Zora

Chapter Twenty-Five

Terrance's pulse thumped through his veins, his fingers twitching at his side. The weekend was not a good one, one full of tears and despair. Never before had he felt so close to Zora and his family, yet at the same time, he never felt further away from her. As heavy as his heart may have been, the tribulations that flashed through his life were nothing in comparison to the life-threatening circumstances she was forced to succumb through back in Georgia. His life could never compare to hers.

Walking with his eyes on the floor the following Monday, Terrance entered the dance room before his sister was supposed to arrive. He spotted Tyler warming up, spinning on one foot multiple times as though he were a figure skater. Tyler's movements were so graceful Terrance was left hypnotized. Tyler may have been a bigger man, but each move was gentle.

As Tyler halted in finishing position, he stared at the mirror and smiled when he saw Terrance lingering in the doorway. "Terrance," he purred as he spun back to face him, "to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Just...stopping by, really." After the events of the party and hearing about her past, Terrance was petrified to leave Zora alone with another man. He knew there was no reason to worry about her being alone with Tyler, as he would never dream of hurting a fly, but she was still shaken up from the party. The last thing he needed was for her to grow nervous in her best friend's company. Terrance figured it would be smart to stick around for the first ten minutes, check to make sure she was content while alone with him, and then leave until he picked her up after practice. He refused to let her walk home alone.

Eyeing Terrance from top to bottom, Tyler scoffed as he faced the mirror with a tiny smirk. "I know you're here because of your brotherly instincts, but I can assure you that Zora will be safe with me."

"How do you know-"

"She called me this morning to make sure we were still rehearsing today. I told her there was a chance I would have to reschedule my dentist appointment during our practice time, but I didn't need to." Turning to face Terrance, Tyler exhaled through his nose as he smiled at the ground. "You don't have to worry. You know I would never purposefully hurt her."

"So, you would hurt her by accident?"

"Everyone hurts everyone by accident. It's human nature." Placing a hand on his side, he popped his hip and tsked at the boy. "I know you're trying to intimidate me right now, but I can assure you that it's not working."

"Why would I try to intimidate you?" Terrance asked, flickering his gaze away from his eyes.

Taking long strides up to Terrance, Tyler smirked as he leaned in. "I can think of two reasons. One is that you're trying to intimidate me so I won't want to touch your sister. Well, I can assure you that we only touch when we dance, but I don't think that's it."

Glaring at Tyler, he gritted, "Then what do you think it is?"

"Number two is that you happen to feel intimidated by me. You've always been the strong, alpha boy type, and now you've found someone who would dominate you. You want to prove to me that you are still capable of being top dog. Even though I know you are, it won't stop me from wanting to take care of you," he cooed as he cupped his cheek.

Terrance gasped as he slapped Tyler's hand off him. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Tyler began to laugh hysterically as he walked further into the dance room. "Oh, I'm just messing around. I know that's not it. So what brings you here?"

"Well, you were right about Zora. I am worried about her," he explained. "After everything that happened this weekend, I want to make sure she's going to be okay with another man."