Breaking Away Read online

  Shit, please be done, please just walk out, and leave me the fuck alone. I really don’t want to cuss you out, lady.

  She snatched the check and stood up. Reese thought she was going to leave quietly, but then Mrs. Writhenmen turned with pure hatred in her eyes.

  “You are making a mistake.”

  Reese shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t feel the same.”

  She shook her head as she held Reese’s gaze. “You are nothing but a cold-hearted bitch. I’m not surprised you didn’t make it in New York because you wouldn’t know talent if it bit you in that fat ass of yours.”

  When the door slammed shut, Reese shook her head. Her heart was beating in overtime, and her hands were shaking.

  “Actually, you’re wrong again. I did make it. I just chose to come home because I couldn’t be in the same city with my ex. Plus, my ass isn’t as big as yours, you stupid, stuck-up bitch.”

  It felt good to say it, but it didn’t make her feel better. No one knew that she had come home because of Kevin but family. When people asked why she didn’t stay in New York, she always said that she was homesick. She would tell the story of how she always wanted to own her own studio and teach young minds. It was a bunch of bullshit, but it got people off her back. Now that she was two years into the studio, she did believe that this was her calling, but she still missed the stage and lights.

  Leaning back in her chair, she let out a breath before shaking her head.

  “Well, that went awesome.”

  Pulling into Harper’s driveway, Reese took in a calming breath. She didn’t want to come over here or do anything for that matter, she just wanted to go home. Mrs. Writhenmen’s words played over and over in her head, and it was driving her crazy. She wasn’t cold, she was actually nice to the kids, and tried to be to Kelsey, but that little girl needed a good slap across the face and a kick in the bottom. Two things Reese couldn’t do without a lawsuit on her hands. The fact that she had called Reese cold wasn’t what was bothering her… it was the fact she brought up New York. Reese tried very hard to forget that city and the man that was there, but it seemed that she never could. She wished she wasn’t so weak, but for some reason, she was when it came to Kevin and the Big Apple. It was a place of lost dreams.

  Blah.

  Shaking her head, she got out the car and made her way into the house without knocking. Ally came barreling down the hallway, jumping into Reese’s arms and covering her with kisses.

  “Reese Pieces!”

  Reese smiled. Leave it to Ally to make everything better.

  “Hey pumpkin, how are you?”

  “Good! I’m watching Lue’s lues! Wanna watch?”

  Hmm, she wasn’t sure what she was agreeing to watch, but soon she was on the couch, watching a blue dog run across the screen. Ally apparently loved it, but Reese was on the fence on it. The only reason she was still there was because Ally was feeding her apples and peanut butter.

  “Hey, I didn’t know you were here.”

  Reese looked up at Harper and smiled.

  “We’re watching Lue’s lues,” Reese said, pointing to the TV.

  “I see that, but if you would have told me you were here, I could have left.”

  Reese shrugged her shoulders.

  “That’s true, but I got distracted by Ally, apples, peanut butter, and—”

  “Lue’s lues!” Ally declared with her arms in the air.

  Reese nodded as Harper rolled her eyes.

  “You’re silly, Ally bug.”

  Ally shot her a big grin before she was sucked back into the wonderful world of a blue dog. Reese looked up at Harper as she popped an apple in her mouth.

  “Where you heading off to?” she asked.

  “Sadie has a doctor’s appointment, and I get to go!”

  Reese smiled before saying, “Cool school. Have fun!”

  “Oh, I will,” she replied, starting for the door. “Oh! Poop! I totally forgot… I have a houseguest.”

  “Houseguest?” Reese asked skeptically.

  “Yeah, her name is Claire. She is Phillip Anderson’s niece. He has custody of her now, and when he is on the road for the games, she stays with me.”

  Reese raised an eyebrow.

  “Why?”

  “Because she’s had a tough life, and Phillip is trying to give her stability.”

  “So you just volunteered to take some kid?” Reese asked.

  It seemed weird to her. Her sister wasn’t one to take in strays.

  “Yes, Phillip is family, and he needed help,” Harper said, while giving Reese a pointed look. “She’s really quiet, stays to herself, but don’t bother her. She has only been here three days, and I’m trying to give her space. Phillip comes home tomorrow, and then she’ll be back in three days. I plan to try to talk to her then. Right now, I just make sure she is okay, feed her, and all that jazz.”

  “That’s weird. You’re weird.”

  “Oh, shut up. I’ll be back soon.”

  “Okay,” Reese said as she left.

  Reese cuddled beside Ally and turned her attention to the TV. After about an hour of the crazy blue dog’s owner, Reese was about to pull her hair out, but Ally seemed completely happy with the show. Getting up, she told Ally she was going to use the bathroom, when she was really curious about Harper’s houseguest. Heading down the hall, she found that the door to the guest room was open and music was playing. “We are Young” by Boyce Avenue washed over Reese as she peeked into the room. Her eyes widened in shock when she found Harper’s houseguest dancing. And boy, could she dance. Long, strong legs carried her across the room, where she moved at just the precise moment to heighten the meaning of the song. It was as if her body was the music. It was mind blowing, and Reese had never seen anything so beautiful, except when she was dancing. Reese was an amazing dancer and knew it, but this girl. Wow.

  She was beautiful too, pale white skin and bright red hair that fell down her back. She had luminous blue eyes that only opened when she needed to see where she was going before she pulled another move. She wore a pair of shorts and a tank showing off her stunning body. When she pulled her leg up into a scorpion, releasing and whipping her leg up, and falling back into a fall out, Reese almost passed out in shock.

  Where the hell did this girl come from?

  She was doing a triple turn when she noticed Reese. Stopping in her tracks, she moved her hair out of her eyes before saying, “What are you doing in here?”

  “Watching you. You are incredible. Where have you trained?”

  She shrugged her shoulders. Reese entered the room, stopping in front of her. She was almost the same height as she was, the same build, but there was nothing but hurt and anger swimming in those crystal blue eyes. Reese remembered Harper saying the girl hadn’t had an easy life, and it showed in her eyes.

  “Are you the therapist?”

  Reese looked down at herself before looking back up at her.

  “Do I look like a therapist?”

  She was wearing sweatpants and a ripped-up tee shirt that hung off her shoulder, showing her sports bra.

  “No.”

  “I’m Harper’s sister.”

  “Oh, yeah, you are watching Ally while she goes to some appointment.”

  Reese smiled. “Yup, my name is Reese. Can you tell me who you train with now?”

  She shrugged her shoulders as she looked away.

  “I didn’t train with anyone specifically; I just took private classes with different instructors for cleaning the mirrors at their studios in Minnesota.”

  For some reason, Reese’s heart skipped a beat when the girl looked up at her. Behind all that anger and sadness was someone really special. Reese could tell that this girl not only didn’t think she was special, but that she completely hated the world. That made Reese want to help her. Why? Who the hell knew, but she did.

  “What’s your name again?”

  “Why?” she sort of snapped.

  “Because I’d like to