Page 123 of No Rings Attached
“I can’t,” I gasped. “I trust you, but I can’t.” My body wasn’t listening to me—I hated the betrayal, the loss of control.
Drew turned, blocking the studio from view, wrapping me in his arms like a shield. “You’re safe. Always safe with me. If you want, we’ll go home right now. We can tell Celia I’m sick.”
Before I could answer, the door swung open.
“Okay, youlovebirds.”Celia’s saccharine-sweet voice grated on my already frayed nerves. “Coming in late so you can make tonight about you once again, Ellie?Tsk, tsk.”
Drew and I sucked in a sharp breath.
Something inside me snapped. Anxiety burned off, leaving anger in its wake.
I unwrapped myself from Drew’s arms and faced her. “Not everything is aboutyou,Celia.” My voice shook, but it was strong enough to make her blink.
The shocked expression on my sister’s face? Priceless.
I pasted on a cheerful smile. “We should get inside so we don’t hold everyone up.”
Drew gave me a look. “Yes?” I knew he was keeping it short so Celia didn’t overhear, but in that one word he was asking if I was completely sure I wanted to do this.
“Yes,” I said firmly, before I could change my mind. I wasn’t going to bow out tonight. I’m sure it’s what my sister expected from me knowing how much I hated to dance, but for once I was going to do the opposite.
“Shoes by the door,” the dance teacher instructed us as we stepped inside.
“Wait … but that’s not … ” Celia looked down at her expensive stilettos. “My outfit.” Then her eyes snapped to the cameraman. “Uh, sorry. I’m being silly. All the stress of planning a wedding so fast is making me forget myself. Let me just slip these off.”
My parents stood across the room barely acknowledging me. The instructor gestured for us to stand next to John, Kyle’s best man, and Celia’s best friend, Angie. My pulse spiked again. Every reminder of their circle of friends scraped like a wound.
“Ellie, you look good,” Angie said. She sounded genuine, but it was hard to tell sometimes with her.
John gave us a chin nod.
I didn’t intend to be all warm and fuzzy towards them tonight, but I could be cordial. Both of them had to have known my sister and Kyle were sleeping together before I did. And that, to me, was inexcusable.
“Okay, everyone let me have your attention. My name is Dee and I’ll be your instructor tonight. Typically I teach ballet and contemporary here in the studio, but ballroom dancing and hip hop have always been a love of mine.”
My hands started to sweat.
Dee smiled brightly. “We’ll polish the waltz, then transition to the choreographed hip hop number. You’ve all practiced, right?”
My stomach plunged as five couples nodded enthusiastically. I had no idea what Dee was talking about.
My fingers latched onto Drew’s forearm like a lifeline.
“What the fuck,” he muttered under his breath.
Celia twirled to the center, dragging Kyle with her, beaming like the star of the show.
Heat surged through my neck, anxiety flooding back. My hands shook, my chest tightened, the memory of high school humiliation flashing sharp and raw. Celia and I were in the same class and we had to perform a dance for our final grade and I stumbled so many times the other kids laughed.
Celia got an A and a standing ovation
Drew leaned in close, his chin brushing my shoulder. “Say the word and we’re out of here.”
I forced a breath in. Then another. The five-count inhale, five-count hold, five-count release I’d taught myself when panic tried to steal my air helped.
I gripped his hand. “I’m good.”
And for the first time in my life, I didn’t let Celia’s performance define me.
