Chapter 3
3
“ W hat am I doing here?” I wondered aloud as I took in my surroundings. I’d never been to this part of campus before, and this performance studio was unchartered territory for me.
“ We are here supporting our bestie, as you well know.” Ander, my LSU football teammate, cuffed me around the back of the head. I shot him a mock glare.
“Watch it. JJ’s not my bestie. I barely even know the guy. He still holds a grudge because I ruined his trainers back when we were freshers.”
“Yeah, so you being here now will make up for it,” Ander told me with a decisive nod.
“If you say so.” Maybe he was right.
JJ had sent Ander a text asking him if he’d watch his dance showcase rehearsal and bring some of the football team so the dancers could practise in front of an audience. At the time, I’d been at the student union with Ander, his boyfriend Elliot, and their housemates Charlie and Levi. Ander had basically bribed us all into coming with promises of beer, and so…here we were.
Settling into my seat, I dug my phone out of my pocket and tapped out a quick message to Erik to let him know I’d be online later. That done, I killed time browsing through my social media while I waited for the rehearsal to begin.
We didn’t have to wait for long. JJ appeared on the stage, along with a cute, smiling blonde girl and a guy with tousled red hair who was staring at the floor, looking as if he’d rather be anywhere than here. JJ introduced himself and the others—Alyssa, who would be dancing first, and Leo, who would dance second. After JJ’s dance, they’d finish up with a group dance, and then I’d be free to make my escape and play Lesath Legends .
Speaking of Lesath Legends , I was impatient to speak to Erik. He’d texted me about half an hour earlier, asking me to wish him luck for putting himself through something he referred to as potentially the scariest thing he’d ever had to do. He’d told me he couldn’t bring himself to talk about it beforehand, but he’d give me all the details afterwards. Ever since I’d seen his message, I’d been on edge, needing to know what it was and hoping he was okay, whatever it was he was doing.
But when the lights dimmed and the spotlight came on, I temporarily forgot everything else, transfixed by the first performance. It wasn’t even that Alyssa was hot and wearing tight clothing that showed off the athletic curves of her body, but it was the way she moved. Fucking incredible.
“Hey, Ander.” I leaned into him after she’d disappeared off the stage. “Maybe we should bring in some dance-style warm-ups to our football practices. Some of the team could do with loosening up. Moves like that—we’d be fucking unstoppable.”
Ander’s brows flew up. “You just watched her dancing like that , and what you got from it was that we need to incorporate the moves into our football sessions?” He shook his head. “You’re a lost cause.”
“What? Why?”
“Because you were watching a hot girl with some fucking hot moves, and you’re thinking about football? Yeah, I’m in a relationship, and no one will ever be as hot to me as Elliot is.” He paused, spinning in his seat to press a loud kiss to Elliot’s cheek before he returned his attention to me. “But I have eyes. Yours, my friend, are dysfunctional. I know you’re straight because you said so last semester when that guy was trying to get your number at that pub quiz. And your ex-girlfriend looks a bit like Alyssa, so I know she’s probably your type. So, again. You’re a lost cause.”
“There’s a reason we split up. I was only with her for about six weeks, and it was right at the start of our first year, so it’s hardly worth mentioning. And I don’t really have a type, FYI.”
“Wasn’t she a dancer?”
“She did yoga, like, once a week.”
“Athletic girls. See. My point still stands.”
“Whatever. Yeah, Alyssa’s hot. Maybe if I saw her out and about, I might think about it. But my whole life doesn’t revolve around women, okay? I know that’s an unusual concept for you, with the way you were pre-Elliot.” Patting his shoulder, I smirked at him.
“For someone who’s hot—and I’m qualified to say that with my status as a modern bisexual man—a footballer, and reasonably intelligent, you’re wasting your talents.”
“Yeah, but that’s stereotyping, isn’t it? Hot plus athlete equals a player with a different girl every night. Okay, some people are like that, but I never have been. I guess living with my parents has kind of made it difficult to do that anyway, but for me, gaming holds equal, if not more, importance than girls.”
His jaw dropped as if I’d shared some life-changing news, but he recovered quickly, a smirk replacing his shocked expression. “Oh. You like fictional women. I get it. You want those game characters with massive tits and?—”
I clamped my hand over his mouth, feeling him grin beneath my palm. “You’re stereotyping again.”
When I pulled my hand away, he sighed dramatically. “Such rude behaviour. I expected better from you.” His gaze flicked to the front of the performance studio. “Look. Leo’s up now.”
I returned my attention to the stage. As the guy stepped into the spotlight, I could see his body shaking, his green eyes wide and scared. Fuck. I pushed down the automatic urge to comfort him, my brain instantly going to Erik, knowing what a hard time he had going up in front of people. From everything I knew about him, I couldn’t imagine him ever being on a stage and doing something like this.
The music started up, and Leo remained frozen in place. Next to me, I heard Ander’s muttered “Shit,” but I kept my gaze on Leo, willing him to move. There was movement to the side of the stage, and then the spotlight dimmed, soft sidelights blinking on instead. Leo’s expression changed to one of determination, and when the music started from the beginning again, he began to move.
I’d thought Alyssa was amazing, but there was something about Leo that had me caught up in his performance, making me feel weirdly emotional watching him dance, his body moving effortlessly across the stage like he was born to do it. When he finished and the final notes of music died away, I clapped harder than I ever had in my life. This guy had overcome his fear and completely smashed it.
“So?” Ander nudged me as Leo made his way off the stage. “What’s the verdict?”
“Fucking incredible,” I said. “The way he looked so scared at the beginning, and then he did that whole routine…yeah. Incredible.”
“No comments about football this time? Are you sure you’re straight?”
“For fuck’s sake, Ander. What’s up with you today?”
His teasing grin disappeared. “Sorry. I’m just fucking with you. I can’t help it sometimes. I should probably tone it down.”
“Nah, it’s part of your personality. I can handle it, and you know I don’t take it personally.”
He gave me a fist bump, and then we settled back in our seats to watch JJ’s performance. And yeah, it was easy to see that he was a star. Being a part-time paid dancer obviously helped him refine his skills, but that man was clearly talented and insanely flexible. He could bend in ways I wouldn’t even want to attempt.
“Fucking amazing. Fucking bendy,” I said to Ander when the dance had finished before he could ask me what I thought of the performance.
Ander nodded. “Did you know I almost beat him in a dance contest?”
I stared at him. “You were in a dance contest with JJ?”
“Yeah, at Revolve. It was a lap dance competition. I got to dance for my boyfriend—not that he was my boyfriend then, and I was in denial or whatever. The point is, I almost beat a professional dancer to the title.”
“Almost.” The amused voice came from his other side, and Elliot slid his arm around Ander’s shoulders. “But you were my winner.”
Ander smiled softly, leaning into Elliot. He kept his gaze on me, but he squeezed his boyfriend’s thigh in acknowledgement. “Yep. I came second, and it was my first-ever time giving a lap dance. Have you ever given anyone one? It’s harder than it looks.”
Stretching my legs out in front of me, I shook my head. “Nope. I’ve never even had a lap dance.”
“Awww. Poor Finn. Want me to give you one now to make up for it?”
“Don’t even think about it,” I warned him.
Levi leaned around him and Elliot, meeting my gaze with an eye roll. “Count yourself lucky. I had to watch him and JJ practising their dance routine in my house. No fucking escape when you live with them.”
“You and Asher filmed me when you were watching. Don’t deny you liked it.”
I missed Levi’s reply to Ander. The three dancers appeared back onstage, immediately stealing my attention.
My gaze scanned them again as they began their group routine. Ander was right—Alyssa was gorgeous, and when I looked at them all together with a critical eye, they made an attractive trio. Their looks weren’t important, though—it was the way they moved. Their routine was strong, and although I knew nothing about dance, to me, their moves looked as good as anything I’d seen in a music video. There was no sign of Leo’s earlier nerves, which was good because it meant I could relax back in my seat and enjoy the show before I returned to reality.
My reality? Lesath Legends and Erik.
“Hi.” I grinned at Erik’s character as if he could see me. “How did your thing go? If you wanna talk about it. I saw someone earlier who reminded me of you.”
“Ready up,” he instructed, and the countdown began. “Hi. Yeah. I…I feel really good. Great, in fact. Who reminded you of me?”
“I was doing a favour for a uni friend earlier. My friend’s housemate is a dancer, and he had this dance rehearsal thing. I think it was a kind of test performance.” I broke off when we landed in the game, spinning my character in a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree circle to view our surroundings. “Wait—let’s head into the swamp region this time. See if we can loot any chests.”
“D-dance rehearsal?” His voice was so quiet I had to strain to hear him. His character followed mine as we jogged down a cobbled path into the mists that marked the swamp area.
“Yeah. There were three people, and they did individual dances, then a group dance at the end. There was this one guy who got on the stage, and he kind of froze. He seemed really nervous, you know? But he pushed through it, and he did a fucking amazing routine.” I paused, slashing at a monster that had suddenly appeared on the path before I continued. “It just made me think of you. Y’know, with your presentation. The day we first started talking to each other. I was proud of him for going through with the dance, and I’m so fucking proud of you, Erik. And whatever you did today, I’m proud of you for that, too.”
There was a sharp intake of breath from Erik. “I feel sick,” he mumbled. “I-I-I’m gonna go.”
The call cut off, and his character disappeared from the game.
What the fuck?
Returning to the home screen, because I couldn’t play this campaign as a single player, I dropped my controller to send him a text.
ME:
Are you ok?
ERIK:
Sick. Sorry. Talk soon
ME:
Ok get some rest. I’ll be here when you’re ready
As I stared down at my phone, there was a knock at my open bedroom door, and my younger brother, Ed, poked his head around it. “What’s that face for?”
“Nothing. I dunno. Maybe something.” I threw my phone onto my bed. “I was playing with my friend, and he said he was sick and disappeared. But a couple of minutes earlier, he seemed fine. He even said he was feeling great.”
“Probably sick of playing that game for the millionth time.” He gave my TV a pointed glance. “You have the worst taste, bro. I feel sorry for you.”
“Fuck off. I’m being serious.”
Ed shrugged, crossing the room and dropping onto my bed. “People can get suddenly sick, you know. Just check up on him. It’s probably a bug.” Staring at me suspiciously, he added, “I don’t want to catch anything. I have to meet my tutor to go through my photography project tomorrow.”
“Don’t worry, I haven’t met up with him in person.” Would I ever? I hoped so.
“Does he have any hot girl friends? Why don’t you ever invite any of your hot girl friends over?What’s the point of having an older brother if you can’t flirt with his friends? You’re on the football team. You should have, like, at least a hundred girls in your phone, and you know I like older women.”
“You—” I pointed at him. “—are an incredibly annoying person.”
His fake pout disappeared, and he kicked me in the shin, the little bastard. “I’m a fucking gift. You’re incredibly lucky to have such an amazing brother.”
“Not as lucky as you are to have such an amazing older sibling. To answer your question, I don’t particularly want to invite a load of uni girls over and have to watch the painful sight of my sixteen-year-old brother attempting to flirt with them. Then there’s the fact that most of them live in student housing while I’m still at home. It’s easier for me to go to other people’s houses, you know?”
“Obviously, dickhead. It’ll be the same for me when I start uni. I like living here, but sometimes I feel like I’ll be missing out on the full student experience. Mum and Dad are great, and we won’t have to pay for accommodation or the food we eat at home. I can’t complain. It’s just…”
My humour died away. “Yeah. I feel the same. Listen, why don’t you come to one of our football practices? There are normally girls watching us, and you’ll get more of a chance to speak to whoever you want because it’s a lot quieter than a match. Don’t expect anything because, realistically, they’re not gonna be interested because of the whole age thing, but yeah, you’re always welcome.”
“You mean that? You wouldn’t mind if I came to watch you?” His eyes widened, and I suddenly felt like the world’s worst brother because how the fuck had I managed to make my sibling feel like he wasn’t welcome to watch me play?
“I’d be more than happy for you to come and watch me. Just respect the women and back off if they’re not interested, okay? And if anyone gives you trouble, let me know, and I’ll kick their ass. I didn’t do jujitsu for three years for nothing, you know.”
“Yeah, you’re a real hard man.” He punched my bicep with a smirk that softened into a genuine smile. “Thanks, though. I appreciate it. And I’m not being serious about flirting with your friends…okay, you know I like older women, but I’m realistic. I’m not gonna be on their radar right now, but it can be practice for my grand opening when I’m eighteen and a uni student and I’m on equal footing with them.”
“Your grand opening. Fucking hell,” I muttered under my breath. “Yeah. Practice makes perfect, and you need a lot of practice,” I said more loudly, ducking away from the punch that he aimed at me following my words. “Seriously, though, you’re welcome. Anytime. You can come to any of my matches too, if you want. Bring your friends. I’ll sort you out with tickets.”
He sighed dramatically. “I guess I am lucky to have you.” My phone vibrated between us, and his gaze flicked to my screen. “Hey, you have a new message.”
I dived for my phone before Ed could get his hands on it, unlocking the screen, a weight I’d been holding instantly disappearing as I read the message.
ERIK:
Sorry for earlier. Feeling a bit better now. Talk soon
He’d added a little smiley emoji at the end of the message. He was okay .
I turned to my brother. “Are you busy? Want me to teach you how to become a master at Lesath Legends ?”
“You’re lucky I’m bored. Give me a controller, and I’ll show you how it’s done.”