Page 40 of Love is a Dance Step
“I…” she whispered, unable to get another word out.
“Lola.” His low voice vibrated through her. “I need…”
“What do you need?” She hated the weakness in her own voice.
“You,” he breathed. “That was… you didn’t dance like that with Nolan.”
She swallowed. “He didn’t dance like that with me.” It was true. Nolan was a good dancer, but he didn’t hold on to her the way Drew had. There’d been no connection, no sense that they were in it together.
“They need to see that.” His lips curved up. “Everyone needs to see it. I knew you could do it.”
Those words. Gah! Those words. She wanted to hold them close and never let them go. No one had ever had such faith in her before, and Drew was still a near stranger. His head dipped and their foreheads pressed together.
Closer and closer still.
His eyes told her he wanted to kiss her, and her heart kicked up a notch. There was no more fangirl left in her. It was only Lola standing here in front of Drew.
And yet… “I can’t.” His lips hovered inches in front of hers. “I’m sorry.” She pushed at his chest. “I can’t.”
As she broke away, he ran a hand through his sweaty hair, pulling on the ends. “That’s… good. It’s good.” He sucked in a breath. “I have a rule. I don’t get involved with anyone on the tour.”
He didn’t understand. She shook her head. “No, I mean I can’t come with you.” Rule or not, he’d wanted to kiss her, and she wanted to live in that moment.
But moments like that didn’t belong in her reality.
His eyes widened. “Of course you can.”
“I’m sorry.” She turned toward the door. “You promised you’d leave me alone if I said no. You should go.”
“Lola, I don’t understand.”
She glanced back over her shoulder. “I know. I’m not the girl who gets the rock tour, Drew. Go find someone who is meant to be there.”
She didn’t hear anything else he said because she walked into the hall and disappeared into Lauren’s office, shutting the door behind her.
Tears built in her eyes before pouring down her cheeks as she hiccupped a sob and sank into the chair at the desk. She’d given up her one chance to get out of Gulf City, her one chance to break free of the girl she’d always been.
But maybe saying no was breaking free.
“I don’t love Asher Stone.” Not anymore. His ties on her had lessened, and she refused to fall for his brother. She skimmed her bottom lip with her finger, remembering the feel of Drew’s breath as they skirted the line.
She wiped the tears from her face but more replaced them. A knock sounded on the door, and she didn’t answer, assuming it was Drew. He couldn’t see her like this.
But when the door opened, only Lauren walked in. “Oh, honey.”
Spanish words fell from Lola’s lips as they did whenever she got upset or mad and sometimes when she was happy. It was like the emotion pulled everything from her that her mom wanted to see. Maybe it was because she couldn’t form the words any other way.
Lauren rubbed a hand over Lola’s head. “Lo, I can’t understand you. What happened?”
Lola wiped her face again. “I might have done something very stupid.”
“Does it have to do with a very attractive rock star who just walked out?”
Lola sniffed and nodded. “I can’t go on tour, Lauren. That’s not my life.” She didn’t explain the fact that she didn’t trust her heart not to get itself broken or that the thought of leaving home physically hurt and she wished it didn’t.
Would Asher speak to her again if she left with his brother? Was that a bad thing?
What about her mom? She’d be all alone.
