♤DEALS♤

Chapter 18 - 'Let's make a deal.'

There's a thin line between curiosity and familiarity.

-THEO

Caleb Parks' POV

I try to focus on the two dancing figures before me, but my mind keeps drifting to last night.

After Gail left me in the kitchen with Peyton, I tried talking to her, but she avoided looking at me.

And when I tried to take a look at the book she was reading, she nearly chopped my fingers off as she closed the book shut quickly. She stared me down with a cold gaze and walked away.

I don't get it. She became caring when she saw me reading a story to Gail. She got jealous when she thought I slept with someone while we were in Mexico, and let's not forget how she almost stopped me from playing the guitar or any other instrument as a whole.

"Caleb!" Marci waved her hands into my face frantically.

"Yes?" I answer.

"We've been waiting for you to start teaching us the new routine." She crossed her hand across her chest as she gestured to herself and Nathan.

"Wouldn't it be cheating that a musician your teacher?" I ask with a grin.

"Wouldn't you want to win the best brother in the world?" Marci says.

I raise a brow at her, "I'm your only brother."

"Says who?" She sasses.

"Um... guys, I have to be home soon. So can we wrap this up?" Nathan says as he regards us with an unsure gaze.

Marci glares at me as if it's my fault that her friend has better things to do than practice with her.

I roll my eyes and allow Marci to drag me onto the stage in the music room.

I get into a standing position, arms crossed behind my back and feet apart. Nathan and Marci are watching me with keen interest.

"As a dancer, you need to know how to do three things, muscle memory, vibed up, and balance," I instruct.

"I get the first and last thing you said, but how does being vibed up help us here?" Nathan cocked his head to the side while looking at me.

"Easy, observe."

I begin humming a tune as I do some light footwork, breaking into a simple tut and then a black flip. I finish up by doing a reverse, and then I hit the folks.

I walk up to the duo and close their open mouths.

"Dancing is a way of expressing yourself, but you must feel the beat move you as you do it. It doesn't matter if you win or lose, just remember to have fun up there and enjoy yourselves," I say as I place my hands on their shoulder, and my gaze turns harder as I focus on Nathan, "Not too much fun though,"

Again Marci narrows her eyes at me but I wave her off, "Go freshen up; Gail's show is in a bit."

I can hear her teeth grinding as she picks up her phone and pulls Nathan into a tight hug before leaving.

I narrow my eyes at the boy and walk closer, making him gulp and take a few steps back.

"I'm going to ask you this question once," I say.

"What are your intentions with Marci?" Jack leans on the wall with a cocked brow while looking at Nathan.

"Because if you hurt her," Jacob says as he comes to stand in the middle of the room.