Breaking Away

by Toni Aleo

  She was being fake but with the way Stacey and the kids were grinning, they believed her, which was great, but when Kevin said, “Actually, I have room on my tour now and would love to come to your studio.”

  She wanted die right there. For fuck’s sake, she thought as she smiled. “Oh, really?”

  “Yes! We’d love to come. I’ve always wanted to come to Tennessee, but Kevin is really weird about that state, don’t know why! I’m so excited!”

  “Me too,” Kevin said, looking Reese right in the eyes. “So I guess we will go straight to Tennessee after the rest of the senior solos. Maybe we can get together tomorrow, work out some stuff, and then have the class on Tuesday?”

  Reese wanted to scream more than she wanted her next breath, but with Claire and Brian looking at her like she was holding the world in her hands, she nodded and said, “That will be fine.”

  “Awesome, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon. Gives us both time to sleep.”

  Reese could only nod as dread filled her. “Great.”

  Phillip knew that Kevin coming to Reese’s studio was on the other side of great. It was from his understanding a fucking nightmare but, for some reason, Reese was just standing there, nodding and saying yes, when Phillip knew she didn’t want to do that at all. He didn’t understand what the hell was going on, but he intended to find out.

  “I’m so excited!” Claire gushed as Brian grinned beside her. Reese looked away, moving her hand through her long hair. She had it down today, only a pin holding back one side, and she looked sweet. In a pair of tight jeans that hugged every inch of her sexy legs, she wore a long, honey-colored shirt that brought out the color in her eyes. She had light makeup on, but that was his fault. He kept her busy most the morning, trying to fill the void of not having her for the last three weeks, so she only got to throw a little bit on.

  “Claire Anderson?”

  Everyone turned to see the backstage lady walking towards them. Her clipboard was in her hand as she pointed to Claire. “There are three numbers left, please follow me backstage.”

  “Okay,” Claire said before looking up at him and smiling. This weekend was great for them. Not only had they finally talked about things that needed to be said, but also they had connected. She knew that he was proud of her, that he loved her, and couldn’t live a decent life without her. Dance had turned into something they both needed, and he hoped to God, she went up on that stage and killed the shit out of this dance. He knew she could do it.

  Reaching out, he squeezed her shoulder. “Go kick some major ass.”

  “That’s my plan,” she said with a cocky grin before looking over at Reese, who had pride shining in her eyes as she hugged her tightly.

  “Whatever happens up on that stage, remember that no matter what I am super proud of you. You’ve performed amazingly this weekend. I know that you’re going to murder this dance and own that stage. I am so insanely proud of you. You aren’t the girl that first came to my studio. You have grown so much and my God, I could just squeeze you.”

  Claire giggled. “I wouldn’t be where I am without you, you know that, but thank you. You better believe first place is mine.”

  They all smiled as she ran off with Brian to catch up with backstage lady.

  “We are going to go watch,” Reese said to the douche and the pretty woman beside him as she started for the stage.

  “Of course, we’ll see you tomorrow!” the lady said as she waved quickly, her little boy mimicking her with a huge grin on his face.

  Turning around, Phillip walked along side of Reese as they headed for the spot for the instructors to watch.

  “What was all that about?”

  She shook her head. “Hell if I know. I don’t know how he weaseled his way into my studio, but he has and I’m not happy about it.”

  “So tell him no.”

  “I can’t,” she said with a defeated sigh. “You saw Claire and Brian. I may hate him, but Kevin is famous and they would love to learn from him. I have to do what’s best for my dancers and if having that twat bag at my studio is what is best, then I’ll do it.”

  He loved this side of her. This was the real Reese, and he thoroughly enjoyed this side of her. She was slowly but surely tearing down the walls she had up. She was becoming comfortable around him, and he was thankful for that because with every touch, every kiss, and every moment he spent with her, he fell a little more. She was the other half of him he was missing and even though their relationship was supposed to be fun and carefree, it was more than that for him. There had been so many times this weekend he wanted to tell her that, but the thought of her running away kept him from saying the words. He was scared.

  How he was scared of a little thing like her was beyond him, but he was. She and Claire were the big goon defensemen that could take him out of the game of love. They could ruin him. He had to make sure that never happened, because he loved them with every fiber in his body. Turning to face her, he reached out, cupping her face, and smiled.

  “I am proud of you.”

  She arched an eyebrow. “What for?”

  “For being you. It takes a lot to put aside your issues with him for your kids.”

  She smiled as she looked away shyly, shrugging her shoulders. “It’s no big deal.”

  “No, it is,” he insisted as he leaned closer, brushing his lips against hers. “And it doesn’t go unnoticed.”

  She looked up, her eyes soft as she smiled. He smiled back and kissed her fully on the lips before hugging her into his side. In a comfortable silence, they watched as the girl before Claire performed to some Taylor Swift song. He loved having her in his arms. The feel of her sweet body against his sent molten lava through his veins, and he was convinced that he could live with her as a permanent appendage on his body. It might be hard to play hockey with her glued to him but, in a way, he didn’t care. He never wanted to let her go.

  He was hopped up on the way Reese made him feel. She put him on a high that was indescribable. He was hooked. She was his drug, and he was utterly fine with admitting his addiction to her. Moving his hand into her back pocket, he was rewarded with a sneaky little smile.

  “You trying to get frisky?”

  He gave her a cocky grin. “Aren’t I always?”

  “True, very true, but you’re gonna have to wait. Claire is about to come on.”

  He moved his nose in her hair and took in a deep breath. “I have no problem waiting for you.”

  She giggled as she pushed him away playfully. “Shh, you’re turning me on.”

  “Good,” he said, kissing her jaw. “Now you’ll have to wait, too.”

  She scowled at him. “I hate waiting.”

  “Sorry,” he said with a shrug as they called Claire’s name. Turning to look at the stage, he smiled when he felt Reese’s hand slide into his back pocket. He tried to ignore the desire he had for Reese as he watched Claire get in position. When the song started and she started moving like her body was the music, Phillip found himself in awe of her beauty. He had seen her dance with a partner and in a group, but he decided that watching her dance alone was his favorite. She commanded the stage, owned it, made it her bitch, and it was mesmerizing to watch.

  “I like her outfit a lot more today,” he said as she leaped in the air before landing and pulling her leg behind her head.

  “Figures you’d like the one that covers all of her,” Reese teased, poking him in the side and making him jump.

  He smiled as Claire continued to turn for what seemed like forever before falling to the ground and arching her back. Tears stung his eyes like they had the first time he saw her perform this dance. When the song ended, her eyes were wide and full of emotion. Phillip let Reese go to cheer like he was in a hockey rink, and not at a national dance competition. He knew people were looking at him like he was nuts, but nothing mattered but letting Claire know how proud of her he was. When she went off the stage, Reese took his hand and led him backstage, where Claire ran
right into him, hugging him so tight he couldn’t breathe.

  “I was so scared I was going to mess up,” she whispered against his chest. He held her, kissing the top of her head.

  “No way, you had that.”

  She shook her head before looking up at him. “You think so?”

  “I know so,” he said with a wink.

  “I agree, I think you’re going to be three for three, Claire,” Reese said with a wide grin.

  Claire looked from her to Phillip. He smiled before hugging her tight. “Now go up there and get your hardware so we can go home.”

  Claire smiled as she let him go. “Can we get ice cream, too?”

  “Ooh, can we? I second that request,” Reese chimed in.

  He chuckled as he shook his head but, inside, he was on his knees, thanking the sweet Lord above. This was what he wanted. He wanted these moments with the two women that meant the most to him. He knew that it was only ice cream, but it meant way more to him. It was the start of something that he never wanted to end. He knew that Reese was nowhere ready to settle down and admit that she loved him, but he felt like she was getting there and he wasn’t about to stop loving her. Not when the end result was within reach. When Claire went three for three, getting the highest score, only three points away from perfect, and placing first overall, Phillip saw tears in Reese’s eyes and he knew right then that she was almost there. She only needed a little more time to see that they worked together as a unit, a team.

  That they could work as a family even.

  STANDING ALONE in a room with Kevin Edds was probably the last place she thought she’d be when she walked away from him three years before.

  But sometimes the moments you’d think would least happen come around and bite you in the ass. Blah, she wished she were anywhere but here. She felt naked with his lazy gaze on her. He stood against the wall, looking up at her from his phone while she stood by the iHome. Despite the fact that she was fully clothed in black tights, shorts, and a long-sleeved sweatshirt, she felt like he could see right through the layers she wore. Before, she loved it. She loved how he looked at her like she was a piece of the most succulent meat he’d ever put in his mouth but now, now she wouldn’t piss on him if he were on fire. She didn’t care that he looked sinful, all tall and lean in a pair of dance shorts and a tank, because she didn’t want anything from him.

  Ever again.

  She had regretted her decision of inviting him to the studio a hundred times over, but she had done it and now had to live with the decision she made. The whole way home from Chicago with Phillip and Claire, she tried to figure out why she said yes. She told Phillip it was because of the kids, but was that the real reason? It didn’t feel right. She felt like there was more to her decision, but she couldn’t figure out what that was. She needed to figure it out but all she kept doing was wishing him to the millionth circle of hell. She wasn’t sure if there was one but she sure hoped so, because Kevin Edds needed to leave and make that place his home.

  Reese hated how she was holding all this anger towards him. She needed to do as Phillip said and let it go. They were done, he was dead to her, so why did she allow herself to hate him so? Why was being in a room with him, alone, making her want to gouge out his eyeballs? This should be easy. Pick a damn song to show the expert class he was teaching and be done with him, but it wasn’t that easy. He wanted to show off both their skills and she had no problem doing that, but he wanted to do it together in a couple’s dance like they used to do all the time. And that was a huge problem since she hadn’t touched him in years and the thought of their bodies touching again had her on edge.

  “Why are you scowling at me?”

  Reese scowled even more. “Because I don’t like you, and I don’t want to be in this room with you.”

  He laughed as he came off the wall, his brown eyes locked on hers. “I always loved how blunt you were, never really hid what you were thinking.”

  She watched him walk towards her, tucking his phone in his pocket before standing in front of her. He was close enough to kiss or even for her to backhand him, but she decided against both as he said, “I miss that about you.”

  Pushing him away, she said, “You don’t have the right to miss anything about me. Shut up and let’s get this done.”

  “Why are you so mad? Shouldn’t you be over all that by now? It was eons ago.”

  She glared. “How can you not expect me to be angry with what you did to me?”

  He shrugged his shoulders. “It wasn’t a big deal. We had a fling. It had to end.”

  She swore she was about to have steam coming out of her ears and look like one of those crazy cartoons. “Are you flipping crazy? It was no fling. I loved you, and you loved me. You told me so countless times. How dare you say that?”

  This wasn’t going to work. There was no way she was going to be able to dance with him. No, she was going to break his kneecaps and throw his body out the damn window!

  Holding out his hands in a calm-down motion, he said, “Whoa, calm down, killer. I know that you loved me, shit Reese, I fucking loved you, with all of me, but it came down to what was more important. My family or you, and it was my family.”

  Reese felt tears sting her eyes. “That’s fine, because I completely agree, but you should have never made me believe that I was it, that I was yours! You should have told me you had a wife and child!”

  He shrugged. “You’re right, but it wasn’t that easy. I had to have you. I was attracted the moment I saw you. Your body was, and still, is killer. Your face was gorgeous and when you moved, I couldn’t breathe. I know it was wrong of me but if I had told you about my family, you wouldn’t have slept with me. I needed to have you.”

  She blanched as she looked into his hard, brown eyes. “You’re fucking right!” she screamed. “I would have never loved you. I would have never done anything. You would have been completely off limits, because I’m no fucking home wrecker! But you made me one! You broke my heart, and you made me into a whore! You chased me off from the one place that held my dreams because I couldn’t bear being seen as your other woman. You ruined me, Kevin, when all you were supposed to do was love me and help me reach my goal and dreams. I thought you were that person, and I was wrong. So damn wrong.”

  She shook her head as she looked away. She felt the tears wanting to fall but, thank God, she didn’t allow them to. She had cried enough over Kevin Edds, and she wouldn’t allow herself to do it any longer. Instead, she looked back at him like he was the most disgusting piece of trash in the dumpster. She had thought so highly of him, she thought she knew him, but she was wrong. “You used me. You misled me into thinking that the things I felt and the dreams I had for us were within reach when they weren’t. So yes, I am still mad. But don’t you even think for a second that it is because I am still in love with you. Because believe me, I’m not. This moment right now solidifies that. I am disgusted with myself for ever loving you. I wasted my love on you. I allowed you to ruin me. I hate that, but let me tell you right now,” she said, taking a step towards him, “I’ll never make that mistake again.”

  Saying those words were what she needed. This was what she needed. This moment to tell Kevin Edds that he was dead to her. She felt like the weight of the world was taken off her chest, and she could breathe again. She could live her life without ever thinking of this man again, thinking of the what ifs. This man used her, and it took him saying the things he had to make her realize that. She had done no wrong back then, it was all him, and knowing that help her cope with all the anger she had in her. He was out to get her, he was the villain in their love story, and she was glad to no longer be a part of it. It was like she was closing the book on them, and she was completely fine with that.

  Taking another step towards him, she looked up and smiled as she said, “Now let’s get this done and then do this class. When you walk out my doors to the van that holds your family, know that this is the last time we will ever see each other o
r talk. When you see me in the dance world, look the other way, because we have nothing to say to each other. Love your wife and only your wife; don’t ever do to her what you did again. I don’t know how she stays with you, maybe she doesn’t know, but that isn’t my problem, it’s yours. You have to live with that and live what you have done to me, but I don’t think you care, so let’s get this done and never see each other again.”

  Taking a step back, she reached for the iPod and found the song that she wanted to dance to. She didn’t care what he wanted. They were dancing to this, and there was no discussing it.

  “She does know about us,” he said, stopping her fingers on the iPod. “And she was going to leave me, take my son and the child she was pregnant with at the time, and take me to the cleaners.”

  Reese turned and met his sorrowful eyes. “She gave me twenty-four hours to decide what I wanted and I picked you, I did, but then my son crawled into my lap, looked up at me with the same colored eyes as his mother, and I couldn’t do it, Reese. I couldn’t lose him. So I chose her and broke it off with you the next day. It killed me, it did, and I hate that I hurt you. When I found out you left, I was ready to chase after you to bring you back because we couldn’t lose you at the company, too. Then Stacey lost our baby and I decided I had to let you go, that I had to worry about my family. I made Stacey promise not to blame you—that it was entirely my fault. For the longest time things were strained but, after a lot of counseling, we are back to where we should be. You have to believe me when I say that I am so sorry for what I did. I don’t expect you to forgive me, the deceiving and the lying is unforgiveable, but know that I loved you. I did, but I know I wasn’t and am still not the man for you.”

  Her lips wobbled as he looked away.

  “You’re a star, Reese, the brightest one in the sky, and you deserve a man that will help you shine brighter. A man that will cherish you and never look at another woman after being with you. I’m sorry that I held your heart hostage the way I did. I had no right to do that to you. That is the main reason that I am here. I needed to apologize.”