Chapter 13 #2
I tried not to frown. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to do the balcony pas de deux—because I did.
It was one of the most romantic dances in my humble opinion, at least. Though it wasn’t as technically difficult as other pas de deux from ballets like The Sleeping Beauty or Cinderella, there was something about it that tugged at my heartstrings whenever I had the privilege of watching it.
So much yearning captured in such simple movements that I couldn’t help but cry at their families keeping them apart.
Juliet’s innocence and hesitation, Romeo’s pleas and obsession, all of it coming together for true love.
I was honored to be the one to perform that for our Company, and I hoped that I would do it justice.
But there was something about it that I was struggling with.
The kiss.
At the end of the balcony scene, Romeo would pull Juliet into a slow, passionate kiss full of all the longing they couldn’t say aloud. I’d always dreamt of performing the ballet with my Prince Charming. I hadn’t dreamt of him being out in the audience, watching it all happen.
In my heart, I knew Alek wouldn’t take the news well.
He was very possessive of me, guarding my heart as if someone could ever have the chance of stealing it.
It didn’t matter that Raphael was in a very committed relationship with a violinist in the orchestra.
All Alek would know was that someone was kissing what belonged to him.
My legs clenched at the thought of his reaction, which was why I hadn’t figured out a way to tell him.
I shivered before diving into the balcony scene with Raphael, listening intently as the choreographer directed us while Madame Germaine corrected every little thing.
We moved through the scene a few times before the director called for some of the fight scenes, dismissing me for the day.
Mia came over as I was lacing up my shoes, texting both Jules and Alek that I was done early. “You looked really good today,” she said. “I already noticed a difference from your practice, and Madame Germaine hardly had any notes for you.”
“Yet,” I huffed, looking at myself in the mirror, fixing my slightly askew ribbon.
“Eva, it’s day two. You’re not going to be perfect this soon. You know it takes time.”
I did, but that didn’t mean I accepted it. I shrugged, but before I could give more of a rebuttal, we were interrupted by a man walking into the studio with a large bouquet of pink gardenias. I knew instantly who they were for, though I still waited for him to call my name.
The other dancers affectionately rolled their eyes, teasing me under their breath. Mia had let it slip yesterday that I had a new boyfriend, and they all enjoyed making me turn bright red, apparently. I signed for the flowers, thanking the driver, before bringing them back to my bag.
“Another bouquet?” Mia asked as I fiddled with the card.
I smiled. “He gives them to me every day.”
The card had the same hurried handwriting as all of the others, this time torn from a piece of paper that had a crest of a dragon on it.
It was such a small thing, but the fact that Alek took the time to write a note with all of my flowers, no matter when or where he was, made all the difference.
He was always doing thoughtful things like that, remembering everything I told him, asking how my rehearsals were going, bringing my favorite candies to the movies, always getting the door, and picking up the bill.
Sometimes I felt like I wasn’t giving him enough back, but Alek always insisted that I was doing plenty by just being his, whispering to me that all he ever wanted from me was a kiss, which I happily provided.
And though my insecurities sometimes rose to fight, Alek would always reassure me, quieting the OCD side of me that tried to argue with him.
“You’re glowing,” Mia said. “I mean that in a slightly alarming way.”
I giggled. “That’s because I’m happy.”
“Does he ever leave you alone?”
“I’m sure if I told him to, he would, but…”
“But…” Mia began with a knowing smile.
“But I don’t want him to. I like spending time with him, and I think he likes spending time with me, too.”
She pretended to gasp, elbowing me until I laughed. “Who are you, and what have you done with my unconfident friend?”
I shrugged, but I couldn’t hide the blush on my cheeks. “I don’t know. He’s so caring and considerate, and I’ve never met anyone who makes me feel like this. Like I’m enough as I am.”
“Good,” Mia said, her grin widening. “You deserve to feel like that, because you are enough. Even with your sugar-rotted teeth.”
“I have two cavities!”
“Yeah, and it’s a miracle you don’t have more. I truly don’t know how you fit into your costumes with the amount of sour gummy worms you consume.”
I rolled my eyes, and Mia hugged me, spotting an incoming text from Jules saying that he was close. She turned to me, one eyebrow raised. “You honestly think your brother will accept him?”
That made my pulse quicken—not with fear, exactly, but anticipation. “He’ll love Alek,” I said far more confidently than I felt. “Once he meets him. Jules just needs to see that I’m safe and I’m happy.”
“Uh-huh.” Mia studied me for a long moment. “You really believe that.”
“Of course I do.”
Why wouldn’t I? Jules would have to come around eventually. I couldn’t go my entire life completely alone. My brother worried because he loved me.
And Alek…
Alek was good. He was gentle and kind and loving.
He made me feel like I was the most precious thing on Earth.
And, yes, he sometimes had a dark side that I glimpsed whenever he thought there was a threat to me—like when one of my neighbors approached me as I was letting him into my building.
But I knew that despite some of his darkness, his soul was made of light, and that was all that mattered.
I said my goodbyes to Mia and grabbed my flowers before going out to meet Jules, mumbling something about another dancer gifting them to me to congratulate me on getting the role—some excuse I had no idea how he believed.
He helped me get them into the car before rubbing my shoulder and asking me how rehearsal was. And for a moment, everything felt okay.
Until I looked into my brother’s eyes and knew, for a split second, how Juliet must have felt, knowing her family would say no to Romeo but hoping they would say yes anyway.