All In (18 page)

“Yeah?” I ask, turning towards him
again.

“I love you.”

And all at once my nerves are
gone.

Lane

An indescribable energy
zips through my body the moment the words leave my mouth. My heart
doesn’t pound out of my chest, and my palms don’t sweat like I’d
imagine they would when I finally
told
Ashley how I feel. Instead, when I say the words out loud, I’m
certain nothing I have ever said or felt has ever been truer. I
love this girl.

I watch as her body responds to my
declaration by going perfectly still, her eyes lock with mine, and
her smile tells me everything I need to know. She loves me
too.

She turns back without a trace of fear
and disappears into the auditorium.

I glance at the clock on my phone and
know from the dance company’s website I have at least an hour to
kill while Ashley goes through the audition process. I’m
practically walking on air and decide that pacing back and forth
outside the auditorium with a crazy ass grin on my face might freak
out the other dancers. I grab Ashley’s bag, toss it my trunk then
scan the nearby storefronts for something to do while I
wait.

I’m immediately assaulted by the smell
of chocolate, coffee and books as I push open the door to the small
coffee shop right across the street from the dance studio. It
appears less like a Starbucks and more like a library with a spiral
staircase that leads to a second story landing with floor to
ceiling shelves overflowing with books. It’s aptly named Books and
Biscotti.

A girl with bright pink hair and
several piercings in her face takes my order and despite her hard
exterior she has a warm inviting smile, and makes one hell of an
iced coffee.

I take a sip of the cool drink and
take in my surroundings. “This is amazing.” I gesture to the coffee
first and then to the upstairs.

“Thanks. It’s a special blend we make
in-house.”

“And up there? Is that like a
library?” I ask, not sure if the books are for customers to enjoy
while here or if they’re for sale.

“Feel free to sit and read, or buy.
Both are cool,” she says, picking up her own tattered book from off
the counter. “And let me know if you need anything else,
kay?”

I head up the winding staircase and
I’m reminded of the lighthouse and the last time Ashley and I were
there together. The night she told me about her grandfather reading
to her as a child and how that inspired her to dance. Maybe I’ll
luck out and they’ll have a copy of it. Her birthday is soon, and
it’s kind of a fitting gift considering why we’re in Boston in the
first place. I chew on my straw trying to remember the name of the
book. It had something to do with dancing and princesses, but I
can’t think of the exact title.

I glance around at the other people
scattered throughout the shop then over the railing at the barista
who just helped me. The music is playing pretty loudly, definitely
not your typical book store, so I clear my throat hoping I’m not
about to make an ass out of myself by yelling down to
her.

“Umm…excuse me?” I say just loud
enough for her to hear me over the music.

“Yeah?” she calls back even louder and
not fazed at all. Whew.

“Do you have a book about
princesses…who dance? I think there’s a bunch of them, like ten or
something.” I shrug, as two girls across the balcony laugh, but I
don’t care. It’s for my girl.

She smiles. “You mean The Twelve
Dancing Princesses?”

“Yes. That’s it,” I say, relieved she
knows what book I’m talking about.

“Yeah, we do. It’s an old imprint from
the twenties if I remember right. In pretty good shape.” She scans
the shelves rolling the piercing in her cheek between her thumb and
pointer finger before gesturing to the bookshelf on my right. “That
bookshelf is mostly folklore and fantasy so it should be in
there.”

“Thanks.” I nod, hoping she’s
right.

I browse the shelves until
I find it tucked between a copy of
The
Hobbit
and
Animal
Farm
. The spine is worn, but the pages are
in good condition. I hope it looks like the one her grandfather
used to read to her, but either way I think she’ll love
it.

Not wanting to be late, I skim a few
more shelves then head down stairs to pay. A small carrousel of
cards sits next to the check out and I find a card covered in pink
balloons. Perfect. I slip the book and card into a plain brown
paper sack and stick it under the front seat of my car for safe
keeping before heading back into the studio.

I’m definitely not late. It’s nearly
two hours later when the door to the auditorium creeks open and
Ashley steps out in her leotard and tights, her face bright pink
and glowing.

“How’d it go?” I ask, jumping up from
the cold stone floor. I reach out to wrap her in my arms, but she
hops backwards and out of my grasp.

“Noooo, I’m all sweaty.” She giggles.
“You might want to wait until I take a shower.”

“Come here, you.” I grab her around
the waist and lift her up into my arms, her whole body vibrating
from the inside out with happiness. “Now tell me, how’d it go?” I
ask again, kissing her smiling cheek.

“It was amazing.” She
loops her arms around my neck and gives me a chaste kiss.
“And
you
are
amazing for doing this for me,” she whispers against my mouth
before kissing me again, more deeply.

Reluctantly, I set her down when
another dancer comes out of the auditorium doors, startling us from
our own little world.

I take her hand and pull her to a set
of chairs that are tucked into a corner away from the auditorium so
we won’t be interrupted again. “So?”

She looks at me with a smile so sweet
and happy that it crinkles her eyes and makes me want to see that
smile for the rest of my life. “Well, it’s all kind of a
blur.”

“I want to hear about every second,” I
say. “No matter how small the detail.”

“You sure?” she asks.

I settle back in my chair. I’m not
going anywhere. “Everything.”

“Lane, it was so exciting, and scary,
and… and…amazing,” she says with a sigh, falling back into her
chair looking exhausted and relieved and happier than I’ve ever
seen her. “It was the longest two minutes of my life.”

Two minutes?

“But, you were in there for almost
three hours.”

“I know! After I did my solo they
asked me to stay, with a handful of other dancers who had
auditioned earlier, and they taught us a choreographed number.
That’s what took so long,” she explains. “The solo I did was two
minutes long, but it felt like a lifetime since I had to make it up
on the spot.”

That was my fault. The website said to
come prepared with a two minute solo, I just figured she’d have one
she already knew. Oops.

“Baby, I’m so sorry.”

“No. I’m glad I had no idea you
planned the audition. Instead of over thinking what I should do and
trying to make sure I did everything perfect, I just danced. I let
myself feel the music and then poured myself out on that stage,
thinking about you.”

I lean forward and put my finger under
her chin, lifting her lips to mine. “I am so proud of you,” I say,
staring into Ashley’s eyes, in total awe of my girl.

“Thank you, baby,” she replies as I
brush a curl from her face. She leans into my hand and kisses my
palm before looking up at me through her lashes. “I never could
have done this without you,” she whispers.

I stand up and give her a quick kiss
on the forehead, her sincerity overwhelming me to the point that I
have to swallow down a growing lump in my throat.

“Now about this shower…” I say with a
flirtatious wink, trying to get a hold of my emotions before they
get the best of me in the middle of this dance company’s
studio.

I’m rewarded with a slap to my arm and
a bright pink blush that floods Ashley’s cheeks. Man I love this
girl.

Ashley

Rays of soft sunlight flutter in
through the curtains waking me gently from my deep sleep. I stretch
my sore muscles as I roll over and glance at the clock. On the
pillow next to me is a small piece of paper folded neatly in half.
I sit up and yawn, causing the blanket I’m under to pool around my
waist as I pick up the note.

Wanted to let you sleep
in.

Ran to get us
breakfast.

Be back soon.

Love,

L

“So sweet,” I swoon out loud, falling
back into the feathery pillows, a smile on my face and Lane’s note
clutched in my hand.

I’d practically fallen into a heap
last night after taking a shower and devouring the cheeseburger
Lane ordered for me from room service, so exhausted I could barely
keep my eyes open. The last thing I remember was curling up in
Lane’s arms and hearing his heart beat through his soft white
tee-shirt.

I’m crawling back in bed after a quick
trip to the restroom when the door clicks and opens. Lane peeks his
head in through the crack, then gives me a heart stopping smile
when he sees I’m awake. He pushes the door open with his foot, his
hands full with two coffees and a white paper bag.

“Morning,” he says, setting the
coffees down on the table by the window then coming over and
kissing me hello.

I kiss him back, thankful I brushed my
teeth already.

“Hi,” I reply with a smile before I’m
hit with the scent of fresh baked pastries. “Yum, that smells so
good.” I nod toward the bag.

“For you,” he says, opening it and
letting me peer inside.

“You didn’t have to do this.” I pull
out a glaze donut and lick my lips as my mouth begins to
water.

Lane eyes my lips “You
didn’t have to do
that
.”

I take a quick bite of the sugary
treat then lick my lips again, eliciting a soft growl from Lane.
“Oh, you mean that?” I taunt.

“Exactly,” he says, taking the donut
from my hand and dropping it back in the bag on the bedside
table.

I fall backwards giggling as Lane
crawls onto the bed, puts a hand on each side of my head and hovers
his body over mine, the donuts all but forgotten. I lick my lips,
this time unconsciously, waiting while he lowers his body
agonizingly slow until it’s pressed against mine, our lips finding
one another easily.

“Sweet,” he says, flicking his tongue
out and running it across my lips, his voice husky and his eyes so
full of fire it makes me shiver.

Deepening our kiss, our hands move
hungrily over one another’s bodies until the soft rays of the
morning sun have become the bright beams of early afternoon
light.

My lips feel sore in the best kind of
way, and I’m fairly certain my hair must look like a crow’s nest as
Lane and I catch our breaths.

“As much as I want to stay in bed and
kiss you all day long, we do have some sights to see,” Lane says
reluctantly, but still continuing to kiss down my neck. I’m not
convinced he really plans to leave the room, which I’m totally okay
with.

“Do we have to?” I protest, arching
into him still breathless, but joking. Kind of.

Lane rolls over and rubs his hand down
his face, fighting a war with himself that makes me smile because I
know how he feels. He takes a few deep breaths then jumps up, walks
to the window and throws open the curtains letting the almost
blinding sun into the room. “Okay. Up.”

“Fine,” I huff with a smile. “Give me
thirty minutes.” I hop off the bed, grab my bag and pad barefoot
into the bathroom to get ready.

I spray on the candy scented body
splash Lane loves, do a quick turnaround in the mirror, then step
out of the bathroom dressed in a pair of white jean shorts, a blue
and white striped top and my red flip flops, my hair down and
curly.

Lane’s eyes roam my body. “You look
very patriotic…and really good…”

“Don’t start that or we’ll never get
out of here,” I tease. “So, where are we going?” I’m curious what
he has planned that’s so important we had to stop
kissing.

“Well, I kinda wanted to walk the
community college campus if that’s where I’ll be spending the next
year.”

Of course.

I feel my smile fall at the mention of
the community college. I can’t help but be sad at the idea of us
being separated in the fall.

“Baby, don’t worry,” Lane says,
cupping my face in his hands. “You’re gonna get the spot with the
dance company, and we’ll be together all year.”

I’m doubtful, with all the amazing
talent I saw that I’ll get a spot in the company, but I’m not going
to give up trying, not anymore and I’m definitely not going to ruin
our day. “You’re right. Next year will be great,” I say cheerily,
putting a smile back on Lane’s face and hope in both our hearts.
“Let’s go check out the campus, and maybe we’ll find some cute
apartments nearby for me.”