Dance For Me: (A Dark College/Enemies to Lovers) (Alder Academy Book 1)

by Erin Trejo

  “This is going to get good,” Knox mumbles and Callan and Shane shift in their seats. I stand here with my arms crossed over my chest waiting.

  “Let’s hear it!” She turns to face me, her eyes full of fury.

  “I’ve never been in a place where someone has actually cared about me. What I was, what I am is a pawn. My whole life has been one lie after another, and you can’t stand here and tell me that the three of you didn’t use me to your advantage!” And the bomb drops. So does my stomach. She stands with her eyes burning into me. So much anger still resides inside of her. So much hurt.

  “Go ahead, Steele. Tell me that isn’t true.” I toss the joint to the ground, snuffing it out with the toe of my shoe before looking back up at her.

  “You’re right. You were a job that we were supposed to get close to. We were supposed to find out what you knew about your real parents. Then we were supposed to kill you.” The small gasp that leaves her mouth tears my soul apart. She didn’t know that part. I didn’t want her to know that part. Slowly she looks to Callan and then Knox before hardening that shell of hers and looking back to me.

  “Then why didn’t you do it?” I shake my head, not sure how to explain this to her. She steps closer to me, sticking her hand in my pocket and before I can think about it, she has my switchblade, flipping it open. “Remember the first time you used this on me?” Her voice is flat, not one single emotion coming through as she raises it to her throat. Her head slowly rises, and her eyes burn into mine.

  “What are you trying to prove here?” I ask crossing my arms over my chest.

  “That I’m disposable. Just like I’ve always been.”

  “Whisper. Please stop,” Shane cries. Callan grabs her when she tries to stand up and pulls her back. He whispers in her ear, calming her a little.

  “No one has wanted me alive. I don’t know what’s taken so long to do it. What are they waiting for? What are you waiting for?” she asks, staring me down. I see the slight tremble in her hand but when I don’t answer, she presses the blade into her skin a little more. She never winces, just holds it there.

  “What are you waiting for?” I ask her the same question she asked me. Her eyes narrow slightly before she smirks. It’s dark and haunted. Not one I want to see on her perfect face. Just as she’s about to slit her throat, I move. I grab the knife in one hand, tossing it to the side and jerk her body against mine with the other.

  “You forgot to let me finish,” I growl. Whisper laughs darkly, shoving me away from her.

  “By all means,” she says, gesturing toward me while trickles of blood run down her neck.

  “I thought about killing you at first. It made sense to just get it over with. I didn’t really understand why my dad wanted you alive or to find out what you knew. Who gives a shit what you know, right?” She crosses her arms over her chest now, glaring back at me.

  “Then things changed. Then I didn’t really want to kill you. I wanted to keep you. Did Knox tell you why my dad had my ass beat that night?” She looks to Knox then back to me.

  “Because of me.”

  “It wasn’t just because I was fucking you, Whisper. It ran deeper than that. He pulled my rank in this family. He pulled my place and all that I worked for because I chose you! I chose you over my dad!” Shock registers on her face but I’m not done yet. Stepping closer to her, her arms fall to her sides.

  “You are so stupid. So stupid, Steele! Why the hell would you give up your life for me?” She’s mad. You have got to be kidding me.

  “Are you kidding me right now? You have the balls to be pissed off when I just told you I gave up everything, I could have been killed, for you! You, Whisper!” She slams her palms into my chest shoving me back a step. Then another.

  “You’re so stupid! What the hell were you thinking?” Another shove.

  “What was I thinking? I was thinking I wanted you more than that life,” I roar.

  “And you could have been killed, you idiot!”

  “So what?”

  “So what? Are you serious right now? Look around you, Steele! Your brothers need you! They are your family. Can you ever think about anyone but yourself?” Wow, she’s really going there.

  “I thought I was! I was thinking about you, Whisper.” She shakes her head, running both her hands through her hair as she steps backward.

  “No. No you…”

  “Love you.”

  “What?” she asks, looking confused.

  “I love you.”

  “Holy shit,” Callan says under his breath.

  “Saw that one coming,” Knox adds.

  “You don’t. You don’t love me. You love the idea of hurting your dad, of getting what you want.” She isn’t even making sense right now. I take the few steps between us, grabbing her face in my hands.

  “Look at me.”

  “Steele, I can’t.”

  “Look at me,” I say in a gruff tone. Whisper slowly raises her eyes to meet mine and there I see them. The tears, the fears. She’s never been loved before. Probably doesn’t know what it feels like.

  “I love you, Whisper. I love you. Not the idea of you, or of hurting him. You. Do you understand me?” Tears slowly fall down her cheeks as she swallows hard.

  “I don’t know what to say to you.”

  “Nothing. I don’t want you to say anything. I know this is new to you. I know you don’t understand any of this but just know that I love you. Okay?” Whisper doesn’t nod her head or say anything else. Instead, she rests her head on my chest as I wrap her in my arms.

  “Well I think that went well.” I roll my eyes at Knox, but he just laughs.

  27

  Whisper

  “You don’t have to do this at all,” Steele reminds me for the hundredth time. I don’t have any other options. We don’t have any other options. We have to go through with this.

  “You said it yourself. This is the only way to get them all in one place. Just make sure you know what you’re doing,” I remind him. He hated the idea of coming back to Rolling Springs. He hated that I made that phone call too, but at this point, this is the only option we have. I grab his hand and drag him through the crowd of bodies. If we’re going to take on his dad along with the others, I need one night of feeling free before we do. My dad, my real dad is set to be here in a few hours and before that confrontation takes place I need to breathe.

  The music blasts through the speakers seeping into my bones. I watch Steele as his tense frame stands in front of me not wanting to be here. He didn’t want me around Rolling Springs at all but here I am. I need to deal with this in my own way as much as he wants to deal with it in his. This is just my wind down.

  I swirl my hips and smile as he stands like a statue. A damn nice-looking statue at that. Grabbing his hips, I try to get him to loosen up but he doesn’t. When I’ve had enough, I lean in close to him.

  “If you don’t dance with me, I will find someone that will,” I warn him. I turn my head and eye Knox when Steele’s fingers come up and roughly grab my cheeks. He forces my gaze back to his.

  “If you so much as look at him like that again, I will snap his neck.” I grin.

  “Then dance with me. I need this, Steele.” He nods his head, waves his hand at someone and before I know what’s happening all the music stops. I’m confused as hell but then a slow song comes over the speakers. I glance up at Steele as he pulls me closer to his body. He starts moving and everyone just parts for us. I don’t know what this feeling is that washes over me but it’s perfection. He holds me close, his breath dancing over the top of my head. I keep my face nuzzled into his neck as he moves us around the floor. I’m not much on slow dancing but being here in Steele’s arms just feels right.

  “Not everything has to be fast paced,” he whispers. I look up and catch his eyes on mine.

  “I’m not used to this,” I inform him.

  “I know that. That’s why I’m not in a hurry to hear the words back, Whisper. I just neede
d you to know what I feel for you.” Could he be any more perfect? When I first met Steele, I knew he was gorgeous, obviously, but there was more to him. I could see that spark inside of him and I wanted to reach out and grab it. The more I’ve gotten to know him the more I see and I like it. I can’t say love because I’m not sure what that is.

  “Thank you,” I say softly. Steele leans down, pressing his lips to mine. I sigh at how content I feel in his arms. I don’t think I’ve ever felt like this before. The music keeps playing but I can’t hear the sounds. All there is, is him.

  It doesn’t take long for our moment to be broken by the phone vibrating in my pocket. I pull back and I slide it out to answer it.

  “Hello?”

  “You requested to see me. I’m here, at the square.”

  “I’m on my way.” I hang the phone up and slip it back in my pocket before looking up at Steele.

  “You sure about this?” he asks once more. I nod my head knowing what needs to be done. “You’re going to own this world now.”

  “I told you to stop saying that. I don’t want this world. I just want to dance, Steele.”

  “I know and you will but everything they have is about to be yours, Whisper.”

  “Ours. It’s ours. I don’t want any of this without you guys.” Steele smiles and my heart leaps. I couldn’t take his world from him. It isn’t mine and even if it were, I wouldn’t know what to do with it. Wrapping his hand around the back of my neck like he always does, he pulls me in and kisses my forehead.

  “Let’s go kill some parents.” I laugh at the way he says it. Threading his fingers with mine, he leads me toward the door with Callan, Shane, and Knox right behind us. We all pile into the SUV as Callan drives toward the square. My stomach cramps as I think about meeting the man that didn’t want me all those years ago. The man that gave me up. It’s a hard pill to swallow, knowing someone didn’t want you when you weren’t even born yet.

  “What are you thinking?” Knox asks, grabbing my other hand in his and squeezing.

  “I just wonder what I’m going to feel once I see him.”

  “Don’t force yourself to feel anything, Whisper. If it isn’t there, it just isn’t.” I nod my head and squeeze his hand back before resting my head on Steele’s shoulder.

  “He’s right. You can’t force things, Whisper.”

  “I know. I’m not going to.” The rest of the ride is silent. The silence gives me a chance to sort through what I feel which I’m still unsure of.

  “Since we’re all sharing feelings and shit this week, I just wanted to say that I love you too, Whisper,” Knox blurts out.

  “Fuck off, all of you,” I laugh.

  “Love you too, Whisper!” Callan calls over the seat. I laugh and curl into Steele, absorbing his warmth. I’m not sure what’s about to happen and I’m not sure how I’m going to feel when it’s over but for now I can enjoy just being here with him.

  I close my eyes just as the car comes to a stop. I lift my head and look out the window taking a deep breath.

  “You don’t have to do this,” Steele reminds me.

  “Yes, I do.” He nods and kisses me once more before climbing out. I follow him with the others not far behind. A man climbs out of another car, adjusting his jacket as he does. I gasp and stop in my tracks. My heart is beating so rapidly that I might pass out. No. I need this closure. I need this to end.

  “Whisper?” he says when he looks up. I open my mouth but what can I say? It’s him. It’s my dad. My real dad. “It’s nice to see you. I assume you’re the Alder boys?”

  “We are. I’d say it’s a pleasure to meet you but it’s not,” Steele growls.

  “I can understand that. Why is it you called me here? I assume it wasn’t a reunion.” He’s straight to the point but I can’t stop looking at him. He’s real. A real person.

  “I just needed to see you one time,” I finally say, pulling myself together.

  “I’m sure you have many questions,” he adds as I shake my head.

  “I actually don’t. For the last eighteen years I’ve wondered what I did that was so bad that my own family didn’t want me, but now? Now I just don’t care. You’re the reason I was broken. You’re the reason my sister’s dead.”

  “That was unfortunate.”

  “You knew?” I ask cocking my head to the side.

  “Knew? Whisper, I’m the one that had her killed.”

  “What?” I start to lunge at him when Steele pulls me back.

  “She wasn’t useful to me. Neither are you,” he adds, nodding toward me. I’m so confused. I don’t understand.

  “Neither are those boys. They chose their sides.” We all stand still when we hear him speak. Steele looks to the left quickly, just in time to see his dad stepping out from behind the trees.

  “What the hell is this?” Steele asks looking between them. That’s when another man steps out. Ray? The coach?

  “Hello, Whisper.”

  “Ray?” Knox moves closer to look at him. I hear Callan cursing behind us, but I can’t stop looking at them.

  “It was you,” I whisper staring at him. Images flash behind my eyes. Flashbacks shake my body, but I can see him. “You didn’t stop them,” I say hoarsely. My throat feels like it’s closing up. I can’t breathe as I grab onto Steele’s shirt and hold on like it’s my lifeline.

  “What the hell is going on?” Steele gets louder this time as he keeps one hand on me.

  “Raymond Macron.” The name slips past my lips as I remember him.

  “What?”

  “Our coach?” Knox asks looking confused.

  “Well, I see that she is remembering things,” Ray says looking toward Alder. My stomach cramps as I think about it all.

  “You’re my dad. Raymond Macron.”

  “That can’t be right,” Callan says stepping closer.

  “It’s right son. For the last few years, I’ve set you boys up to take over this family. I’ve had plans of my own to move upward and onward. This could have been yours if you would have just handled the job you were given!”

  “To kill her?” Knox asks, pointing to me. I watch the scene unfold but I don’t let go of Steele. I can’t.

  “Exactly.”

  “What are they doing here then? You always said you hated them?” Steele asks. The men all chuckle like it’s some big secret.

  “Hate is a strong word, Steele. None of us were willing to kill children. That just went against all that we knew.”

  “What?”

  “Whisper was a child. We weren’t going to kill a child, so we watched her. Then one day, she got lost in the foster system. She was moved around so many times that we couldn’t keep up. Apparently, Nathan and Debra found her. They thought using her to get back in with us would work. We let them think that. They were always going to die, it was just a matter of time. Until someone got to them first,” McLean says.

  “What about us? How the hell did we play into this?” Knox asks. I feel sick.

  “You were supposed to go on about your business. Handle her and move on. All of this could have been yours until that night. I saw how you all looked at her. I knew it was over.”

  “Meaning what? You’re going to kill us all?” Steele laughs but no one else does. Oh, my God. That was their plan. They were going to kill them. I slip my hand into Steele’s pocket, wrapping my fingers around the switchblade. When everything goes silent in my head, I move.

  Epilogue

  Steele

  “No, not there. Put that in the other room,” I order the movers that are bringing in the dance equipment. It’s been a year since everything’s gone down. A year that we killed them all. A year that we’ve taken over.

  “You are getting pretty bossy,” Knox says with a smirk. Leddy elbows him in the ribs before he rubs it and smiles at her.

  “I think it looks amazing. I can’t thank you enough for helping with this, Steele. I mean, we had planned on doing this outside of Rolling Springs anyway b
ut this? It’s just amazing.” I nod my head at Leddy before she leaps into my arms, hugging me. I knew she wanted a dance studio, but I also knew that I wanted to keep her close. It wasn’t just about me anymore. It was about all of us. Leddy was there when we needed her, and she’s always been a good friend. I decided that Alder Academy needed another dance space. One that offers classes that used to be available for students only. Leddy has always wanted to teach and why not let her?

  “It’s not a big deal. Make me proud though.” She smiles and pulls back when Shane comes traipsing in.

  “The sign is hung. Not like Callan helped though. The asshole left me standing on the ladder.”

  “I did not!”

  “Lies, Callan!”

  “Fine, I was watching your ass as you climbed up there. In my defense, if you weren’t working here you wouldn’t need to wear those damn leggings.” We all laugh at him but he isn’t wrong.

  “You two are disgusting.” Knox’s turn to chime in.

  “Yeah, like you haven’t been looking at Leddy’s ass all fucking day, man. Get out of here with that shit,” I remind him, tossing the clipboard to the side. I stroll over and slap my brothers on the shoulder before strolling down the hall.

  “Where are you going? She has a class!” Leddy yells behind me. I flip her off and keep walking until I get to the last room in the hall. I wait outside the door until all the kids come rushing out. I pull my phone out and connect to the speaker system in the room before heading inside and grabbing a chair. Sitting it in the middle of the floor, I wait for the music to play and Whisper to come back into the main room.

  “We’re done for today!” I hear her call out. She’s been teaching a class to underprivileged kids. I knew she wanted to do that, give back somehow and this was just the place to do it. We started a program and I was amazed at just how many signed up. This town is changing and it’s all because of her. She’s made such a difference in a short amount of time that it amazes me. She amazes me.

  “I said…” she cuts herself off when she sees me leaning back in the chair, my legs spread wide.