Calore Dance Academy// Red Queen AU

Chapter 69

I apologize for Evangeline's behavior in advance. But her words are more important than you think. Also, if you want to join the Calore Dance Academy fan club on Discord, DM me for the link!

As always, enjoy! And do leave some stars and comments. There is nothing better for Nat than waking up tomorrow morning to 250 Wattpad notifications. Love ya'll. :)

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Evangeline's smokey eyes burn into mine.

The interior of the limo is made of black leather seats and purple carpet as dark as my nails. Little golden lights trail whorling patterns across the ceiling. A miniature bar with an ice tub of aged wine bottles rests below dark windows. They reveal a slow-moving city.

Her glare makes the limo feel suffocating. It isn't terribly big with its four seats, and the shadows make everything smaller. The lights of the city sneak through the windows, casting amorphous reflections across the walls. Evangeline's jewels catch the reflections too, turning her facade into molten gold and silver. Silence reigns over the limo, and our only reprieve is the beat of soft jazz music that filters quietly through the speakers.

The leather is warm through my coat. Maybe I just feel sick with anxiety, but my neck and face feel warm, and my stomach's tied itself into knots. Elara and I didn't have time for dinner.

I let one of my legs cross over the other, leaving my thigh partially exposed through the slit of my dress. Just like Maven told me, I feel like a queen with my braided, bound hair and elegant makeup.

My feet will ache by the night's end. As bad as my calves do right now.

Anabel and Elara took a separate car with Mister Calore. I can't decide who, out of those three, I feel the worst for.

My boyfriend and I lounge in the two seats further from the door. Across from the alcohol, Cal and Evangeline sit adjacent to us. A gentleman even for his witch-like ballet partner, Cal let Evangeline into the limo first, and she sat closer to us.

Maven's side presses against mine, and his hand closes over the one that I have resting on my knee. If it were just me and him, it would be a lot different. We'd talk and conspire, and Maven would lessen my nerves with his easy smiles and kisses. There'd probably be a lot of kissing.

Almost unconsciously, I let my head rest on Maven's shoulder. I'm careful with my hair, not letting the artful tangle of braids touch him. His arm drifts around my back, and his hand finds my hip.

Evangeline's low, taunting laugh rings through the limo.

"You two are just too cute for words."

She smiles, flashing white teeth that look ready to sink into some flesh.

"You know, Mare and Maven, I really do think that some credit is owed to me. If not for the little Truth or Dare game that I set up, you two would probably still be making out in allies and taxi cabs."

Maven and I haven't ever made out in an alley, but she's probably right.

Evangeline leans forward, resting her palm against her cheek. I'm surprised that she doesn't cut her face on all of her rings.

"I hear that Maven's a dog for you, Mare," she drawls. "What have you been dating for? Two, two-and-a-half weeks? He calls you his queen, goes on and on and on about you. That's what Ptolemus says anyway. I don't really see the appeal, but I guess that everybody has a type."

She pinches her dark lips together in a smile. I half-expect her to ask Maven why his type is rough-around-the-edges, high school-dropout, ghetto girls. But she only crosses one leg over the other and drapes her clawed hands over her knee. Her eyes glimmer with malice.