34. Sienna
thirty-four
Sienna
“Should we take it from the top?”
Sweat beads down my forehead, trickling to my brow. I’m heaving, my chest rising and falling like I’d just ran a marathon after practicing for the Winter Showcase with Daisy. She, on the other hand, looks like a freaking runway model.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen this woman break a sweat in our months of practicing together.
She’s silent for a moment, her eyes on me through the mirrored wall before she lets out a small chuckle, stalking towards her bag at the front of the room.
“Here babe, drink up…” She smiles, placing the all too familiar electrolyte flavored drink in front of me.
Nodding, I pick it up and down the entire thing as Daisy laughs.
“Did you sleep last night? You downed that like you’re starving.” She cackles as I flip her off.
“I slept horribly yesterday, but I got this!
Let's run it from the top again and fix the eight count at the very end—I don’t like the last turn that we added.
It doesn't flow…Then after we should do a run through and be done. How does that sound?” I ask, after downing the entire bottle of electrolytes and turning to Daisy.
The smile she sends me is like a proud mother as she claps a hand on my shoulder, squeezing lightly. “It sounds like we’re about to nail this showcase.”
When Daisy and I finish our practice, I feel lighter than I have in a dance studio in months.
My body is drenched with sweat, my heart is happy, and I’ve worked up an appetite.
Daisy, who’d been a lot meaner in our last practices, is now the perfect friend, laughing and walking with me out of the studio.
“No girl, did you see that new video that MarjaDance posted last night? I’ve been running through it all day in my head.” She laughs, opening the door for me as we exit out of the studio.
My eyes widen as I turn to her. I love MarjaDance. She’s been my favorite dance influencer for the past five years, and I get a lot of inspiration from her.
“Of course, I did! She combined acro and ballet, I was tuned in!” I say pridefully as if I knew MarjaDance myself. Daisy’s laughter slowly dies down, and when I no longer feel her presence beside me, I slow my steps.
“Hey, isn’t that your boyfriend?”
I stutter in my steps, my eyes slowly tracking to where Daisy’s light ones are, and low and behold, Jace Eros Heart stands at the entrance of the Arts building in all his glory. I tuck my bottom lip into my mouth as I eye him carefully.
Today, he’s wearing his orange SFU hoodie and grey sweats—a typical outfit for a guy, but still hot and laid back.
He and I haven’t spoken since he left me at the mall almost a week ago, and not because he hadn’t tried—he did, but because I didn’t want to talk to him.
I don’t know how to face him…
I do feel like an asshole though, he sent flowers to the apartment and called me more times than I can count, but what kind of man leaves their girlfriend inside of a mall? We could’ve talked it out. If he’d just let me finish speaking, he would understand that I’m not embarrassed of him.
Far from it.
I’d just rather keep us a secret a little longer so I can figure out how to tell Cleo about us. It would kill me if I lost her over a guy. No matter how much I love him, I can’t lose my best friend. To lose her would be to lose a piece of myself.
After the misunderstanding, Derek found me in the mall and offered to take me home since he’d saw everything go down. In the car, he let me vent to him and was a true friend to me, like Jace said he would be all those months ago .
Derek had even given me some advice afterwards, and I agreed to help him with Delilah’s hair, seeing as he wrangled her curls into loose ponytails that always ended up a mess by the end of the day.
It felt nice to have a new friend.
Like a magnet, my legs propel me to Jace.
We could be miles apart and I will forever be drawn to him.
I need to talk to him and apologize. I was in the wrong for my words and I want nothing more than for him to understand what I meant.
I never wanted to make him feel that way, especially after everything we’ve been through. I just—
My heart stops and my feet halt in their tracks, my brain sensing danger before my eyes ever lock on the blonde girl who pops up behind him.
I note the look of discomfort clouding his usually cheerful face and the way he subtly tries to back away from her.
The girl is persistent though, she continues to smile up at my boyfriend, tugging at his arm in a way that makes it seem to the unknowing eye that they’re together.
The quickening of my pulse is like that of an F1 cart as the woman lifts on her tip toes.
It all happens so fast.
My legs propel me forward with a mind of their own, taking me to the pair and planting me right in front of Jace.
I’m fucking livid.
“You have five seconds to leave my boyfriend alone or I swear to all things great, you’re going to learn how far I can shove my fist up your–.”
A hand over my mouth stops my words. His warm scent of leather and vanilla engulfs me and my body relaxes under his touch. Jace chuckles nervously as the woman’s eyes widen.
The girl takes a deep breath, mumbling as she turns on her heels running away like a cat with its tail tucked between its legs.
When Jace lets me go, it’s like all the air between us thickens. He tilts his head at me, a knowing smirk on his face. Rolling my eyes, I sigh and smoothen my hair down .
“ So, I’m your boyfriend.” He teases, raising a dark blond brow at me as I roll my eyes.
“I guess you are.”
Jace makes an amused sound, a small smile playing on his lips before he looks down at me.
“Listen…” We say in unison, the awkward tension from before building as the both of us laugh shyly.
“I shouldn’t have left you, and I damn sure shouldn’t have gotten mad at you at the mall. I understand why you are the way that you are and I–”
I cut him off, shaking my head. I can’t let him go on… Not like that.
“No Jace, I’m the one that should be apologizing for what happened at the mall.
It was wrong of me to flinch away from you when all you wanted was affection.
I’ve never done this before and I got scared…
but I never should’ve made you agree to hiding this…
us . You mean the world to me and when I realized that I hurt you, I didn’t know what to do with myself. ” I lay out my heart as Jace nods.
“So why didn’t you answer my calls? I left you flowers daily…”
I couldn’t stand to see that look of hurt on your face again… I knew that I’d hurt you again and I just couldn’t, I think but don’t have the courage to say aloud.
“Embarrassment. I was embarrassed that I didn’t realize that I was hurting you sooner… I should’ve acted like an adult and talked it out with you instead of ignoring you then marking my territory like a jealous toddler…” I trail off when Jace laughs, the vibration of his laugh rattling me.
“It was hot, I'll give you that.” He grins, nudging my shoulder.
Laughing, I nod as he pulls me closer into his chest.
“I’m sorry that I left, Sienna. I love you, okay?
I love you . I would never do anything to put you in a situation like that ever again.
I’ve been in love with you for my entire life and plan on loving you for eternity after that.
I’m sorry.” He says, the vibration of him gulping moves against the top of my head and I hug him in just a little tighter.
We needed this.
“Are we good?” Jace asks, his voice taking on a sobering note as I nod .
“Always.”
Jace nods in agreement, “Promise?” he holds up his pinky to my line of view.
“Promise.”