Dance with Me [h.s] (Completed)

Chapter 22

On Thursday, I arrive early again with a bright smile on my face to try and fake my way through my uneasy feeling about today.

"Three mornings in a row of Sunshine with no clouds," Harry says to me.

"Oh, I can be stormy," I say, laughing.

"No, I don't think so. I think you just choose to shine elsewhere," he says very thoughtfully to me, like it's something he has considered before.

I sit, changing into my dance shoes, feeling his eyes on me. Yesterday, had been a strange day for me of highs and lows. The high of that Paso Doble dance with Harry and then the low of the reaction to it. A high again of demonstrating the Rhumba with Harry's students and then the low of realizing I got carried away with him again. When Harry walked me back to my apartment after the lesson with his students, he kept it light and fun, teasing me the whole way. I think he knew I needed that.

When we said good night at the door, he leaned in so quickly and deliberately that I thought for sure he was kissing me, but instead he blew a big wet raspberry on my cheek, making me push him away, laughing. We both knew he had successfully lightened my mood and he smiled smugly about it.

"What's the plan for today?" I ask him.

"I have a new Samba for you," he answers.

"I hope it's not too hard," I whine.

"It won't be for you, now Cloudy on the other hand might have some challenges."

"Cloudy?" I ask with a snort at his ridiculous choice of nickname for Zayn.

"Yeah," he says like it's an obvious choice. "Because he's always dulling your shine."

I don't hold his gaze for long before I'm looking down at the edge of my shirt and picking at it nervously. Does he really think that? Is Zayn dulling my shine? Or is he only saying it to try and separate Zayn and I?

"You've helped him grow for more than a decade, I'm sure of that. Up there above the clouds, it's hard to see how it's affecting your light because everything is bright and shiny from where you stand. But down here, for us 'rovers of the land', it's like someone put a dimmer switch on you and turned it all the way down. You were born to shine, Ciro."

It's the first time he has said my real name and it almost distracts me from the rest of what he said. I try processing his words and looking for his motive in saying them. What does he have to gain from separating Zayn and I? He seems content not being in the competitive dance world anymore so I don't think he's looking for a partner. Is it just jealousy? Does he want Zayn out of the picture? Or is Harry really looking out for what's best for me?

Zayn shows up for practice right on time and greets me with a kiss on the head as per usual. I don't know what would feel worse: that he did it like everything was normal or if he hadn't done it at all.

Harry teaches us the new Samba routine and he's right, it's challenging for Zayn. I'm not sure if I was simply blind to his missteps before or my adoration for him hid his flaws but it's like a blurry image that's been sharpened and I can't stop seeing everything I had been missing.

Harry is being incredibly patient with him, and I know it's because he can see the realization in my eyes that he was right. Apparently, rubbing salt in the wound is not his style. I make note of that. We stop at three o'clock again, Zayn having to go to work at four. I have work tonight too, and say goodbye to Harry. He tries to convince me to let him walk me home but I tell him I still have slobber on my cheek from his raspberry last night and I would prefer not to have a repeat of that.