Deep Burn (Burned Duet 2)

I didn’t second-guess what he was saying. The seriousness of his tone told me he’d be true to his word, and the stories Asher had told me from when they were on tour reiterated what he was saying.

“The courts will take care of it,” I told him, trying to keep my faith, but I knew rape cases weren’t convicted as often as other crimes. But I had to keep my hope up because, without it, I had nothing to rely on.

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“But if they don’t…” He raised a brow, waiting, and with a clip of my head, he grinned. “Good. Now that that’s over.” His chest moved as he took a breath. “I need to tell you something.” My eyes widened. I wasn’t sure I could take any more of this conversation, not with what he was talking about. “I have a girlfriend.”

I blinked, sure I’d heard him wrong, but nope. He’d said what I thought he said. I couldn’t stop the laughter escaping me, so intense and loud my stomach hurt. Jax always knew how to break the ice and get rid of a serious atmosphere. “You’re funny.” I pointed at him, holding my stomach to stop the stitch.

“I’m serious,” he deadpanned.

My laughter turned to chuckles and slowly to nothing. His expression was the most serious I’d ever seen it. “You’re…serious?”

“Yep.” He frowned and backed away a step. “Why did you laugh?”

“I…I thought you were joking.” I cleared my throat and tried to ignore the burn of a blush on my cheeks. “Sorry. I just…didn’t expect it.”

“Yeah, well, neither did I.” He looked troubled, like it bothered him. “It wasn’t meant to happen the way it did but, fuck, she has me by the goddamn balls.” I stared at him wide-eyed, not sure what else was going to come out of his mouth. “Her name is Haisley.”

“Haisley?” That felt like the tenth surprise since he’d been here. I’d expected him to say Reign, a dancer from the club. They’d been close for years, but now he was talking about someone else entirely different. Everything around me was changing, and I felt stuck inside this house with no future in sight. My life was on pause, and I hated it.

“Yeah. She’s…different.” His gaze drifted away from me, a smile pulling at his lips. “She’s unlike anyone else I’ve ever met.”

“Well, shit, Jax. Sounds like you’re in love.”

“It does.” He sighed. “Fuck. This is some bullshit.” He growled as if he was frustrated with himself. “You should come to the club and meet her.”

“The club?” My heart raced for a different reason. There was no way I could go back to Pink Feather and take my clothes off for money. I couldn’t expose myself like that, not anymore. I opened my mouth, about to tell him that, but a knock on the front door rang out. A quick look at the clock on the wall told me it would be Leo.

“That’s probably your friend.”

“It is…wait…how did you know Leo was coming over?”

Jax tapped the side of his head with a grin on his face, then headed toward the front door. I didn’t move from my spot in the kitchen as I heard their voices, and a second later, Leo appeared with Jax behind him. “I’m gonna head out now that he’s here.” Jax beelined toward me, wrapped his arms around my shoulders, and I relished in his hold. “By the way,” he whispered. “You’re fired from Pink Feather.” He left with those words hanging in the air and a parting wink.

ELODIE

I stood in front of the window, staring out at my car sitting on the driveway. The tapping of my pencil against the windowsill echoed in the otherwise empty house, and my muscles ached with something I hadn’t felt for months: the need to dance.

I hadn’t wanted to put my emotions on display in the only way I knew how to, but something was niggling at me today. Something telling me to stretch my limbs and move to music that called to my soul. But there was one thing stopping me…

I hadn’t been out of the house on my own. I hadn’t driven my car for months. I hadn’t stepped foot in the studio for way too long.

But I couldn’t deny the soul-deep need.

It was only days until Christmas, and the last day Asher was working until after the holiday, so if I was going to take the plunge, now would be the time because, after today, I wouldn’t be alone again until my first day of school.

I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t leave the safety of the walls surrounding me. Or could I? My breaths quickened at the idea of my bare feet touching the dance studio floor, and I couldn’t push the feeling aside any longer.

“Fuck it.” I dropped the pencil on the coffee table, ran upstairs, grabbed my dance bag and keys, then shot back down them, and pulled the front door open before I changed my mind. The cold air whipped at my face, and I felt…okay. I wasn’t freaking out. I wasn’t finding it hard to breathe. If anything, it was easier now that I wasn’t cooped up inside.

It was time. Time I took more of my control back. Time I let out all of these feelings I’d kept locked up inside me.

Each step to my car felt like a marathon I’d run, but as I pulled the driver’s door open, I couldn’t deny the smile working its way on my face.

The engine spluttered, threatening not to start, but eventually, it came to life, and I backed out of the driveway, working on automatic and not overthinking anything as I headed toward the dance studio and Asher’s shop. The closer I got, the easier I could breathe. My body burned with the need to dance, and I could barely contain myself by the time I parked outside the studio. I chanted at myself to not look at the front of East Ink, afraid it would be my undoing. All I needed to do was keep my attention zoned in on the dance studio.

I spotted Aleste sitting in the front reception area as I turned the engine off. Her head turned, her eyes widening, and I couldn’t contain my excitement any longer. I grabbed my bag off the passenger seat and pushed out of the car, heading right toward her. A small bell went off as I entered the building, and my face nearly broke with how big I grinned.