Page 32 of Becoming Cinderella

“That’s it, I’m officially coming home next weekend. Wait, no, I work next weekend.” I hear papers being flipped on the other end of the line and I’m positive she’s looking at her planner. “Okay, well, I’m coming home soon. Can I meet him? Carter, you have to let me meet him.”

Before I’m able to give her an answer she starts talking to someone next to her, I assume her roommate.

“My sister is dating Liam Taylor.” I can’t hear what the roommate says but Harper follows up with, “yes, that Liam Taylor. She helped him escape fans at her store.” Another pause. “I’m dead serious! She’s going to introduce me. Of course I’ll take a photo.”

“Harp,” I try to pull her attention back to our phone call. She cannot be telling people I’m dating him! Did she not just hear a word I said?

Harper either doesn’t hear me, or ignores me, and giggles at whatever her roommate says.

“Harper!” I say louder as she continues with the conversation with her roommate. “Harper!”

“What?”

“I’m not dating him.”

“That’s not what it looked like.”

I refrain from rolling my eyes since she can’t see it. “Harp, come on.”

“Fine. I want to meet him anyway.”

“Well, you’ll have to talk to Mom about that. She’s banned me from seeing him.”

“What?” Harper’s gasp is loud.

“Yep.” I don’t want to tell her I’m still sneaking around to see him. Penn is the only one who I can let in on that secret. The less people who know, the less chance of it getting out.

Which reminds me that I’m meeting Liam at his hotel for a late rehearsal tonight.

I end our phone call as I hide a pair of leggings and my dance shoes in my backpack. I can’t leave the house carrying them without causing any questions.

It turns out lying to my parents is easy. They don’t even second guess when I tell them I’m going to Penn’s to start on a long-term project for Spanish.

It’s not that I like lying to my parents. I haven’t lied to them to this extent before, but Liam is only in town for another month before filming wraps and the lies will leave with him.

And it is lies, as in plural. I’m lying to my parents about my whereabouts, I’m lying to Penn about Jared’s feelings, and I’m even lying to Liam about my level of fangirl. It’s starting to wear me down, but the finish line is so close, and none of them will ever even know the truth. These harmless little lies will all be worth it. They have to be.

The next afternoon I arrive at the studio twenty minutes before Liam is set to arrive. I turn on a playlist of songs from past Hip-Hop performances and run through the steps I’ve done so many times I could do them in my sleep. It’s been a while since I’ve danced for myself. I’ve been too busy with school and work and then between teaching my seven and eight-year old’s as well as Liam.

It feels good to break free from the tight ballroom dance frame and jump around.

I’m not sure how much time has passed, only that I’ve made it through several of the songs on the playlist when I slump over and slowly roll back to a standing position when I spot Liam in the mirror. He is leaning against the wall in the hallway that leads into the studio, watching me with a wide grin.

I stop dancing, suddenly feeling self-conscious with Liam’s eyes on me.

“What was that?” He doesn’t make any motion of moving away from the wall.

“Nothing.” I tuck some hair behind an ear self-consciously as I walk towards the table with my phone.

I’ve danced in front of people many times with no problem, but for some reason having Liam watching me makes my stomach clench in a way dancing for judges never has. I hurry and switch the song to one we warm up to.

“That wasn’t nothing.” Liam crosses his arms as he pushes off the wall. “That was really good.”

“You sound surprised.” I raise an eyebrow at him.

He steps further into the studio, dropping his phone and keys next to mine. “Not at all, I just haven’t seen you do anything aside from my assigned choreography. You’re really talented, Carter.”

I wave off the compliment and turn away from him because I feel my cheeks flush. Why does a simple compliment from him send a rush through me?

---