collapsed on stage.”
“Bring her to your dressing room. I called for an ambulance; we can wait there.”
Drew hurried toward his dressing room where he laid Leah down on the couch. “She needs ice or heat or something.”
“Not until we know what’s wrong,” Leah wheezed. “You’re a dancer, Drew. You should know that. Maybe I twisted something or broke something. I won’t know until they check me out, and we shouldn’t touch it.”
“Fine.” He pushed out a breath and ran a hand through his hair.
“Drew?” Leah met his gaze. “All these people… they paid to see you sing. You should finish the concert.”
“No way.” His eyes widened as if the very thought horrified him.
“Come on, Drew. I’m going to be fine. There’s nothing you can do for me right now. I love you for not wanting to leave my side, but you have a duty to your fans.”
“Noah can go on early. Jo will like that.”
She shook her head. “They’re not you. You’re special, Drew, and the people of Tampa should get to see that.”
“She’s right.” Piper looked to him. “It’s your concert, Drew. Go finish it. I promise, I won’t leave her alone.”
“You really want me to do this?” How could he dance when he’d just seen his rock crumble?
Both Leah and Piper nodded.
“Call it my dying wish.” Leah smirked.
“You’re not dying. Don’t even joke about it.”
She laughed before wincing. “Tough crowd. Just go. Sing. Be you.”
Drew closed his eyes for a brief moment, wishing for once he was a normal human being who could go to the hospital with his friend instead of entertaining thousands of people. “Fine.” He looked to Piper once more. “Call Amy. Get her on a plane out here. Leah will be too stubborn to do it herself. She won’t want her girlfriend to worry.”
Leah flipped him off. Well, at least the pain hadn’t changed her.
When he left the dressing room behind, his chest tightened. He’d replay her falling to the stage in his mind over and over until it drove him insane. He had to pull it together. His dancers huddled backstage. When they saw him, they peppered him with questions, but he only answered one.
“Are we going back out there?”
