“Places, ladies!” the teacher barks. All the girls fall into line.
Just as the music begins, Teagan looks up and sees me. Her eyes widen in surprise, then her mouth forms a confused frown. Oh no, she doesn’t look pleased.
I wave down nervously.
Then slowly, she nods and smiles. Her lips quirk up into a crooked smile, her face torn between two emotions.
It’s a start.
She takes a deep breath and steps forward as the music changes. From my limited knowledge, I think it’s from Swan Lake, although I’ve never seen a ballet before.
Their feet fly across the floor in a continuous flurry of twirls and leaps. I feel absurdly proud.
And sad. Killian should be here to watch his daughter.
“Teagan Quinn!” the teacher says sharply. “Please try to keep up. Less ego, more focus.”
Less ego? That was unnecessary. She didn’t need to call her out so abrasively. Would she treat her the same if Killian were here?
Teagan’s face burns with shame as she stumbles, falling slightly out of sync with the other dancers.
She tries to regain her composure, but the bitchy teacher barks another passive-aggressive command, and she struggles to find her footing.
Some of the other girls get reprimanded, but it’s in a much softer tone. With Teagan, there’s an undercurrent of something stronger.
What is this woman’s problem? She’s watching Teagan, ready to pounce on any mistake.
The teacher snaps at her again, and I resist the urge to yell for her to stop. This is really uncomfortable to watch. It’s like she doesn’t want Teagan to do well.
Flustered, Teagan nods and tries to follow her instruction, but the bitch isn’t helping her; she’s putting her on edge.
I glance up at some of the other parents, wondering if I’m being paranoid. They’re smiling, in their own bubble, captivated solely by their kid’s performances.
But the more I watch Teagan’s face, the more I know I’m not imagining this.
She winces a little as she does a single spin and lands awkwardly. She’s lost her mojo.
My heart aches for her. I want to run down and hug her. It takes me back to a teacher who made me feel like that. She thought I was being obstructive, but she never took the time to figure out that I wasn’t lazy; I just found reading difficult.
As the last notes of the music fade away and the girls return to their starting positions, I let out a huge whoop. Way too loudly. There’s a civilized round of applause from the rest of the crowd. From the disapproving looks I get from parents, whooping like I’m at a concert is not the done thing here.
The slight smile from Teagan is worth it.
***
“I can’t believe Dad’s making the nannies come to watch the ballet now,” she grumbles when she sees me in the studio reception waiting for her.
“He’s not.” I take one of her gym bags from her. “Sam told me about it.”
“Oh.” Her brow furrows, and I fear I may have made a mistake.
I open the double doors to the street where Sam and the other security guy are waiting in the not-at-all-obvious SUV with blacked-out windows across the street.
“Do you mind me coming to watch you?” I ask hesitantly as we stand at the pedestrian crossing. “I heard spectators were allowed today, and I wanted to see you perform.”
Her frown deepens. “Not spectators. Family.”
Damn. I have messed up.
I slow my pace as we cross the street so I can look at her. “I’m sorry if I stepped out of line.”
“No, it’s fine.” She gives a slight shrug, her voice quiet. “You just caught me by surprise, that’s all. You didn’t need to come.”
“I wanted to.” I smile. “You were great! Your dad must be so proud of you.”
The way she defensively shrugs crushes me inside. Has Killian ever gone to one of these? He would have noticed the weird vibe between her and her teacher if he had.
I don’t understand the man.
“Is your teacher always like that?” I ask, wondering how I should word this. “She seemed a bit hard on you. Maybe she was having an off day?”
“No, she’s always like that.” She scowls as we weave through the crowd of people. “She’s a bitch. She hates me.”
“Have you told your dad?”
“He just brushes it off. He says we don’t always get along with everyone in life.” She smiles sarcastically. “She’s the best in New York, so why would he send me to anyone else?”
“Because if she’s making you unhappy, then it doesn’t matter if she’s the best in the world. Has he ever met her?”
“No.”
I hesitate, unsure what to say. “He hasn’t come to watch you?”
“Nope. He’ll never watch me.”
“Why not?” I press cautiously.
Her face tightens. “Because Mom was a professional ballet dancer. He wants me to keep up the tradition but says it hurts him too much to watch.”
We arrive at the car, so I can’t press her any further. “Sorry about your mum. I saw the picture on your bedroom wall of her.”
“It’s okay. I don’t remember her.”
“Wait.” I put my hand over hers to stop her from opening the door.
Her eyes narrow at me suspiciously.
“Look, I know I’m not as motherly as Mrs. Dalton, but if you need to talk, I’m here.” I smile, trying to lighten the mood. “And I can definitely take that teacher down in a fight if you need me to.”
“It’s okay.” She rolls her eyes dramatically, but at least she’s smiling. “I’ll be thirteen next week, and then, hopefully, I’ll move into a different class.”
“You’re a Gemini, just like me!”
“Do you actually believe in that stupid shit?”
“Only the good parts,” I say as I climb into the back seat next to her.
The guys in front nod at us.
“What are you going to do for your birthday?” I ask.
“Dad’s taking me to see Cayden Aguilar. We’re going to the concert, then we get to meet him afterward.”
I pause my fight with the seat belt and look at her, astonished. “The Cayden Aguilar? The singer? Are you freaking serious?”
He’s the biggest pop star in the world right now. Every teen has posters of him plastered all over their walls.
A smirk tugs at the corner of her mouth. “Yeah. Him.”
The guys chuckle in the front seat, clearly accustomed to this lifestyle.
“What about you?” Teagan asks. “What are your birthday plans?”
I blink, still in shock, as Sam pulls out. “There’s no way I can top that. I’ll probably just hang out at the pub.”
Sam’s eyes meet mine in the rearview mirror, and he winks.
Teagan’s face says she thinks that’s a crap plan, but she quietly says, “You should ask Dad to give you the day off.”