Chapter 27
Drew – Two Weeks Later
I breathe through my nose and try to keep a soft smile as I join the fourteen-year-olds I've taught for two years in a full pointe pirouette.
Instead of staying silent, the crowd before us cheers and claps.
Their applause growing louder as I carefully begin an entrechat towards the side, conscious of my sixteen-week bump.
As I stop just outside of view, I spin and watch as every one of my students spins onto the stage, and my eyes tear up, my nose stinging as the cheers get louder.
Today is my final show…
After speaking with the investors who fund my charity shows, they agreed to keep supporting me in Hill Crest once I find a studio. Shows will be at the Hill Arts Stadium, so I won't have to return here.
I told the parents I was leaving town with my fiancé—yes, I said fiancé just to annoy certain mothers. The kids demanded one last show, and what moved me most was that they wanted to sell tickets to help pay for my new studio.
I declined, of course, and explained that sales would be split between all the charities I’ve worked with in Rose Hill.
I’d likely set up shows to raise money for other charities in the Hill Crest area once we’ve moved.
Now, after two weeks of planning, we’ve sold out the hall and raised twenty-nine thousand dollars and I’m watching my kids dedicate a farewell dance they learned together.
A few tears fall, and I quickly wipe them away.
This is for the best. I know it, and so do the kids.
It helps that one of the moms—Caty—has decided to take over the lease of my studio and apartment.
She’ll keep the ballet studio open, though she mentioned she wouldn’t be able to run the shows I did.
The classes will still go ahead, which is the main thing.
Madeline, the youngest of my kids, does a solo, and more tears fall at how graceful the little two-year-old is, not caring at all about the attention on her, and pride fills me.
I’m going to miss them, I know I will. They made me who I am today, but I need to do this, to leave, and not just for Bellamy, but also for myself.
I know I left once, but that wasn’t for long, and I came back to harassment and nasty pettiness.
Drake attacked me, would have raped me had I not broken his dick. I was kidnapped, and memories of being neglected are spread all over this town because of my mom’s misplaced guilt.
Leaving for a new start sounds pretty good to me.
I watch in awe as the kids finish their parts and the music changes. I know it will take everything in me not to cry as I do my final dance in Rose Hill.
I take a deep breath and rush onto the stage and go into an arabesque, keeping my back straight, my bump proudly pointing forward. I hear a loud cheer that I know will be my rowdy lot.
The Dark Angels MC are in town to help us move, my parents, and my fiancé.
I quickly change into a developpe, then dance my way to the middle of the stage. I let the music flow through me and keep my composure, despite the urge to cry.
My kids surround me as I go into a levee then I spin elegantly with my arms above me, my fingers just touching as the music slows.
I end in a leap. The crowd goes wild. I breathe heavily as the tears begin to sting.
Instantly, they fall as the kids surround me, all trying to wrap me up in a hug.
A little sob escapes, causing Sophie, the oldest, to hold me tighter.
She chokes, “Thank you for always supporting me, thank you for getting me into my dream school, and thank you for believing in me when no one else would. I’m going to miss you.”
I wrap my arms around her as the crowd chants my name. The kids line up with me in the middle, and we all bow in unison just as hundreds of flowers are thrown onto the stage.
When I stand straight, my eyes lock onto the ones I love so goddamn much.
The amount of pride radiating from him makes me grin a mile wide.
The claps and cheers from the brothers are loud and joined along with my parents.
My mom's tears stain her cheeks as she takes in the crowd, while my sister, who had never been to the show, glares.
Same old, same old.
“Okay, munchkins,” I choke, “one last bow as the curtain closes.”
***
Twenty minutes later, I excuse myself from the crowded backstage area and head towards my dressing room, needing a minute.
My emotions are going haywire, and I know Bell is packing away my stuff, and right now, I need him.
I kiss Mia’s head as she sobs in her mom’s arms, and I walk towards the room where I always get ready, trying my hardest to keep my tears in.
I knew this would be difficult, I just didn’t know it would be this hard.
Taking a deep breath, hoping to stop myself from sobbing, I rush into my dressing room only to stop dead in my tracks. I raise a brow as Elizabeth screeches and lands on her ass as a very pissed off Bellamy glares at her, his hands fisted at his sides.
Uh oh…
“What on earth?” I hear my mom gasp while I cross my arms over my chest and glare at my little sister.
“This is the last fucking time you ever try to throw yourself at me, do I make myself clear?!” Bell roars, and Elizabeth jumps as her tears fall, and Mom sighs, catching her attention.
My sister's eyes widen in shock at seeing my anger. I slowly walk into the room and over to her.
“H-He, he tried to kiss me,” she lies through her teeth, and I pull my fist back before punching her in the face, making her cry out.
“I know my fiancé, little sister,” I sneer, and her eyes shoot my way in complete and utter disbelief.
“Fi-Fiancé?” she stutters.
I growl, “Yeah, fiancé!”
I feel strong hands grip my hips, and I’m pulled back into a hard body before I feel Bellamy’s lips brush against my ear, and he whispers, “Are you sure you want to do this?” and everyone looks at him with confusion while I slump in his hold understanding his question.
“You knew this would be hard for me, Bell,” I remind him, “Don’t feel guilty because I’m upset. They’re my kids, and I’m so goddamn proud of them, so let me feel my emotions without me worrying if you’re going to have second guesses or more guilt.”
I know I sound harsh, but he needs a reality check. This is a normal reaction, and I’ve just caught my sister trying to throw herself at him, so I’m extra pissed.
I hear him sigh, and I turn around in his arms, and I state, “I love you. I’m excited to move with you, to begin our life together. Hopefully I can find a studio and get students in, but I am allowed to be sad.”
His eyes race between mine, and he nods, then states, “I just hate seeing you upset.”
“You know what would make it better?” I ask, and he gently cups my cheek and rubs his thumb over my lip.
“What?” he questions, and I sigh, “A hot chocolate with double whipped cream, marshmallows, and Skittles.”
“Skittles?” Mom chuckles, and I shrug while Bell shakes his head in disgust.
“Our kid is going to be weird, isn’t it?” he confirms, and I nod because yes, with us as parents, it will be.
“Are you really going to just act like she didn’t punch me again?” my sister screeches, and I turn with a growl, causing Bell to grip my waist again.
“Are we really going to ignore the way you just threw yourself at my fiancé again? All because you want everything I have, despite getting your own way all your stupid goddamn life?!” I snap back, and Elizabeth's eyes widen while Mom sighs, “El, maybe it is best we put a hold on the sale of the house, and maybe you earn your keep staying here…”
Nice, so instead of forcing her to grow up, she offers her a home without rent and yet I’m not surprised.
Elizabeth's eyes widen, and she chokes, “You’re taking her side? When she always had Dad's attention? When she got everything she wanted?”
“You had Mom while she neglected me,” I interject, causing her to flinch, “You started sleeping with my ex to hurt me. You wanted my room, my clothes, you destroyed my childhood memories, and yet, you’re acting like you had it hard?
School dances, award ceremonies, dance recitals, ballet competitions, you were never there.
Our mother was never there, Dad was almost always late, and what?
I’m the problem? You’re just a brat.” I scoff at her, “Grow up and stay the hell away from my man!”
I remove myself from Bell’s hold when I notice something around my sister’s neck that isn’t hers as my anger doubles.
I growl as I bend, she flinches when I grab hold of the necklace and yank it hard.
I don’t care if the chain breaks because I can buy a new one.
“I wondered where my ballet slipper chain, Bellamy bought me, went!” I snap.
Elizabeth moves up and swings her hand towards my stomach, shocking me, and I just move out of the way before she can hit my baby. Bellamy suddenly grabs her neck and yanks her up, her feet dangling.
Mom gasps while Dad storms into the room and demands, “What the fuck is going on?”
Mom chokes, “Elizabeth threw herself at Bellamy, then tried saying Drew had everything while she had nothing.”
“Okay, so Elizabeth tried to pull the wool over our eyes, but explain why our future son-in-law is ready to snap her neck?!” Dad commands, not moving to help his youngest, while I swallow hard as I gently rub my stomach.
“Drew recognized the chain around El’s neck, she stole it,” Mom whispers, “Drew took it back, and our daughter just tried to punch Drew's stomach…”
Their daughter, but I’m just Drew to her instead of her eldest?
A few tears fall as a shocked sob leaves me, causing Bellamy to look my way harshly as he literally throws my sister to the floor, and runs my way while she coughs.
“Little bird?” he whispers as he rubs my stomach, and I shake my head and choke, “Take me home.”
Worry etches his features. He nods as he wraps an arm around my waist, his other hand going to our baby, while Dad declares, “You’re no longer my daughter,” shocking my mom, who goes to protest but Dad glares at her and I walk out of the room.
“I-I’m sorry p-please, she-she always gets everything,” Elizabeth tries and I hear Dad scoff, “Maybe you need to go into a mental facility because you are fucking deluded, your jealousy is pathetic!” I don’t turn around, instead I bury myself into my fiancé, wondering what I ever did to deserve this treatment from my own sister, from my mother. ..