“She does care for you, Phillip, you know that,” Elli said compassionately.

“I know but—”

“She does, I promise Phillip, she is just so hardheaded,” Harper added, but Phillip shook his head.

“I know and believe me, I’ll never stop wanting and loving her. Nothing has changed on my end, it’s all her. As much as I love you two for wanting to console me, don’t, it makes it worse because it reminds me that she didn’t want to take a chance on me.”

“But she does,” Harper says.

He shrugged his shoulder as he leaned back against the seat, the music ending for the last act. He couldn’t have been happier. It was time to blow this Popsicle stand, but the lights didn’t come back on. Instead, a single spotlight came on Reese, who stood in the middle of the stage. She held a mic in her hand and looked even better than she did an hour ago. She had lost the shirt, wearing a black sports bra with a black lace, dress-looking thing that came to her thighs. Her hair was up in a messy bun, and her eyes were locked with his. He took in a quick breath and tried to look away, but he couldn’t. She had him trapped in her gaze, and he couldn’t escape if he tried.

“Hello all and thank you for coming to the recital for Reese Allen Dance Company.” The crowd all clapped as she continued, “The dancers killed it tonight, and I couldn’t be more proud and elated than I am right now. I am very blessed with not only a very supporting family, but also dance family. So thank you.” Everyone clapped again as she crossed her legs, her hand fidgeting at her side. “I wasn’t going to dance like I had the last two years. I figure by now, by the awards we bring home and all the titles, we all know I can dance and I know what I am doing. But, tonight, I was told that I am a dancer more than I am a talker. Those words really mean something to me because I have something to say, but I can’t find the right way to do it. So I am going to do it the only way I know how.”

She dropped the mic to her side and then Claire came running on the stage, taking it as she flashed a wide smile before running back off stage. The light came on as Reese moved her body in position. When the music started to something slow, he didn’t recognize the song, but it didn’t stop him from listening and watching as Reese moved across the stage effortlessly. The song talked about needing your love, about having fear and dreaming about having the person she loved. He could have thought he had heard a techno version of the song, but this one was slow, acoustic maybe, and so beautiful, but not as beautiful as her. When she turned for what seemed like hours, she stopped, her eyes locked on his as she ran her hands roughly down her body before she kicked her leg up, grabbing it and falling into a split, before rolling around until she was on her back, arching it.

When she stood, tears started to fall down her face and she turned quickly, giving her back to the stage as she continued to move. He knew she was hiding her tears and he wasn’t sure anyone else had seen them, but he had. Standing, he went to the side of the stage and pulled himself up on it, walking towards her as she continued to dance slowly to the music. When she turned, she stopped, her brown eyes drowning in her tears and he reached out, taking her hand in his. He slowly spun her in and then back out before stepping close to her. Her eyes were locked on his, her lip wobbling, as he placed his hands on her hips, lifting her slowly into the air. She let out a sob and then wrapped all her limbs around him, crying into his neck.

He hated when she cried. Holding her close, he said, “Hey, I’m trying to channel my inner Johnny Castle here.”

She laughed against his neck before pulling back to look down at him. “I can’t believe I am saying this, since Dirty Dancing is my favorite movie, but I don’t want Johnny, I want Phillip.”

He grinned up at her, his eyes bright as he said, “You have me. Always have.”

Her lip wobbled again and then she sucked in a breath before whispering, “I’m so sorry.”

He shook his head. “I’m over that phrase, Reese. Tell me something I don’t know.”

She slowly bit into her lip, her tears rushing down her cheeks as she held onto him like he was a life preserver. “I f**ked up. I was wrong and you were right, don’t get used to me saying that either cause it probably will never happen again.”

He scoffed, wrapping his arms tighter around her waist. “We will see about that.”

She leaned her head against his and took in a deep breath. “You’re right, we will, because I’m not letting you go, I’m not pushing you away, because I can’t. I need you. I need us. I need Claire. I know I’m hardheaded as hell and apparently, I hide pieces of myself from not only the world but even myself. I might be horrible with words when it comes to telling you how I feel and there is a good chance that I may not be the best for you, but I’m the best when I’m with you. I promise I’ll never walk away as long as you promise too because, if we are apart, I’ll never be the best I can be. I love you, Phillip, and I want to build a life with you. I want to try.”

He closed his eyes as his heart lurched in his chest. He wanted to laugh because she might think she wasn’t good with words, but she just said everything he needed to hear. His hands were shaking at her sides, and he had to be careful or he was going to lose it in front of the many eyes that were watching him. Moving his nose against hers, he said, “I want all that and then some.”

She went to say something but he clamped his mouth onto her, tangling his hands in her hair as he drank from her lips like she was a cup of water and he was a thirsty man in the desert. When they parted, she held a finger up and said, “About this some. I don’t want to get married or anything like that. I just want to build—”