A World of My Own

Chapter 23

Hi! The video up here is the dance that you and Alex perform, there are a couple different versions so for this fanfiction, we're going with the second couple which starts at 1:48! Hope you enjoy this chapter and as always, let me know what you think!

Not long after warmups and a light rehearsal, it was time for the actual performance. I was standing off the side of the room when Alex came to stand beside me.

"Hope you still have a boyfriend after this." He murmured in my ear, his hand brushing the small of my back.

Back at the Palace Theater, the entire cast and crew were in the green room, all huddled around the various TVs to stream the dance performance. As soon as Alex and I were in view, the room split into excited whispers of the performance starting and also the surprise of Alex being my partner.

Ethan watched the beginning of the performance almost feeling like he was watching through someone else's eyes. Once it was obvious that he wasn't seeing things, his jaw clenched, gripping the table next to him hard enough to turn his knuckles white. He felt hurt and lied to, he couldn't help but wonder why I hadn't told him in the very beginning. About halfway through, Ethan couldn't bear to watch him touch me like that anymore, abruptly leaving the room and heading to his dressing room.

The performance was over, Alex and I standing next to the director of the dance studio as he gave a small speech. I smiled for the camera and the benefit of the people watching even as Alex's hand lightly grazed my butt, his hand never leaving.

After a few minutes, the director had finished his speech and I immediately headed towards the small dressing room they had given me, releasing a breath I didn't even know I was holding, not even bothering to close the door as I reached my phone. It was flooded with texts but I was only looking for one from someone specific. His was at the very bottom of the screen, but it wasn't anything I had expected to read.

Don't bother coming home

I read it once, twice, three times before the tears started rolling down my face. I had known that he would be angry but never did I think that he would react like this. I stood in a stupor not even knowing what to do with myself, so out of it that I never heard Alex coming up behind me. I jumped out of my skin when his hands rested on my arms. I could practically feel him reading the text over my shoulder.

"So you pissed him off pretty good, then?" He said quietly, a hint of amusement and almost, pride could be heard in his voice.

I shrugged off his hands rather roughly, gathering my things around the room and putting them in my bag. "What's it to you?" I asked quietly, pretending that it didn't bother me, but both he and I knew better.

Alex shrugged innocently, leaning against the wall as he watched me. "I'm just a concerned bystander." He answered with a bit of a smile, which against my better judgment, I allowed myself a quick look, further confirming that while he was an ass, he was really rather attractive.

I scoffed lightly to myself but said nothing, instead pulling out my phone on my way out of the room.

Twenty minutes later found me at my old friend Lilli's front door.

She opened the door with a smile, her face falling when she saw my tears. "Y/n, what's the matter?"