56. Tess
TESS
“Holy shit, Blade…” I clasped a hand over my open mouth as I paced to the center of the room. “How the fuck…?”
“I’m handy.” She shrugged. “But just to clarify, is that a good ‘holy shit,’ or…?”
“This is incredible.” I shook my head.
Handy undersold it entirely. Blade had constructed a high-end dance studio from the ruins of the old carousel — crumbling sculptures and rotted old panelling had been replaced by polished, hardwood floors and a deluxe spinning pole.
The ceilings, restored to their original Victorian paint job, were now affixed with inset speakers and a bluetooth sound system.
There were rigging hook ups built into the ceiling that would be perfect for aerial silks. And from inside the structure, half of the wide circle wall seemed to be built of tall window panels. The other half, mirrors.
“One way,” Blade smirked. “So you can see exactly what kind of show you’re putting on for the rest of the park. Though, if you want a bit more privacy, we can arrange some curtains or—”
“Did you actually build this yourself?” I couldn’t wrap my brain around it. Half the time, it felt like she could hardly pay attention to where she was walking. And everything about the dance studio was so meticulously placed.
But Blade just smiled in the face of my skepticism. “Don’t tell me you’re shocked, Trinket. I’ve built and rebuilt half of this park. Breaking and fixing: it’s kind of my specialty. And if you haven’t noticed, I tend to get a bit… obsessive. About my projects.”
“By yourself? How is that possible?” It hadn’t been that many days since our fight. Even pulling the long hours she had been, I didn’t see how it was possible.
“I’ve been working on this one for a while: gutting it. But I wasn’t sure what I was going to build until you took us to Velvet Paradise and I saw how much you loved dancing. I know you don’t get to do it as much when you’re here, especially since you haven’t been taking as many shifts lately.
“So I thought if you were staying here, it would be good to have your own place to do what you love. Same way Nash has the art studio and Cyrus has her little lair.”
My ears perked up at that last part. I didn’t realize that Cyrus hung out anywhere other than her own bedroom. But even after months of haunting it, this park was still full of secrets I’d yet to uncover.
For once, Blade looked bashful. “I picked up the pace after our fight, but this has been months in the making. I hope you like it.”
I paced to the center of the room, taking in all the little details. And as my fingers met the cool, smooth metal of the pole, I couldn’t hold back my smile. “It’s perfect.”
It wasn’t just the studio that made my heart swell — it was the affirmation. They weren’t going to abandon me again. They were actively trying to make this place a home for me.
And as much as it scared me, I was really starting to see Feverpoint as somewhere I could stay.
“Thank you,” I smiled, not bothering to pull away as Blade wrapped her arms around me from behind. “I really can’t believe this is real. I don’t know how to thank you enough.”
“You could give me a private show sometime…” She murmured against my hair.
I turned to face her, shoving her arm, though her grip didn’t loosen. “Oh so that’s what this is about? You just wanted your own private strip club.”
“Not at all,” she shook her head, green eyes flickering with solemnity. “If I was just trying to get off, I’ve got my own hand for that. But your dancing… you just look really happy when you do it. I like seeing you smile.”
Warmth bloomed in my chest, pulsing hardest in all the places where Blade was touching me. With my palm rested flat against her shoulder, I couldn’t look away from her sparkling green eyes. Whatever secret she had kept before, I knew that she was telling the truth now.
And while the old Tess would have wanted to hold the grudge, would have refused to believe what was right in front of my own eyes, I’d been changed. And the new Tess wasn’t afraid to take what she wanted.
Rocking onto my toes, I tugged at Blade’s shoulder, guiding her lips down to mine. The kiss was gentle but not tentative — the most tender touch I’d ever experienced. Her thumb rubbed softly against the curve of my waist, a constant assurance that conjured butterflies in my stomach.
And as we kissed in the glass enclosure at the top of our little world, I didn’t care who saw. I was falling for Blade, and there was no looking back now.