Dance with Me [h.s] (Completed)

Chapter 54

On Monday morning I go to Brooklyn and teach my morning class and I'm glad that this is my last week of teaching before the kids' competition on Saturday. I'm not sure if I'll be back to coach in the fall. My new job with the consulting firm is supposed to start in September and I don't know if I'll have any free time to keep coaching. It makes me sad to think that I may be completely removed from dance in a little over a month. I speak with Rosa after class and discuss Saturday before I'm out the door and on the train to Tribeca.

When I arrive at Harry's studio, I'm grateful to see Zayn already here but astonished when I see the two of them laughing gregariously with each other. When they see me, Zayn walks towards me and joins me on the ground for some stretching while Harry disappears into his office.

"Hey," he says, judging my mood. I want to wish him luck trying to decipher me because I don't even know how I'm feeling. Nervous about seeing Harry. Excited to start practicing for Worlds. Worried I'm making a mistake with him. Glad that he didn't take off completely, which was my fear when he didn't show up for work for two days. Curious about why him and Zayn seem to be on good terms now. I'm also a bit jittery with anticipation about what it's going to feel like to dance with him today.

When we're sufficiently limber, we walk to the middle of the room to meet Harry. I keep my eyes down until I get to him and when I stop walking I finally look up. He's already looking directly at me and I feel startled by the intensity of his stare. He's never looked at me like this in front of Zayn before, he's always kept it for when it was just me and him.

"First off, congratulations on winning the New York Invitationals. It was a really remarkable win. The whole dance community is still buzzing about it. You two were definitely the underdogs and to win so handily really shook up the competition."

He finally breaks eye contact with me to look at Zayn and I watch Zayn give him an encouraging smile and a nod?! When did these two become besties?!

"You did so great, in fact, that they're all gunning for you now at Worlds. They know you are one of the couples to beat," he looks between the two of us now. "That means we need to up the ante. Your routines were great for New York but this is Worlds. They need to be incredible. I have some ideas but I want to hear your input too. We can only win if we work together."

He emphasizes the last word while looking at me and I steel myself for his stare, trying not to show how much his presence is effecting me. I subtlety nod my head. He notices and gives a nod in return before taking a step back to begin teaching.

"We can keep a lot of what we already have," he begins. "For more difficult sequences we can make them longer, maintaining speed and intricacies. We can make sure our posture and footwork is perfect and our turns precise. And the connection between the two of you must never be doubted. It has to be believed in every step you take out there."

Zayn looks at me now and smiles and I give him a close-lipped smile back, trying to maintain my air of nonchalance around Harry.

"Let's start with the Samba. I think it's already a really difficult routine but it will be the most impressive if you nail it."

Zayn and I step into position in hold and wait for Harry to press play on the music. Zayn wiggles my arms and leans down to catch my eyes.

"Lighten up, C. Let's have some fun!" he says smiling at me but I don't match his smile. I'm too focused on the end result of all of this training, plus trying not to look at Harry even when I can feel his eyes all over me.

I thought I could be in the same room with him and focus solely on dance for the next few weeks but every minute in his presence feels like a death from a thousand cuts. His eyes lingering on me, cut one. His hands running through his hair, cut two. Him wearing my favorite olive green short-sleeved button up, something I wore only weeks ago for a midnight bathroom break at his apartment, cuts three through thirteen. His fingers playing with his lips, cuts fourteen and fifteen. Today's going to be a slow bleed.