Maybe I had room for more, after all.
Lily sat, looking pleased as I cut a thick slice, then she glanced around the room. A puff of air escaped her lips. “Oh! I was looking at that earlier. Angéla, I swear, you look just like your mom when she was younger.”
A photo album was opened on the coffee table. Lifting my plate, I breathed in the rich scent of chocolate, calculating the number of crunches I’d have to do to compensate for today, and said, “Yeah, they’re the real twins in the house. Ma loves breaking out old photos and reliving her glory days,” I teased.
Secretly, I loved it when she did. Getting out albums and watching old performances made her happy. She’d given up a lot when she decided to focus on teaching, so if she wanted to show off sometimes, even if it was just to us, I figured she’d earned it.
Having a new victim—er, guest—to impress must’ve inspired today’s walk down memory lane, and from the way my sister’s eyes suddenly widened, I assumed she’d drawn the same conclusion.
“Ooh, Ma, Lily’s never seen any of your performances,” Angéla said eagerly. “We should show her the one from Blackpool. Or maybe the World Pro Salsa Championship?”
Ma bit back a smile. “No, no one wants to see that,” she said, trying to downplay her excitement. “We should watch a movie. The latest Marvel is on Amazon…”
Whether Lily picked up on my mother’s pathetically veiled eagerness, or she was genuinely interested, I didn’t know. But her eyes lit with enthusiasm. “Are you kidding? I’d love to see you dance. I mean, technically I’ve watched you at Ilusiòn, but it’d be awesome to see it done with costumes and makeup and the whole shebang.”
“Well, if you’re sure,” Ma said modestly, casually playing with the strings on her favorite throw pillow. Her lips twitched at the corners, and my sister and I shared a glance as we started mouthing the countdown: three…two…
The battle didn’t even make it to one. Ma’s smile flew free as she bounced out of her seat, rushing to the cabinet where she kept her prized collection. Dad coughed to hide his amusement, Chase chuckled quietly, and I stuffed my mouth with a forkful of chocolate frosting. The woman was in charge of my meals. I wasn’t about to piss her off.
A minute later, the familiar horns from “Salsa” by Yuri Buenaventura filled the room, and onscreen, a couple pranced out onto a wide-open dance floor. Ma dove back onto the sofa, everything but her physical body already reliving the 2002 World Championship. Lily leaned forward, her feet planted on the ground, already mesmerized by the performance.
Since I’d seen this routine more times than I could count, I chose to watch Lily’s face instead, cataloging her expressions as she experienced the intricate steps, high-energy twirls, crazy tricks, and sheer attitude that was my mom in the zone. If I had to pick one word to describe her reaction, it’d be wonder.
“She’s breathtaking,” she whispered with a slight shake of her head. “This is salsa?”
“This is salsa,” I confirmed, setting down my plate. I smiled and pressed close to her ear. “Look at their feet,” I murmured quietly. “It’s the same basic moves you’ve already learned. They just added a few you haven’t.”
Lily’s body began subtly moving to the rhythm, and I pointed out the steps I recognized. “Cross-body lead…the hammerlock. That’s the copa, straight into a barrel roll.”
With every step, every kick, every dip, Lily swayed beside me, almost as if she were dancing vicariously through my mother. Her breathing sped, her cheeks flushed, and her eyes darted across the screen.
When the final horn section kicked in, signaling the end, Lily clutched my hand. Her nails dug moon-shaped crescents into my skin while she watched my mom climb on top of her partner, rising until she was straddling his shoulders…and as the last notes rang out, Lily’s entire body went still, totally entranced as Ma flipped around, dipped straight back, and hung upside down while the song faded to a close.
Lily’s mouth tumbled open and stayed there.
Grinning proudly, Angéla picked up the remote and hit pause. “So…what did you think?”
Lily blinked. “What did I think?” she repeated incredulously. She pressed her lips together, and her shoulders vibrated with a small laugh before she shook her head in amazement. “I think it was incredible…and I couldn’t pull off any of it in a million years, especially that killer ending.”
“Eh, sure you could,” Ma replied, waving a hand dismissively. From her spot snuggled up against my dad, her green eyes glowed with contentment. “It takes practice and confidence, as some of the moves are advanced. But they are nothing you couldn’t handle. Even the ending.”
Lily snorted. “I doubt there’s enough hours in the day for me to earn that level of confidence.”
My mother didn’t reply, but her gaze was warm and knowing. I had the strangest feeling she was up to something. While we continued visiting her favorite performances of years past, she kept sneaking glances at Lily, at Angéla, and at me, making my suspicions grow. By the time she turned off the television and the room fell quiet, I was officially on high alert.
The sofa creaked as Ma shifted. She licked her lips, and my pulse began pounding in time with the rain hitting the windows. Angéla and I exchanged another look. Were they finally gonna tell us about the rent problems? Or was something else going on now, too?
One by one, empty plates dotted with cake crumbs hit the coffee table, and the air grew thick with anticipation. Other than the rain, no one made a sound, not even Chase, which by itself was noteworthy.
Lily scooted closer on the sofa, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her shirt…and then Abuela’s sonorous snore cut through the tension like a nasal chainsaw. The entire room took a collective breath, then chuckled lightly.
“Ma, what is it?” I asked. “What’s going on?”
Dad smiled encouragingly, and she exhaled. “I’ve decided to hold a showcase,” she announced. My eyebrows lifted in surprise. “Some old friends at Cypress Performing Arts Center have generously donated the space, and in one month, Ilusiòn is going to show this town what it really means to dance!”
The last line was delivered with a dramatic, over-the-top flourish, clearly orchestrated to make us smile, but she’d failed to hide the slight tremor in her hand.
I leaned forward. There was more to this than a simple recital. While she’d trained couples for various competitions over the years, she’d never once held one herself. Not anything larger than an in-house exhibition, anyway. Doing so now, when her childhood dream was in trouble, seemed like an odd choice.
As if reading my mind, Angéla asked, “Why now?”
Ma cleared her throat delicately. “We believe it will bring attention to the studio. If enough people come to watch the performances, they might decide to sign up for lessons, too. And if not, well, it will still be fun.”
While the words, “Then we’ll end things on a bang,” never left her mouth, they might as well have.
Angéla, who still didn’t know the full extent of our money issues, smiled cautiously, and my best friend sent me a curious look. It was Lily’s reaction, though, that made my heart clench.
Gently biting her lip, she turned to me with wide eyes shining with hope. I wasn’t alone in my worry anymore. The studio wasn’t just important to me. But even as her optimism acted like a balm to my soul, it made the tight knot in my gut grow thicker.
I’d started feeling guilty when we were friends. Now that we were more, it was almost overwhelming. Every time she slid me her sweet, trusting smile, I wanted to believe I deserved it. That I was the guy she thought I was. But how could I be when I was keeping a secret?
“Ever since Mom died, I’ve noticed how rare it is for people to be honest anymore. To be real.”
Lily’s words from the carnival raced through my mind as self-loathing joined the toxic sludge of anxiety already churning in my stomach. The box of cash in my closet whispered from down the hall.
“Who’s goin
g to perform?” Angéla asked, bringing me back to the current problem. She tucked her legs under her, apparently over her previous shock. She practically vibrated with excitement. “I have a couple students who’d love to show off what they’ve learned.”
Ma’s shoulders relaxed, looking relieved my sister hadn’t pushed the issue. As she shifted forward, a bit of that old sparkle returned to her eyes. “I want a variety of styles represented,” she told us. “Smooth and rhythmic. Couples and individuals. A group of ladies and then a group of couples, dancing to the same song. High-energy and unique. Some of the students will be obvious.” She winked at Angéla before turning her attention to Chase. “And I have the perfect MC in mind.”
Up until now, my best friend had quietly observed the conversation from his side of the sofa. Almost like he didn’t want to intrude on a private family moment. He still hadn’t grasped that he was family. “Me?” he asked, sounding dumbfounded.
“Of course. I want to charm the town into taking lessons,” she told him with a smile. “You will have them eating out of the palm of your hand.”
“I’ll do anything I can, Mrs. V,” he said humbly, and Ma nodded, struggling with emotion.
Next, she shifted her gaze to the center of the sofa, and Lily’s eyes went comically wide. “What? Not me.” She gestured to her chest with her free hand while the one around mine clamped down. “I mean, Stone, I get. Absolutely. He’ll have people jumping to sign up for lessons. But me? Mrs. Viktória, I’ll have them running for the exits.”
I nudged her in the ribs, even if I understood her concern. Lily had come a long way in three short weeks, but this event was taking place in only four more. She was a beginner. A baby one at that.
Ma reached across the coffee table, setting her hand on Lily’s knee. “My darling, you have a beautiful dancer body with long lines and graceful arms. When you let go and have fun, you positively shine.” Then, she glanced between us, a knowing, happy smile twitching her lips as she added, “Besides, I’d like to showcase a youthful couple. The two of you are perfect.”
“But what if I mess up?” Lily pressed, her voice rising with concern. “All those people watching? I’ll tank the performance and ruin the whole event.”
“Sweet girl, you will not be the only couple performing. Even if you were, you must stop fighting so hard. Don’t worry about what could happen. Live in the moment. If you mess up or stumble, just make it part of the dance.”
Looking between them, it was obvious my mom’s words had struck a chord. Lily nodded slowly, but her eyes kept darting around the room. “But you said the event is in a month. Will four more lessons be enough?”
I wasn’t the best at reading women. My sister confused me on the regular, my mom was a mystery most of the time, and my abuela? She was an enigma, wrapped in a puzzle, coated in a riddle. But I was already growing fluent in Lily Bailey. I knew what made her tick. And while I still didn’t understand why Ma was pushing for this now, and I wasn’t thrilled with the idea of dancing in public myself, or the inevitable comments from a few of the more outspoken Boosters, I recognized that for whatever reason, this meant something to Ma.
Lowering my gaze, I focused on our linked hands. I couldn’t see the trust in Lily’s eyes when I played my ace card. “Did you know Harvard has a Ballroom Club?”
The acid in my gut gurgled.
When she didn’t respond, I licked my lips. “If you added another lesson during the week, you’d be better prepared for the dance, and it’ll help pad your application. Round it out a little more.” I swallowed past the knot lodged in my throat. “You don’t tutor on Wednesdays, and I’ll be working at the studio anyway. It’d be a perfect time for a second class.”
I forced myself to look up. Lily stared at me in guarded bewilderment. Next, I turned to Ma, and she smiled at me gratefully. Hope warred with sadness in her eyes, and as Dad put his arm around her, I finally understood.
This was the studio’s swan song. That was what she believed. It was why she was so nervous, and it explained why she was pushing so hard. She wanted her family involved in her last hurrah, along with every other person she truly cared about. Evidently, that list now included Lily.
Focusing back on my girlfriend, I squeezed her hand, needing help once again. I was asking a lot. We hadn’t even been officially together a full weekend, and here I was pushing for more, adding to a debt I doubted I could ever repay.
Blue eyes held mine for a long, tense moment, and in their depths, I could see her weakening. She knew I was right about Harvard liking ballroom lessons on her application, and even more, she wanted to help. Even if it took more time away from schoolwork.
A fresh batch of guilt piled on the steaming mixture.
Finally, she whispered, “Okay,” and I released the breath I’d been holding. “Let’s do it.”
A cheer rose across the room. Ma and Angéla jumped up from the sofas, yanking her into a three-way hug. As Lily laughed, already getting swept up in their enthusiasm, I shoved down the emotions threatening to choke me.
…
A few hours later, Chase found me in my room.
“There you are. I thought you’d decided to follow Lily home.”
I looked up from the hole I was staring into my wall. “Nope.”
He lifted his eyebrows. “I see hooking up with a brainiac has expanded your vocabulary. Good for you.” I flipped him off, and with a smartass grin, he shut the door and walked over to where I sat on the bed. He dropped like a rock onto the mattress. “Watching paint dry?”
I sighed heavily. I wasn’t in the mood for his jokes. “Just thinking, man.”
“Ouch. Don’t hurt yourself.”
I didn’t respond. We sat there quietly for about a minute. Chase looked around my room, staring at the same furniture, same books, same trophies he’d seen a thousand times. His knee bounced and then he pushed to his feet, headed to my opened closet.
“You know, despite what you might’ve heard, I’m not just a pretty face,” he quipped as I dropped my head into my hands. I listened to him dig through my shit like he always did, probably flipping through my stash of old comics. We were both low-key nerds. “Some would even say I’m a halfway-decent listener. If you want to get technical about it, I’m a killer best friend. So, if you decide you want to talk about what’s going on in that huge noggin of yours, I’m…”
“You’re what?” I asked after a moment of silence, looking at the floor. “And what are you looking for, anyway? If it’s Deadpool vs. The Punisher, I think it’s on the dresser.”
I gestured lazily in the direction opposite my closet, expecting to hear him clomp across my room any second. When he didn’t, and still didn’t say anything, I wearily lifted my head. “Man, what’s…” I trailed off when I saw what he held.
“What the fuck are you thinking?”
My eyes bugged out at his anger. I’d only seen Chase pissed a handful of times, and only once had been at me. Sixth grade, over a stupid girl no less. But there was no mistaking the cold flash of fury in his eyes or the flexing of his fingers as they clenched around the open shoebox.
Fear hit my chest, followed immediately by confusion. Why in the hell was he pissed? He didn’t even know Lily that well. If anything, he should be on my side, trying to help me find a way out from under this shitstorm.
I stared at him blankly, watching the vein in his temple pop…then realized what he’d assumed.
“Dude, no. That’s not from a recruiter.” I almost laughed at how wrong he was. How much easier would my life have been if it had been an illegal bribe? “That’s not what that is.”
“Oh yeah? Then what the hell is it? Because from where I’m standing, you’ve been freaking out about your parents being strapped for cash and now you’re sitting on a fat wad of it stashed away in your closet. You realize this is your future you’re messing with, right?”
“Damn, will you stop?” Getting up, I strode to my door. I looked both ways down the hall
, making sure no one had heard his stupid theories, then closed it again. I grabbed the box from his hand and shoved it back on the top shelf. “Right motivation, wrong conclusion. I’m telling you, it’s not from a recruiter.”
Chase scowled and crossed his arms. Two seconds later, his hands were on his hips.
“Okay, then. What is it? Where did you get that money, and why are you hiding it?”
Exhaling, I nodded toward my bed, silently telling him to sit. In a way, I was glad this happened. If I had to go much longer keeping this bottled up, I would’ve gone insane.
When we were both sitting, him twirling a loose string from my comforter around his finger and me leaned against the headboard, I looked him straight in the eyes. “The money is from Lily’s dad.”
Unsurprisingly, his face twisted in confusion. Horror quickly followed.
“It’s not as bad as it sounds. Or, damn, I hope not. You remember a few weeks ago I asked about her in gym?” Chase nodded slowly. “Well, the weekend before, she’d come in to the studio for a lesson. Not because she wanted to. Her dad made her because…” I cleared my throat. “It’s not important why. The point is, he saw she wasn’t into it. He travels a lot, and he figured the second he skipped town, she’d bail on the lessons. So he asked me to keep her interested.”
Already, I saw the wheels turning in Chase’s head, again drawing the wrong conclusions.
“Not like that…although, looking back, it could seem that way. It was the reason I started hanging out with her, initially, which now makes everything worse.” I scrubbed a hand over my eyes. “Mr. Bailey paid me what it would’ve cost if he’d signed up for lessons, too, and all he asked was I be her partner and encourage her to stick with it. You know Ma needed the money. I figured this could help. But then…I don’t know. We spent time together. And Lily? She’s incredible, man. Funny and smart. Weird, too, but in a cute way. Quirky. She gets me like I can’t even explain and has me so twisted up I can’t see straight.”
Eyes on Me Page 20
