Page 50 of Becoming Cinderella

I feel my chest tighten in growing panic. Did I say it out loud?

Liam quietly counts to three before he takes a step forward. “Your eyes have a little fleck of gold near the irises, did you know that?”

“What?” I almost stumble over my own feet but Liam catches me before I can lose my footing.

“Sorry,” we stop and I swipe a strand of hair away from my eyes. “Sorry.” I repeat.

I’m hyper aware of our proximity and the way his chest rises and falls, brushing up against mine every time he takes a breath.

We’re close and he’s complimenting my eyes and my hand is still on his bicep and I think my head is going to start spinning soon. Or my knees will buckle out from under me. Have I always been the kind of girl with weak knees? Do my knees have anything to do with it?

“Are you okay? Do you need a break?” He leans back slightly as if to get a better view of the nervous breakdown I'm having.

I want to tell him I do need a break, that maybe I’m just overdue for a nice breath of fresh air. Instead, I shake my head. “I’m fine, I just tripped over,” I look down to the ground and see there isn’t anything to blame. “The air?”

Liam laughs and the sound sends electric vibrations across my body. “That’s okay, I’m always here to catch you.”

I don’t look at him, so maybe he smirks as he says it, but it sounds almost unsteady which isn’t usually the tone behind a smirk.

“We should start again.” I somehow manage to say, even though it comes out croaky.

Liam pulls me against him, our frame not as open as it should be. We’re too close, but I don’t step back or correct him.

I’m not sure if it’s Liam’s heartbeat or mine I can feel rapidly beating against my chest as he lets go of my right hand to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear.

“Ready?” It comes out airy, the calm and collected Liam Taylor I’m used to seeing is gone. I think it’s possible Liam’s working to keep it together as much as I am.

I can only nod and before I try to over think any more, Liam steps off, starting us in on another attempt of the dance.

I wouldn’t have any idea that Liam was just doubting himself the way he is dancing now. I want to tell him what he’s hitting perfectly, but my words fail me because my eyes are locked with Liam’s and it’s amazing I can even remember my own name.

We make it through the first few counts of eight when Liam spins me out before he pulls me back towards him, dipping me down. This part of the dance doesn’t have a dip, but when Liam doesn’t pull me back up, I stay in that position, my bones suddenly rubber. Liam’s eyes stay on mine, his pupils have dilated to black and his Adam’s apple bobs when he swallows. I swear I can feel heat where his hand is gently placed on my back and just like when we were pretending to stargaze, his attention turns to my mouth as he slowly starts to tilt his head closer to mine.

My body feels like it currently has a hundred different currents coursing through it as I close my eyes, angling my head towards Liam as I wait for his lips to meet mine. A loud ringing comes from the table across the room and I jump, opening my eyes to see Liam’s face is only inches from mine.

He pulls back, bringing me to a standing position as we look at the source of our interruption. My own disappointment is mirrored on Liam’s own features.

“That’s my alarm. I have to go pick up Rylee from soccer practice.” I step away from him to go silence my phone. I know this isn’t Rylee’s fault, but really, can’t she just walk home or something? I turn off my alarm and look back at Liam. “I’m sorry, I have to leave. You can stay and practice if you need to. I’ll come back and lock up the studio later.”

My mom will kill me if she finds out I left the studio unattended and unlocked, but what is one more thing to keep from her? I hurry to gather my items, trying not to look at Liam through the mirror. I was going to make things awkward now between us, wasn’t I? Why do I allow myself to get in my head and over think every possible interaction?

“Whoa, wait.” Liam grabs my elbow to stop me. His hold slides down my forearm to my hand, interlacing his fingers with mine. “Are we okay?”

I don’t know how he expects me to answer that right now with the way his thumb is rubbing small circles on the back of my hand. I don’t know if he’s doing it without realizing, but it’s affecting my thoughts.

I look at his eyes before my gaze drops to his mouth and my body is practically buzzing with enough electricity that I could hold a lightbulb and it would light up. Rylee can wait, right? Who cares if I’m a little late?

I take too long to answer though, because Liam stops with his supposedly soothing but not actually soothing circles and I don’t miss the doubt that crosses his face.

“Yeah, we’re good. Of course we’re good.” The words tumble out so the doubt will leave his face.

In fact, I can argue we’ve never been better.

I feel a smile spread across my face as this thought crosses my mind and Liam’s own smile isn’t far behind.

The second alarm I have set goes off and Liam withdraws his hand from mine. My hand suddenly feels empty and cold and I officially hate having to play chauffeur.

Liam grabs his keys and his phone from the table and follows me out the back door, turning off the studio lights for me as we go.

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