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Duke gives a small nod, but there’s still an ounce of confusion floating over Ivan’s face. I understand the hurt he’s feeling, especially considering this is likely a process he would’ve loved to go through together, but I didn’t need outside opinions for this.
“Well, if you want some, we can give them to you,” he says, sitting at his desk chair, slowly opening his laptop again.
“Did Royce make a call to everyone but me?” I say with a chuckle that’s more of a huff.
“He just wanted to soften the landing for you.” Duke sticks up for him, clarifying what I’m sure he knows would likely provoke loose lips on my behalf.
“I guess if I’m not going to be tortured through a workout, I may as well be tortured in other ways.”
Ivan grins, his golden-boy charm impossible to get rid of, even in the darkest of moments.
“He’ll be here next week, but he said if we wanted to go ahead and tell you that we could,” Ivan says, both of them back behind the desk like they were when I entered.
Any content feeling I had before seizes the second I’m made aware of my brother’s arrival back home to Tennessee.
“Coming here for work?” I ask.
“A personal trip,” Duke replies.
Okay, now I’m really starting to get nervous. What the fuck do they know that I don’t?
“Just tell me already,” I plead, confused by how this became a family affair overnight.
Holding himself by three fingers on the desk, Ivan braces himself before clearing his throat, but it’s me who needs the support, because nothing could’ve prepared me for what they share.
CHAPTER 46
FIA
“I’m running a little behind. Be there in just a few minutes.” My hurried tone vibrates as my hands shake against the steering wheel.
“No rush. I’ve got a few things to run by myself first,” Haven says cheerfully. This morning, at an hour that felt more courteous, I responded to her text. It took a few hours for her to get back to me, so while I waited, I drifted back to sleep in Jett’s cozy bed.
Which is why I’m in a fucking frenzy to get to the studio right now.
“I’m so sorry, I lost track of time.” I hate how pathetic the words feel coming out.
I’m usually not one to be late, especially to dance, but it felt so damn good to be comfortable for once. I think I caught up on sleep that I’ve spent the last decade missing. Late nights and early mornings are all I know; I’m immune to constant fatigue.
No rest for the weary, or whatever they say.
Last night something released in my body. After so long of masking my fatigue, fighting through the pain in hopes it would someday just disappear, with a few healing touches, my bones finally felt safe again.
“Seriously, Fia. Give yourself a break. We’ve got all day.”
Exhaling a relieved breath, stress temporarily exits my body.
“I’ll be there in ten,” I blurt out, along with a goodbye as I end the call.
When I arrive at the studio, I’m overwhelmed by the calmness in the air. I shouldn’t be, as Haven’s aura is never anything but placid—maybe I’m always the one on edge.
Or maybe taking the edge off with someone really helped my case.
“Sorry!” I huff, setting my bag down in front of the mirrors, gathering my hair into a quick pony.
“All good, babe. I want you to meet Ben and Nicki. I was thinking you could teach them as you show me. They dance for the ’Blazers, so hip-hop is more their thing than the rest of the group.”
My nerves simmer the moment I realize I’m going to be teaching them. It’s different than teaching twelve-year-olds, of course, but the feeling is more or less the same. And much less pressure than doing all of this in front of the rest of the crew would be.
