Page 90 of Pages of Amber
“I think I want to quit ballet.” She gasped. “It might not be forever, but right now, I have a much more important dream to chase. I don’t want to disappoint anyone, especially my mom. I have no idea what she’ll say or if she’ll speak to me again if I do this. I haven’t told Evelyn or Dottie or–”
“What do you want?” Noah asked, his arms tight around her.
There was only one answer in her mind and heart.
“I want to follow my own path. Chase my own dreams. I want to be an author someday. I want to be happy.”
“Okay, let’s do that.”
“Yeah?”
“I’m ready whenever you are. It’s you and me, Amber. We don’t have to apologize for following our dreams.”
The smile that curved her face couldn’t be hidden if she tried. Her heart was full, much fuller than it had ever been before. And it was because of this incredible boy. She couldn’t stop herself anymore. Let her heart be open for everyone to see. She didn’t care. As long as she had him by her side.
“I think I’m falling for you,” she whispered, her hands sinking into his hair as she unloaded the secret she’d carried for weeks.
Noah didn’t skip a beat. He didn’t hesitate. He didn’t back away. He smiled as brilliantly as the stars above them. “M’lady, I’ve been falling for you since the day you robbed me of my senses in a school hallway.”
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–”
