Still, my heart warms at the sight of all my beloved regulars. Avalanche has been getting to class early ever since the performance at Barfly, clearly inspired to keep improving after the show’s success. Snuggles and Bliss have begun arriving together, clutching hands, which is cute. And right before I kick off tonight’s lesson, Usher confesses to me that I’m the reason he keeps coming to class, even though he’s learned every routine three times over. I break out in a full-face blush, and he hastilyclarifies it’s because he thinks I’m an amazing dancer, not because he’s harbouring a secret crush on me.
God, I love these people.
Halfway through the fourth song of my lesson—the playful ‘Espresso’ by Sabrina Carpenter—Kye slips into the studio. My stomach crushes inward with that nervous, hyper-excited feeling I get whenever I’m around him.
He finds a spot at the back of the class, his eyes locking with mine. He gives me a soft smile, and a shard of heat spears my stomach. I turn away, hiding my dopey grin. I can only imagine how embarrassingly giddy I must look right now. Through the mirror, I catch Snuggles’ focus land on Kye—‘he hasn’t come to class for ages!’ she recently lamented to me.
Incoming, I silently warn him.
I laugh as she squeals and dashes to wrap her arms around him. Kye tips back on his feet, throwing me a startled look over her shoulder. Beaming, I reach for my phone to change the song.
‘All right, we’re gonna take the routine from the top!’ I call out. ‘Those who can’t keep time and arelate for classwill just have to catch up.’
I shoot Kye a wry smirk, and have to prise my gaze off his lips as he bites down on another smile. I tap back to the start of the track and get moving.
Once the class is over and the other students have trickled out, Kye comes right for me and wraps me up in a tight ‘I’ve missed you’ hug. I bury my face in his neck, still marvelling at the fact thatGroucho, of all people,can make me feel this breathless. When he pulls away, I gather the fabric of his black T-shirt in my fist, lift up onto my toes and press my mouth to his.
Chuckling against my lips, he folds his arms around my neck and tucks me against his thumping chest.
‘Can you come over?’ I ask. ‘My mum’s working tonight.’ In truth, Beyoncé could be waiting for me at home and I’d still want to drag Kye through my front door by his shirt. While we’ve talked on the phone almost non-stop, it feels like a millennium has passed since I last saw him on our hike, and I don’t want to let him go.
‘I’d love to.’ He cradles my face in his hands, blinks into my eyes, then tugs me closer for another kiss that buckles my knees.
We drive to my apartment separately, and I meet him on the footpath outside. I apologise for the lack of lift as I lead him up the echoing stairwell to my door.
Mum hasn’t tidied up, and there’s a faint smell of fish sauce mingling with the general mustiness of the old building. I glance over at Kye with a jolt of regret for bringing him here. But as he pulls off his jacket, all he offers me is a warm smile.
‘How are you, baby?’ he asks.
I could throw myself at him. When I really think about the question, though, my voice thins. ‘I’m doing okay.’
I try to smile, but I don’t think it quite works because he says, ‘No, you’re not.’
Sighing, I drag out two kitchen stools, and we sit down. I begin filling Kye in on everything that happened with my father—with more detail this time. I then go over the chat I had with Mum this morning.
‘The whole thing feels weird,’ I explain, going to chew my thumbnail but catching myself. ‘I don’t want to drag up the past and wreck my relationship with her—especially not while she’s living here—but I sort of feel like … I feel like I’ve unravelled a tight bandage that had been holding Mum and me together, and now we’re somehow disconnected, and not quite working the way we used to.’
‘You’ll come back together,’ he reassures, his eyes mining my face. ‘And have you heard anything from your dad?’
‘Nope.’
Kye’s brows draw together.
‘And that’d befather,’ I correct. ‘Notdad. Big difference there.’
‘Yeah. Right.’
‘What about you?’ I ask, tugging his hand into my lap. ‘Are you still staying at your friend’s place?’
‘Yeah. I feel bad about having been there for so long, even though I know he’d never dream of kicking me out. But his house is busy enough as it is. I think it’s time I go home and face the music.’ Kye’s skin loses a bit of colour.
‘Thanks for agreeing to help call off the public romance,’ I say, now that we’re on the topic of Austin.
‘Sure. Of course. The PR stunt was only an option as long as you were both keen on it. Besides, I think we already achieved what we wanted. I’m sure you’ve seen how many news stories are circulating aboutMoving.’
‘Yeah. Thank goodness the media are focused on that and have stopped pumping out stories about me and Gabriel.’
He smiles, compassion stirring in his eyes as his thumb kneads little circles in my palm. ‘Have you heard anything more about the Buzz situation?’
