Page 68 of Set the Moment
Daisy and I spend another hour working on our dance, but something feels off. I can feel her watching me, staring at me. And whenever I do something, she raises a brow at me before doing the same thing.
I don’t know, maybe I’m tripping, but something is off.
Allof today is.
When I get back home, it seems that everyone has had a shitty day, my cousin included. Cleo, my dearest friend and closest cousin, broke me as she cried and told Georgia, Denver, and I about whatreallyhappened at her old school.
She’d caught her ex-boyfriend, Marcelo, doing steroids and when she’d told him she’d speak up about it…He threatened her with revenge porn. That douchebag of an ex of hers is going to pay one of these days, and I’ll be the one to make him pay.
Georgia, Denver, and I comfort her as best as we can. We listen to music to cheer her up, dance and drink a little until she finally decides to break and join us.
I want to feel happy that she’s starting to let loose, but I can’t. The mess that was my day still plagues the back of my mind, and all I want to do is release that energy. I feel like a bunch of nerves just bottled up, ready to explode at any moment—on anyone.
When the doorbell rings while Georgia and Denver sing their horrid duet, I feel like my prayers have been answered as Jake—the guy who Cleo has a crush on, stands on the other side of the door.
The two of them look like little puppies in love, and the rest of us know our time here is up when he pulls out a box of LEGOs for the two of them. As soon as Cleo has successfully ditched us, I make my escape.
Georgia and Denver pay me no mind as I leave the apartment, the feeling of happiness slowly washing over me. I immediately feel bad as I sit in my car and stare up at the apartment. From here, I can see Georgia and Denver laughing and drinking on the balcony—obviously in a good mood. I’d be the worst friend in the world if I went back up there in the mood that I’m in right now and brought them down.
Chewing on my lip, I note the time.
6:12 p.m.
Everyone at the studio should be gone since we closed early today…I could always go there. I mean, I have keys to the studio and no one else is going to just show up out of the blue.
Making a hasty decision, I put the car in drive and head to the one place that I can let out all of my negative emotions.
twenty-four
Sienna
JustasIsuspected,the lot for the studio is empty when I arrive. I waste no time, running to the trunk of my car and retrieving the one item that helps me when I want to relieve some stress through dance.
My dance heels.
I grin as I run my fingers over the leather and mesh material of the shoe, practically running into the studio. Something tugs me to Studio F, and soon enough, I’m getting myself set up in the room that I’d first saw Jace in again.
The air is a lot crisper and cleaner in the studio. It’d obviously been thoroughly cleaned and mopped, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Jace, himself, cleaned it. He’s a bit of a neat freak.
Hooking up my phone to the Bluetooth speaker in the room, I turn it ondo not disturband lace up my heels, allowing myself to be consumed by the sultry music.
No one else knows that I do heels dancing when I’m overwhelmed or that I play video games when I’m irritated, but it’s what makes me feel free.
I stretch as I allow the music to consume me. The soft melody of the R&B song is all that I need to let go. I lose myself in my dancing, in the freedom of my movement. Though the dance is a little on the risqué side, I don’t care as I freestyle.
I spin and flip and grind without a thought in the world, and as the song changes to one that I’m all too familiar with, I grin as I fully give myself to the music.
My body moves on its own accord, thrusting and touching itself seductively as I dance. I don’t care who I am, who my parents are, or how shitty my situation could be as I dance.
In this room, I’m just Sienna.
A girl and her dance floor.
As I bend over slowly, my hands trailing down my thighs, a flicker of movement in the doorway catches my attention and halts me in my tracks.
Jace leans against the doorway, his eyes hooded as he watches me, his arms folded across his chest.
My heart stutters, chest heaving as I slowly rise. The skin on my naked arms pebble with goosebumps as Jace’s eyes rake up and down my body. I’d only worn a sports bra and leggings to my practice with Daisy earlier, and haven't changed since.
