CHAPTER 42
Her burden heavy, her wings broken, it was no mystery why she never learned to fly.
I exit Wet Tips into the warm, sticky night.
A thin sheen of sweat instantly forms on my overheated skin.
I stayed late to get some private time on the stage.
There’s a new routine I’ve been dying to practice, but with it being the beginning of spring, the local studio is in comp season, and dance rooms are harder to come by.
In the parking lot, the streetlights cast long shadows. I pause, taking a cautious look around before quietly shutting the door behind me.
The low hum of crickets sing their creepy little song as my pulse thrums in my ears and my heels click on the cracked asphalt.
I stayed longer than I meant to. My muscles ache, and my feet are screaming from the abuse I put them through. Getting home to soak in the tub is the only thing on my mind. Well, that and maybe a glass of wine and some light reading before I crash for the night.
As I round the back of a large truck, a man comes into view. The shock of seeing him leaning against my car has my hand flying up to my throat. I swiftly back up and prepare to run. But then his head lifts, and it’s not until I take in his familiar features that my nerves settle.
It’s Goose.
He looks better than the last time I saw him.
His shoulders are relaxed, and his long hair has been cut so it rests against his collar.
Both sides are currently tucked behind his ears.
When he sees me, his weight shifts, and he lifts both hands in a calming gesture.
His voice is low and raspy as he says, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.
I just wanted to make sure you got to your car okay and apologize for what happened at the clubhouse last week. ”
“It’s like four in the morning. How long have you been waiting here?”
“Since we closed for the night. Wasn’t tired and thought I’d stick around.”
“Why?”
“Just wanted to see you, and maybe chat.
My skin prickles with unease. I manage a nod. “Oookayy.” Internally, I’m freaking out.
His eyes dart over my face, searching for something. “You good?” he asks, his voice softer, as if he’s afraid I’ll flee from him.
“Yeah,” I lie, my throat tight. “I just didn’t expect to run into anyone.”
He looks around the parking lot. “I’m going to get more lights installed soon, so it’s not so dark out here. Don’t like the idea of you ladies walking out and not being able to see clearly.”
“That would be nice.”
He nods. “I’ll get it done then.”
The silence that falls between us feels suffocating, heavy with everything unsaid. My footsteps crunch against the gravel as I walk towards my car, and he turns to face me as I unlock my door.
He slides his thumbs into the pockets of his jeans. The rhythmic tapping begins. He’s staring at me in that way he does, where it feels like he’s taking in every detail. “That was one hell of a routine you did tonight.”
“Yeah? You liked it?” I attempt to sound casual, though praise coming from his mouth has my nerves going haywire.
“Pretty sure there wasn’t a guy, or woman, for that matter, in the house who didn’t,” he says, an eyebrow raised and his mouth holding a crooked smile. “It was nothing like I’ve ever seen before. Different because it had that element of danger. The group number was a big hit too.”
The warmth of his compliment spreads through me, loosening the tightness in my chest. I smile.
I was proud of the girls tonight—how we came together, every move in sync.
It wasn’t our first group number, but it was the biggest performance yet, and the routine had taken weeks to nail down.
Practicing together and having a joint goal seemed to help me bond with them and build friendships, which in turn helped my social circle grow.
Tonight’s success had been special because I’d choreographed the dance, and seeing the crowd eat it up, and the girls celebrate afterward, meant a lot to me. It had felt like a mountain peak reached, a successful culmination of all the hard work I’d put in, finally paying off.
“Not something you see in places like this anymore,” Goose adds, his tone thoughtful.
Opening my door, I set my purse on my seat, then shut the door and lean against it. “Do you mind? I mean, Raven said you wouldn’t care and that she had carte blanche to do whatever. But I wasn’t sure.”
He shakes his head. Strands of his hair fall forward, but he quickly retucks them behind his ear.
His goatee is trimmed, and his jaw is shaved.
He looks a lot more like he did back when I first auditioned, more put together.
He’s wearing his cut tonight and a gray Henley with weathered jeans.
I take a moment to eye his masculine jewelry and appreciate how good he looks tonight.
He’s back to being sinfully good-looking, which is hell on my heart.
“Not my area of expertise,” he admits, the edge of a grin remains on his lips. “But by the reaction of the crowd, I’d say they’re going to want more.”
We share a moment, a fragile smile passing between us. It’s nice to just, you know, talk, like normal people do.
The tension is ever-present, which is evident when his gaze drops to take in my outfit, booty shorts, and a sports bra.
But being able to co-exist in the same space without it being this overwhelming is new.
There’s still chemistry, still desire, but not the combustible energy firing back and forth.
Maybe because he’s not glaring at me. He’s softer tonight, and it’s like my body immediately feels his energy and has adapted to match it.
I motion toward my car. “It’s pretty late. I bet you’re tire—“
My words trail off as I spot a flower on my windshield, held there by my windshield wiper. It’s a dark-pink peony, my favorite. And there is only one person in the world who knows this fact about me.
I slowly peel it from the wiper and face Goose.
Looking down and away, he scuffs his boot against the gravel, the sound grating against the silence.
“I saw it and thought, why not. Think of it as both an apology for the other night and a thank you for helping Raven with the other girls. She told me you’ve been helping her a lot, and I wanted to let you know I truly appreciate it. ”
“I love doing it.”
He clears his throat. “That’s good. I’ve heard things have improved between you and the other girls.”
“As much as they can, I guess. But yeah, it’s better.”
“Good. Glad they’re not giving you hell anymore. You don’t deserve that. You never did.”
Does my body zing with pleasure? Yes, it sure the fuck does. Am I going to let it show how much his words are getting to me?
Hell no.
When he looks back up, his eyes meet and hold mine. A flicker of something passes between us—hope, regret, both maybe.
I bring the flower up to my nose. The scent triggers memories—good ones.
It reminds me of my little sister, Lacy, and our aunt, Lisa.
She loved gardening and planting flowers.
She often put Lacy and me to work in her garden when we spent the weekend.
I savor the memories because good ones like this of my family are hard to come by.
Lacy is the only one I still speak to, and that hurts sometimes when I let myself think about it too long.
“It’s beautiful. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
The moment stretches on. I open my mouth to see how he’s doing with the pills, to see if he needs help, but I also don’t want to ruin this night. Instead, I opt to be a coward.
My “Goodnight” comes out soft. I’ve always disliked the word ‘goodnight’ because it feels so final. Never more so than in this moment.
His smile is thin. “Night, Lil’.”
He nods once and ambles to his bike. After it fires up, he motions for me to go first. As I drive away from the lot, his headlights follow me for two miles. This time, when I check the review mirror, it’s to appreciate the view behind me.
When he eventually turns left and heads down another road, I’m left with this odd sensation. If I had to name it, it would be a sudden lack of comfort. As if having him following me gave me a sense of safety, and I want it back.
I find a new flower on my windshield every night, different kinds, and in varying shades.
Each night, Goose’s there waiting, leaning against the building, to greet me and walk me to my car.
He’s back part-time at the club and doesn’t usually stay for long if he does show up, and it’s ridiculous how my body reacts to just the knowledge that he’s there, and how, when he’s not, the entire energy of the club seems dimmed somehow.
He’s been doing oddly wonderful things, too.
Updating stuff around the club, hiring a new cleaning crew, buying the waitstaff all new uniforms, and taking on two new waitresses, so the girls on the floor aren’t so overwhelmed.
The increase in patrons had been stressing them out.
They love the tips, but leave every night exhausted and overworked.
He also left a massive basket of sweets and baked goods in the dressing room.
Raven had immediately grabbed the Ding Dongs and shoved one into her mouth with gusto.
The dainty way she wiped her mouth afterwards had me laughing.
She flipped me off and started in on the second one.
I stole the rainbow-colored macarons and sunflower seeds and hid them in my vanity to snack on throughout the night.
A few days after, I made an appearance at the HOC Clubhouse and found out that the guys are planning to do a charity run to raise money for a battered women’s shelter.
Griz told me it had been Goose’s idea and that he’d gotten all the brothers on board.
When I mentioned it at practice the next day to Raven and the girls, they jumped on the bandwagon and we began brainstorming ways we could help raise money too.