Calore Dance Academy// Red Queen AU

Chapter 78

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"It's okay. I'm here," Cal murmurs while I convulse against him. He holds onto me for dear life like I'm going to fall through the wall and off the face of the earth.

I couldn't say how long it's been, how long I've been shaking and crying and wanting to breathe well enough to tell Cal what's wrong. The darkness keeps me safe from Cal stripping away my last layer of pride. Still, the lack of light heightens the rest of my senses, making me keenly aware of Cal's body, his scent that blocks out the wildflower freshener, and the sound of my own tears.

The right side of Cal's T-shirt is more or less soaked with saltwater.

"My—my—my—"

"Shh," he whispers.

I hyperventilate into Cal's shirt, focusing on its scent. He still smells of spices and sandalwood. The flannel that my face brushes against adds heat to the aroma.

His jaw perches perfectly atop my head, and his arms cage me in nicely, biceps resting against my shoulders. My own arms wrap around his body, feeling the outlines of his sculpted back and obliques beneath his layers. His chest breathes slowly and thoughtfully as I struggle to get air into my lungs.

My body fits perfectly against his.

"We have all the time you need," Cal says. "You don't need to try and relax. But when you do, we can go back to my dad's office. I'll order you something to eat, because I can tell that you're hungry again—your stomach's making weird noises. I'll turn on the fireplace, too."

My son-of-a-bitch headache has to be the reason why my stomach wants to curl in on itself, why the rest of my body still feels nauseously heavy. At least the chills are gone.

"My head hurts," I finally croak out, sobbing into his chest.

It feels like a stupidly obvious thing to say. The continual sobbing almost puts stars into my eyes.

"Hmm."

Cal shifts one of his obnoxiously large arms, drawing his hand up to the nape of my neck. His touch feels too familiar, too natural for me to flinch away as he pulls at my bun.

It takes him a few tries to find the hair tie that secures the knot, and Cal doesn't pull it loose the first time. When he finally does, it feels like he tugs the tension headache right out of my head.

I let out a sobbing sound of joy as Cal tosses the hair tie to the ground.

He purrs in satisfaction when he realizes that he's pleased me. Galvanized, he brings his hand back up to my hair. The pads of his fingers stroke my scalp, combing out my hair.

I bury my pathetic whimper into his chest, trying to push my face closer, wrap my arms tighter. Cal takes that as indication to keep massaging my scalp, firmly raking his fingers through my hair.

My grip around Cal's midriff might be vice-like, but my knees feel weaker than ever before.

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"You always wear your hair so tight. It looks painful. Maybe if you didn't wear it so tight, you wouldn't be so mean all of the time."

Cal smiles softly at me from the leather chair.

My damp eyelashes batt together against my will. "You're probably right."

We sit together in Mister Calore's office. Illuminated is only the near vicinity of leather couches and fine end tables, dimmed lamps and a flickering brick fireplace, and dark wood and ornate rugs. Tibe's liquor cabinet and pool table linger in the shadows.