My Future Stepbrother

Chapter 95

My heart feels shattered. I know we’ve had a few bumps this week but he really just wants to give up on the idea of telling people and carry on pretending.

“Why are you saying this?” My shaky voice refusing to hide the hurt behind it.

“Don’t get upset, look I’m tired and I don’t want to get into it right now. Can we just go to sleep please? We’ll talk about it tomorrow. I really don’t want to argue with you.”

Argue with me? I’m not arguing I just want to know why he’s being like this? Where this all came from. Five days ago he was buying me dresses and making dream dates a reality, now he’s becoming colder and more distant by the second.

Jayce pulls me down into him and almost immediately falls back to sleep. His strong arms hold me like he didn’t just crush me with his words moments ago. I lay there, angry that the only thing keeping me calm is the touch of him. He is all that sooths me but how can I let him be what I need when he’s the one that’s upset me?

I gently pull out of his arms and he rolls over in his sleep. I turn towards the wall and hold back tears, eventually falling asleep feeling cold....and alone. Again.

***********

The sound of the last bell Thursday is music to my ears. Jayce and me hadn’t spoken since this morning, he had tried to explain that with everything Brittany said combined with how we’ve been acting towards each other this week, he thought maybe we just needed a bit more time before we added the pressure of everyone’s reaction into the mix.

I tried not to overthink it, hoping he’d calm down and come to his senses before Saturday. Something was off with him, whenever we spoke I could almost see the war going on in his head.

Chad is waiting for me outside last period. “You didn’t text me back this morning. What’s the plan?”

Shit. I’d seen his customary ‘Good morning beautiful’ message but got distracted by Jayce.

“Sorry. I’ve got to go straight to practice with Brie, it’s the last one before the competition tomorrow so it might go later than usual. Pick me up from there? 6?” He smiles and nods before I leave him to run after Brie.

I thought Brie was bad before but with the deadline so close she was like an army drill sergeant now. She made them run through every routine, starting again from the beginning if things didn’t go exactly as she wanted. I tried to level her head but at this point she was too far gone, I decided to focus my efforts on Fiona instead.

I’d ran out of appropriate dance gear so I’d had to lend an outfit from Brie. The shorts barely held my ass from springing free and the sequined sports bra was two sizes too small, forcing my poor girls up under my chin. How did she wear this shit? I’d kill for some leggings and a hoodie right now.

Fiona was doing so well, she’d picked up every routine except for the chair dance with Harley. Combining the sexual elements of strip and burlesque with the street dance was really outside her wheelhouse and it showed.

“Al I’m never going to get this.” She protested sitting on the floor, having fallen from Harleys lap when she lent the wrong way.

“Yes you will! You’re better now than you were an hour ago and you’ll be better again in an hour from now. Just remember to spin left on the second sequence instead of right. You’ve got this.” I tried to reassure her. I of all people understood how hard it is to push through and keep going when everything in your body tells you to stop but I honestly knew she could do this.

“Plus I’ll be prepared this time, whichever way you lean bitch, I’ll catch you.” Harley adds, extending his hand to pull her up.

“Al will you just run through it again from the beginning? I’ll watch and take it in my osmosis or something until it sticks.” She asks moving to sit by the mirror, looking a little defeated.

Just as I set the music to start again the door to the studio flew open and in walked Josh. Harley ran from the seat into his arms, those two were so bloody cute.

I walked over to say hi when another head of brown hair wearing a beaming smile came in after him.

“I said pick me up at six, it’s barely after five.” I taunt looking at him with an evil glare.

“Sorry, not here to pull you away don’t panic, Josh said he was coming now so I’m playing tag along.” He smirks, letting his eyes wonder to the room of half naked dancers behind me.

I huff and roll my eyes. “Fine, but keep your eyes and hands to yourself. And no distracting the girls unless you want to feel Brie’s wrath.”

He winks at something behind me. “No promises on the distraction thing, I think the red head likes me already.”

Turning I see one of the girls making goo-goo eyes at Chad and try not to scoff.

“Hey you two! Less flirting with useless basketball players! More dance!” Bries voice cutting through the room.

I stand to attention and salute. “Sir! Yes Sir!” But Brie just flips me the bird.

I grab Harleys arm. “Sorry for what I’m about to do all over your boyfriend Josh, I promise I only see him as a friend.” They both laugh, he’s seen this routine so many times now he’s not even phased anymore.

Harley sits back in the chair and I nod to Fiona to start the music. I know this routine so well I don’t even have to think about the steps, each movement leading into the next as easily as walking. I see Fiona watching every motion, making sure to take note of the changes. I try to turn up the sex appeal on the placement of my hands and hard rotation of my hips, reminding her not to forget the little things that make the routine stand out.

We come to a point where Harley holds my wrists and emulates kissing my neck, I make sure to bite my lip dramatically – what you do with your face is just as important as what you do with your feet in this type of performance.

We’ve been at this rehearsal for a while already today and the high temperature of all the moving bodies is causing little beads of sweat to run down my chest. Either that or the fact my own gorgeous boyfriend hasn’t touched me in twenty-four hours is really starting to get to me. Fuck, why did I still miss him so bad when he was being such a dick?

I move to behind the chair and continue the standing portion of the routine, Harley grabs my hips and spins me into his lap before dropping me into the finishing pose.

I look to Fiona. “You think you got it?” She smiles and nods before I jump up and move to let her try.

Brie is looking at me cunningly when I walk to replay the music. “What’s that look for now?” She smirks and nods her head to the back of the room.

I look to the bench where Josh and Chad are sitting and see Chad is staring at me, head held up by his hands and jaw wide open. Brie comes to whisper in my ear “Who knew Chad Wilson was packing that.” And I follow her eyes to the very.. very.. big tent pitched in his shorts, that he is hopelessly trying to hide.

I shouldn’t have let him see that should I?

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