Chapter Fifteen
~Seth’s POV~
W e stayed close to the others, making sure the three girls weren’t being bothered. There had been a couple of men who thought they’d be smart and try to slip in with them, but Justin and I were intimidating enough to make them think it over and change their minds.
I suppressed my laughter when Janice got Cadence to try the weird windmill robot thingy that she’d been doing since they’d started dancing. I leaned toward Justin, unable to hide my grin. “You think they’re going to survive out there?”
Justin chuckled, which made me relax. He’d been through the ringer these last few weeks. One of the reasons I made sure we dragged him with us when Cadence asked who wanted to come. He needed this the most out of everyone. To be distracted and have some fun.
He crossed his arms, never taking his eyes off the others. Cadence to be exact. He was always watching her. I hated to admit it, but he was probably the most in tune with Cadence’s physical state. The moment she was hurting, he was there helping her or making sure she had her medication or anything else she needed.
“I’m more worried about the others around them. But I’m glad they’re having the time of their lives.”
I looked back at Cadence. She had her head tilted back, clearly laughing with her eyes closed as she danced. Then Janice nudged her and tilted her head our way.
Cadence opened her eyes and met mine instantly, flickering to Justin and then back to me. She tilted her head toward Janice to hear whatever she was saying, her gaze never leaving mine. A slow heat crept up my neck, a mix of admiration and something deeper—something that always left me feeling a little exposed under her attention. She had a way of always making me feel like I mattered in a way I wasn’t sure I deserved.
Whatever Janice said made her smile stretch even further across her face before she came over.
“What’s wrong?” Justin asked instantly.
“Thirsty,” she said, slightly out of breath, a cute red dusting her cheeks. She pointed at us. “And stop judging us.” She swirled her finger around. “We can see all your judginess from a mile away.”
I grabbed her finger, gently putting it down. “No judginess.” I lifted the bottle I was able to snag from Jose.
Cadence took it without question.
Janice came over, also out of breath, looking like she was having the time of her life.
I nodded at her. “You got some moves. I’m not sure what they are, but you’ve got them.”
There was no heat behind her glare as she responded, “That was art, thank you very much.”
Cadence patted Janice’s back. “You’ll be a trendsetter in no time.”
“One of those influencers online,” Janice replied as she grabbed the water from Cadence and took a drink.
As the two girls talked to each other, I glanced at Justin. He didn’t say much, but the amused twinkle in his eyes was enough to let me know. This was going to be a good night.