Chapter 8
EIGHT
COLLETTE
I need to breathe. That was all. Just breathe. In and out. In and o—
Holy mother of crap. What was I doing? Why was I standing in the shadows by the front door, waiting for Ethan to show up? Was he going to show up? Had I been duped?
I could see Bianca and Ethan now, sitting in his truck, watching me through a security camera. They were laughing and clinking glasses as they celebrated their evil plan to torture me.
Ugh.
I should have known better than to think Ethan was serious.
Served me right for actually thinking I might have a chance with that Juilliard audition.
This was why daydreams should be avoided at all costs—they inevitably led to disappointment.
There would be no private dance sessions with Ethan, no miraculous opportunities to perform for the Juilliard scouts, and no swoon worthy moments where Ethan-the-hottie-quarterback decided he wanted to kiss me.
Not that I’d been daydreaming about that or anything.
“Idiot,” I mumbled as I stepped out of the shadows and moved to walk up the stairs. Thankfully, Mom had been so distracted after her meeting with the board that when we got home, she took a bottle of wine—that she still thinks I don’t know is there—and barricaded herself in the room.
I knew I should have asked her if everything was all right, but I knew she would never tell me. And on the off chance that this was the first time she decided that her daughter was actually intelligent and a good listener, I didn't want to be late meeting Ethan.
It was disarming, this feeling of betrayal mixed with excitement. I felt like a rebel. Which was laughable. I’d never done anything that wasn’t straight-laced and perfect—well, unless it dealt with me dancing alone.
Clandestine pirouettes might have been awkward to explain, but I wasn’t exactly breaking the law. However, sneaking a boy into our all-girls’ school after hours…?
That was another story altogether.
Just as I reached the top step, three solid knocks sounded on the door. I paused as excitement rushed through me. And then slowly, as if I were worried Ethan would somehow disappear if I moved too fast, I glanced toward the door.
When Ethan met my gaze, he lifted his hand and waved. I couldn’t fight the smile that emerged on my lips. I nodded and then bounded down the stairs. I crossed the small foyer and then pressed on the metal bar to release the door.
“Hey,” he said, as he stepped forward and entered.
I tried to ignore the fact that doing so brought him right next to me. His chest brushed against my arm, sending tingles racing across my skin. Had he meant to do that? Or was it just a coincidence?
Or was I overthinking this?
Yeah, I was definitely overthinking it.
I took a deep breath as I tried to calm my fluttering heart. I needed to remove all thoughts about Ethan and I being more than practice buddies. Because if I was reading this wrong—and I probably was—I didn’t want to make a fool of myself. I doubt that I could come back from that.
Once he was inside the building, I let the door shut slowly behind me. Even though we were the only ones in the building, I didn’t want to alert anyone walking by.
Ethan was carrying his guitar with him. I eyed it and then glanced up at him. He quirked an eyebrow and shrugged. “What?”
“So, it’s just true.” I shook my head as I walked in front of him and back up the stairs. “You really do play the guitar. I mean, I figured it was true but now that I see it, I know for sure.”
He snorted so I looked over my shoulder at him. I was on the top step so I waited for him to join me.
“You thought I was lying about playing the guitar?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Don’t guys do stuff like that to make themselves sound cool?” Heat permeated my cheeks. I was telling myself to shut up, but my mouth wasn’t listening. Apparently, I stunk at any type of flirting. I blamed my mother and this dumb, all-girls school.
“I’m the mayor’s son and quarterback of the football team. I’m not sure having ‘plays guitar’ on my resume adds much.”
I led him down the hallway to the only studio with its lights on. “Wow, humble much?” I teased.
His face reddened as he set his guitar down and turned. “I didn’t mean…what I meant to say…”
I quirked my head to the side and then laughed. “I’m joking, Ethan. You’ve got a great…what did you call it? Resume? I’m sure there aren’t many girls at Oakwood that would say no to you.” My throat went dry as I realized what I was implying. Why couldn’t I just stop talking?
Ethan had a smug look on his face as he studied me. “Was that…a compliment?”
I shrugged and turned, making my way over to the window where the stereo was sitting.
I fiddled around with it, not sure what I was planning on doing.
All I knew was I needed distance between us.
It was scary, opening myself up to him like this.
I always became second best to every guy in my life.
Just ask my dad. He wrote the book How to be a Deadbeat Dad.
And for some reason, I didn’t want the same ending with Ethan. I didn’t want to be second place. I wasn’t sure if I could handle that. The disappointment would lay a crushing blow.
“Hey, did I say something wrong?” Ethan’s voice sounded from behind me. Right behind me.
I yelped and turned to see that his eyes were wide. He raised his hands as if to surrender. I pressed my hand to my heart and blew out my breath. “Geez. Don’t sneak up on me like that.”
He smiled. His goofy smile that made my knees turn weak. “I could add ninja to my resume.”
I laughed. Out loud and unabashed. The light in Ethan’s eyes grew brighter. Like a kid on Christmas morning. Did that mean what I wanted it to mean? Did he like talking to me? Making me laugh?
Before I basked in the warmth that was talking and flirting with Ethan, I cleared my throat and walked over to the wall where I grabbed a chair. “You’re going first,” I said.
It was almost like a rain cloud had suddenly appeared over Ethan. He furrowed his brow as he dropped his gaze. “I was hoping we would dance first.”
I shook my head. “Nope. You’ve already seen mine, now it’s time I see yours.” I nodded toward his guitar case.
A sinister expression passed over Ethan’s face and I had to sigh and roll my eyes. I knew he would take what I said the wrong way the moment it left my lips. “That’s not what I meant,” I said as I dragged the chair into the center of the studio.
Ethan shrugged as he followed me. “I didn’t say anything.”
I turned and narrowed my eyes as I placed my hands on my hips. “Yeah, but I know what you were thinking.”
Ethan leaned into me, not at all threatened by my five-foot-five frame. He towered over me and I had to say, I liked it. Maybe a little too much.
“I highly doubt you know what I’m thinking,” he said.
I wasn’t sure, but I could have sworn his voice had deepened. And there was this look in his eyes. This mysterious, sexy, bad boy look that had my heart galloping in my chest. My breath had turned heavy and my body tingled as my thoughts started racing.
“I think I do.” My voice had turned breathy. Well, if my on-fire body hadn’t been a dead giveaway to him, my dumb voice was a homing beacon to him. Suddenly, my cool collected manner had been replaced by a bright red blinking light that said ‘come on over here, Collette is attracted to you.’
He leaned closer and I couldn’t help but notice how that movement brought his lips inches from mine.
I could smell his cologne. He smelled of sandalwood and cinnamon.
And his body? It was like standing next to a heated blanket.
For a split second, I wondered what it would feel like to be wrapped up next to him—and then I pushed that ridiculous thought from my mind.
I needed to get my head on straight. Right now.
I took a step back and waved my hand to the chair. “You’re worried I’m going to laugh,” I said, forcing my voice to return to normal and my snarky smile to spread across my lips.
Ethan blinked a few times, like he hadn’t expected me to step away or speak. His brows furrowed as he met my gaze. Then, recognition passed over his face and he snorted. “I wasn’t thinking that,” he said as he winked. Winked!
Great. Now all of the control I’d had over my thoughts were now balled up and tossed out the window. What did a wink mean?
“But I am now,” he said as he sat down on the chair and then lifted his hand and waved his fingers. “Bring me my guitar,” he commanded.
I thought about making a comment about how I wasn’t his servant, but then held my tongue. We’d already done enough flirting this evening, I feared I would explode if I did anymore.
Besides, I needed to prepare myself for what was coming after the guitar playing. Ethan was literally going to have his hands all over me. Touching me. Bringing my body close to his.
My heart started thumping in my chest as I reached down and picked up his guitar case. There were those two conflicting emotions again. Fear and excitement made my body feel numb. I knew how to process one on its own, but together? They made my head feel foggy and my body light.
This must be what it’s like to skydive.
Luckily, once I handed Ethan’s guitar over to him, his playful demeanor changed. A sort of stoic expression fell on his face as he set the guitar case down on the ground and unclipped the latches. Then he opened it, revealing a dark wood acoustic guitar.
I’d never seen someone have so much reverence for an instrument before. The way he held it, tuned it. It was like the guitar was a part of him that had finally come home.
It was how I felt about ballet.
All witty comebacks flew from my mind and all I could do was settle down on the floor a few feet away from him and watch. He strummed a few notes and then shook his head as he stopped and fiddled with the tuning keys. Then he would resituate himself and strum again.