CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
“ARE YOU SURE?”
Director Meusall asked for the fifth time, her expression pinched and shoulders tense.
They sat in her beautiful corner office with its large windows and amazing views. The decor was gold and blue, the color scheme of the Fleur Elysian Ballet Theatre. The director had ushered her in to sit at the arrangement of blue couches a few feet away from her desk. Her assistant had served coffee while she and Amber exchanged pleasantries but not long after that, Amber had made her announcement.
“Are you really sure?”
Amber smiled. She didn’t think her mentor would be so reluctant to see her go.
“One hundred percent. I’ve loved dancing at the theatre and learning from you, but my heart constantly yearns for me. I want to do right by myself this time. Unfortunately, that means it’s time to say goodbye.”
The director nodded slowly. “Does this have anything to do with your mother?”
Amber hesitated. “Yes and no. She doesn’t know I’m quitting. But she was part of the decision. Ballet was tearing us apart, but it was one of the only things that gave me a chance to have my mom with me. I’m grateful for the years of experience I gained here, and I hope that someday in the future, I can return to ballet without the need to use it as a toxic crutch.”
Director Meusall’s stare was unwavering. “You’re one of my best students and dancers, Amber. It’s hard to see you go but I understand. I wish you good luck on your next endeavors and I want you to know that there will always be a place for you here.”
“Thank you,” she said. A part of her was sad to be closing this chapter in her life but she was looking forward to what the next pages had in store for her.
“Did you see the audition results?”
Her stomach clenched at the topic. She had been curious but was unsure of how to broach the subject. She might have been quitting the theatre but it still hurt knowing that Lexi had betrayed her. She shook her head. “My mom told me about it. She wasn’t exactly happy that the role of Kitri went to Lexi.”
Director Meusall took a sip of her coffee. “We thought we made the best choice. It was a mistake on our part.”
“What?”
“The Assistant Director and I overlooked some recent reports we got about Lexi. She appears frazzled and on edge in class, she isn’t concentrating and a student reported they saw her taking pills in the bathroom last week. We contacted her parents to let them know. It appears she has more problems that we could have imagined.”
Amber remembered the pills she had seen in Lexi’s bag so long ago. Her heart sank, worry for her friend weighing on her. She should have asked Lexi what was going on, she should have tried to reach out to her friend. She’d ignored so many signs and now they were catching up.
“Did they say what the pills were for?”
“Not explicitly. But we know she needs some time to get stable. She will be removed from the performance and we’ll hold another round of auditions for the role of Kitri. Everything has been postponed for weeks.” The tired expression in the director’s eyes tugged on her heart.
“I’m sorry–”
“What is she doing here?”
They jolted as the door slammed open. Lexi stomped in, her eyes darting accusingly at Amber.
The director stood, a hard frown on her face. “What are you doing here? And did you forget whose office you just burst into that way?”
Lexi was unfazed by the warning in Director Meusall’s voice. “You called for me.”
“Yes. Two hours ago.” The director narrowed her eyes. “You took your sweet time to get here.”
Lexi scoffed, her hand pushing her hair behind her ear. Amber didn’t miss how hard her hands shook as she waved them in the air. “What was I supposed to do when I heard she was here?” She pointed at Amber. “For all I know, she might be trying to steal my role. You can’t have it, Amber. I won it fair and square.”
Amber didn’t think tripping her on purpose and causing her to injure her ankle counted as fair and square.
“You mean the role that isn’t yours anymore?” Director Meusall raised her brow. “I would have bothered to put this more delicately, but you’ve disrespected me too many times. As of this moment, you are no longer a dancer in the Don Quixote production and you will be sent on immediate suspension for the next three weeks.”
“What?” Lexi’s shriek echoed in the room. Amber shot out of her seat as Lexi turned a hateful glare on her. “This is because of you, isn’t it? You’re ruining my life!”
Amber opened her mouth to defend herself but Director Meusall stepped between them. “That is enough. Amber, you can leave. This is between me and my student.”
Amber murmured a goodbye as she edged toward the door. This Lexi was unrecognizable, her irises blown wide, her hair standing on end. Her hands shook by her sides and she kept fidgeting. What had happened to her friend?
“Lexi, I only came to–”
“Save it.” Lexi hissed. “You always get what you want without caring about anyone else. You’ve blinded everyone, even the director herself.”
“Lexi.” Director Meusall rebuked. “I said that’s enough.”
But Lexi wasn’t done. Leaning closer, she whispered a threat that sent shivers down Amber’s arms.
“I won’t let you get away with it, Amber. Over my dead body.”
“You should add aliens. That would be fun.”
“We asked for bright ideas, Emmett. I think your brain lightbulb is dead.”
Emmett stuck out his tongue. “You’re nearly at the end, right? Give them some kind of epic finish. Readers would love that.”
“And you’re some kind of expert on what readers like?” Noah raised a brow at his friend, his fingers pausing on the page of his book. Amber hid her laugh as she nudged Noah’s shoulder from her perch on his bed. He and the twins were sprawled on the rug, their books strewn everywhere.
“Okay, I’m not talking if you’re gonna keep attacking everything I say.”
“Thank God,” Evelyn muttered, which earned her a hit from her brother. She kicked him, her leg flailing where she laid on her belly on the rug. Their tussle was interrupted when Mrs. Rhodes opened the door to Noah’s room. She shot the twins a glare, then raised a questioning brow at Amber and the laptop beside her.
“You’re supposed to be studying for your last paper tomorrow.”
“We were, but our brains are tired.” Evelyn groaned. “We need sustenance, Mrs. R.”
Noah’s mom chuckled. “Then I guess you’re lucky that dinner is ready and waiting.”
The words had barely escaped her when Evelyn and Emmett flew from the room, shoving each other as they raced downstairs. She and Noah moved much slower. Amber saved her progress and shut the laptop, taking Noah’s offered hand to pull herself up.
Mrs. Rhodes sent a look at their joined hands, her smile wide but she didn’t address it. “How’s the book going?” she asked instead, indicating to her laptop which she had borrowed Amber to transfer her work into. Amber still struggled with understanding the woman’s kindness toward her, but she had stopped trying to question it. She accepted it as much as she could, hoping that she would be able to pass on the same to someone else someday.
“Great. We’re figuring out the ending.”
“I can’t wait to see what happens next,” she gushed. “You left off at a cliffhanger.”
“Maybe I want the ending to be a surprise.” Amber giggled.
“I might be dead from the suspense by then.”
“You won’t be dying any time soon if I have something to say about it,” Mar. Rhodes’ grumble reached them as they entered the dining room.
Mrs. Rhodes kissed her husband’s cheek on her way to her seat. “Then tell Amber to hurry up and finish her book.” She snapped her napkin open.
Mr. Rhodes shot her a smile. “You heard the missus.”
She did, and it filled her with a sense of elation and wonder that someone wanted to read her book all the way to the ending. Quitting the theatre had dropped a heavy weight off her shoulders. Her writing came easily, her positive emotions fueled by the love and support she’s recently found herself surrounded by.
She’d opened up to Beverly and the twins about her stories, the fight with her mom and how it led her to staying at Noah’s. Beverly had cried with her and the twins had brought her junk food because according to them, it was life’s greatest comfort. With Noah’s help, Amber had studied for and written the midterms before their exams had started two weeks ago. Their final paper was scheduled for tomorrow and it seemed surreal to Amber that she would no longer be a high school student soon.
Gathered around the table, Mrs. Rhodes said a prayer and everyone dug in. Seated across from her and Noah, the twins rushed their meals like they hadn’t eaten in days.
“The food won’t run away if you slow down,” Mrs. Rhodes said.
Evelyn paused long enough to say, “We’re hungry and your cooking is delicious.”
“Yeah,” Emmett stuffed a spoonful in his mouth. “We love our mom, but she could burn water just by standing too close to the stove.”
Mrs. Rhodes shook her head in amusement. She was about to cut into her meal when she raised her head again. “Oh, I’ve got a surprise for you, Amber. Two actually.”
The focus shifted to her as she jumped out of her seat and dashed into the kitchen. She was back in a few seconds, holding five little pouches in her hands. She rounded the table and plopped them before Amber. Curious, she gave the bags a shake but when she didn’t hear a familiar sound, Amber shook out the contents of one of the pouches.
Tiny, oval-shaped black objects fell into her palm. She ran her finger over them, her eyes widening when she realized what they were.
“Sunflower seeds.” Turning to Noah’s mom, she beamed. “You got me seeds?”
“I made a list of the ones I thought you might like, but Noah was the one who got you the seeds.”
Amber gasped, her gaze darting between Noah and his mom. The smile on his face as he witnessed her excitement made her heart race. “This is so amazing! Thank you.” She hadn’t been at her greenhouse in a month. Dottie assured her she was keeping her flowers alive, but it wasn’t the same. She missed taking care of them herself. Her smile dimmed. “I don’t have a place to plant them. They might dry up if left for too long.”
“You do have a place.” Noah took her hand in his. The feeling of safety and assurance it gave her felt new each time. Noah tipped his head toward the backyard. “You can plant them out there.”
Amber gaped. What?
Mrs. Rhodes’ hand laid on her shoulder. “We wanted to get you some gardening tools but we didn’t know which ones you may need. If you say yes, we can head to the store after your exams tomorrow to get some.”
“Please say yes,” Evelyn pleaded. “We never got to see your greenhouse but Dottie said it’s really pretty.”
Of course Dottie would be telling them things. She came around every other day to hang out with Amber after school. She often chatted with Noah and the twins and even spent time with Mrs. Rhodes in the kitchen.
Amber hesitated. “What if you want to plant something?”
Mrs. Rhodes waved off the question. “I haven’t touched that soil since we moved in. I wouldn’t even know where to start. Say yes, honey. We want to see your beautiful flowers out there. It’ll be a great view when I’m washing dishes.”
“Or sitting out on the deck,” Noah cut in.
“Or grilling,” Mr. Rhodes added.
They’d bought her flower seeds and offered to buy her gardening tools. They wanted to see her flowers grow in their backyard. Was there any way she could refuse them this simple request when they’d gone above and beyond for her?
She tightened her grip on Noah’s hand and he squeezed right back, telling he was right there. Her calm, steady anchor in the midst of her ups and downs. He moved their hands, pressing a silent kiss to the back of hers. She was tempted to drag him closer and kiss those lips. She settled for giving her honest answer.
“I’ll do it.”
A whoop went round the room. Mrs. Rhodes hugged her tight and Evelyn and Emmett shared a high five.
“And the other present?” Mr. Rhodes looked to his wife as she released her.
Amber shook her head immediately. “Please, no more presents. You’ve done more than enough.”
“You deserve them,” Noah cut in. His grin was mischievous as he said, “If we want to give you all the presents in the world, you’d have no choice but to collect them.”
“Noah, I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
He nodded at his mom to continue. Mrs. Rhodes took her seat, fluffing her napkin across her lap. “A couple weeks ago, Noah came to me with a request about your book. We’ve been working on getting through to the right person and last night, we were successful.”
“The right person?” she asked. Where were they going with this?
“Yes. Noah suggested we help you look for an agent who might be interested in your work. The good news is, an old friend of mine knows someone who lives in Hudson Valley, close to my sister. We called her and after a few questions, she said she wants to meet with you after your exams.”
Amber couldn’t breathe. A publishing agent? She was going to talk to a publishing agent who was interested in her work? The tears came first, spilling down her face. Then the blubbers.
“An agent? Is this real? Someone pinch me and tell me if it’s real.”
“It’s real,” Noah chuckled, swiping her cheeks. “Congratulations, m’lady. You’re one giant step closer to making your dream come true.”
“When can we meet her? How? What if…” The questions poured from her. She wasn’t making much sense, but the tears and the overwhelming joy in her heart made it hard to think.
“Let us worry about the details.” Mr. Rhodes clapped his hands, excitement clear on his face. “In the meantime, let’s get packing. We’re taking a little family trip to Hudson Valley.”
“I know I didn’t bring it up but that was because I was waiting for you to say something first. I’m running out of patience though so I need you to put me out of my misery,” Evelyn said as she cornered Amber at the sink.
Elbow high in sudsy water, Amber tilted her head at her friend. “What are you talking about?”
“You know what I’m talking about,” Evelyn squinted at her. “We’ve all seen the way you and Noah look at each other. You’re always holding hands and I saw you kiss his cheek at school last week. You’re basically inseparable. Are you guys together?”
“Uhm.” Heat rose to her face as the line of questioning was one she wondered about herself. They hadn’t fixed a label to what they were. She loved being around Noah, sharing late night talks, kisses or debating random things. “We’ve had our moments, but I don’t know if–”
“What are you talking about?” They whirled around to see Noah leaning against the doorframe, an amused smile on his face. He looked so good when he smiled. “You’re my girlfriend.”
Evelyn let out a squeal, her hands slapping over her mouth to muffle the sound. Amber blinked, her hands floating amongst the dishes in the sink. He said she was his what?
A swallow worked through her throat, as she fought the mix of surprise, hope and elation in her. “Well you said it so you can’t take it back.”
“I won’t.” He said simply, reaching for a bottle of water on the counter. “Not for anything in the world.”
Then he winked and walked away. Her jaw fell as she watched him cross the floor to deliver the bottle to his mom. Who said something like that and walked away?
Noah Rhodes, apparently.
“It’s been quite an eventful evening.” Evelyn laughed. “My heart can’t take all this excitement. And soon, you’ll be going on a trip to see your agent.”
“She’s not my agent yet,” Amber corrected though the hope in her wished she would be.
“Doesn’t matter. We’re looking on the good side of things.” Evelyn gasped. “You know what this calls for? Shopping!”
“We aren’t done with our exams, Eve. There’s time to do that later.”
“Yeah, yeah. It’s never too early to plan.” She did a full body shake. “I’m gonna call Beverly. We’ll plan the best girl’s day out ever!”