Total pages in book: 166
Estimated words: 157273 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 786(@200wpm)___ 629(@250wpm)___ 524(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 157273 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 786(@200wpm)___ 629(@250wpm)___ 524(@300wpm)
“Anne and I were with her.” Kenna peered up at me over her phone. “She declined further support, and we honored her wishes.”
“She didn’t want me here,” I said quietly. Not like I didn’t already know that from the declined calls and unread texts, but hearing it out loud felt like having my heart dragged out and scraped across broken glass.
“She’s a little prickly today, just to warn you.” Kenna sat her phone down on the counter. “Vasily tried to call her twice the day you two didn’t come home, and now he won’t take her calls.”
Shit. This was because of me. I leaned against the counter on the opposite side of the sink as the guilt sank in, knotting in my throat. No wonder she didn’t want to speak to me. If I’d just brought her home as planned, this might not have happened. So much for balance.
“It’s not his fault.” Allie walked in from the foyer in a clean set of workout gear, her face a perfect mask of control. Fuck me, she’d thrown her walls right back up. “It’s not your fault,” she repeated in my direction, but didn’t make eye contact as she opened the refrigerator and pulled out the lemonade.
Yeah, lemonade meant she was stressed as hell.
She slammed the pitcher on the island. “It’s not your fault that I didn’t stay in service. Not your fault that I decided to spend an extra day with you. Not your fault that I taught Eva the very choreography she no doubt went back and used against me.”
Those first two stung like a slap, but I held my ground when Allie walked my way. “I’m still sorry that I played any role in it.”
“It wasn’t you. It was all me. I’m a big girl who made choices and now has to deal with the repercussions of those choices.” She tilted her head to the side. “I need a glass.”
I moved four inches to the left so the door would clear my shoulder, and Allie arched an eyebrow, then yanked open the cabinet, her arm brushing against mine to reach the glass.
To my surprise, she brought back two glasses, then went back to the island to pour the lemonade.
Maybe she really wasn’t pissed at me. My throat loosened.
That relief lasted all of thirty seconds, after which she gave the second glass to Kenna, who took it with a mouthed thank-you as she swiped to answer her phone. “Why, Isaac Burdan, were your ears burning?” She tapped a button on the screen and set the phone on the counter.
The choreographer.
“Good to hear your voice as well, Dr. Lowell,” Isaac said through the speaker, and Allie tensed. “I’m sorry to bother you, but it seems Alessandra won’t take my calls.”
At least I wasn’t the only one.
“Hmm.” Kenna took a sip of the lemonade. “I wonder if that has anything to do with the fact that you handed over the ballet you choreographed for her to Eva? Just a hunch.”
Allie folded her arms.
“I had nothing to do with it, I swear. You have to tell her.” His voice pitched high. “Vasily showed me some footage of Alessandra teaching Eva, noted that she wasn’t going to be back in time to perform, and told me he’d made the decision to cast Eva in the role. I think his exact words were ‘raise up the newest MBC star.’”
“This is bullshit,” Allie snapped.
“Alessandra? Oh, darling. I’m so very sorry this has happened. You know I created that role for you and you alone. It’s the product of our work, our passion—”
Passion? Jealousy burned in my gut, but I managed not to tell the fucker to keep his pet names to himself because she wasn’t his anymore. Not that she was exactly mine, either, since we hadn’t really hashed out what was happening between us.
“Cut the crap, Isaac. You were already teaching the choreography to Charlotte, no doubt hoping to rework a little with her passion.” Allie shook her head and pivoted on the other side of Kenna, facing my direction. Icy rage shone in her eyes as she glared at the phone.
“Anger sounds . . . rather delicious on you, darling. You really should let that temper flare a little more often.” He sighed loud enough to be heard through the phone when Allie didn’t respond. “I was fucking Charlotte, no big deal. Working with her was only a by-product of that.”
“And are you still?” Allie questioned.
“Fucking Charlotte? Yes, but I’ll stop if you’re saying you’d like to resume our—”
I saw red.
“Working with her, Isaac. Are you working with her?” She rubbed the bridge of her nose. “I don’t care who you sleep with anymore, nor will I ever care again.”
He scoffed. “It’s that guy you brought to the gala, isn’t it?”
I stiffened, and Allie’s gaze shot to mine.