Fake It 'Til You Break It

“As always.”

Her eyes pull, but then she shifts her focus to Alex. “You should have told me it was Demi you’ve been meeting early. I totally would have asked the janitor to open up for you guys. Seems you found a private place to practice, though. Awesome.”

I grow stiff. “What—”

Alex’s sudden closeness has me stopping short. I frown, having not even realized he and I walked farther inside.

“Yeah, we’re good. Just finished up actually,” he lies, tipping his chin as if asking me to go with it.

Is he crazy?

The tension in the air is so thick, it takes me a second to react.

I take a step out, away from Alex and look to Nico, who knows I turned Alex down when he asked for help.

I’m the one missing something here, not him.

I look to Miranda. “You can get your hand off him now.”

Shock flashes across her without her control, but she covers it with a glare just as quick.

As if he hadn’t noticed before this moment she was touching him, Nico’s eyes slice to the contact and he shoves her off. He studies her a moment, then his head snaps toward Alex, and something passes between them.

Nico steps toward him, but I slide in the middle, positioning myself directly in front of Nico, and nothing but rage glares back as he looks at me.

His features are hard, the cuts of his jaw more profound as he clenches it, the cords of his neck raised and tight.

He might be mad, but so am I, and I glare right back.

Show her, Neek.

I tip my chin the slightest bit.

Nico’s forehead pulls, but then it dawns on him, and his hand slips into my hair at the base of my skull, his lips lowering to mine.

It’s a short, quick skim, but it’s effective enough.

For now.

I reach up, sliding my fingers across his, my eyes moving over his shoulder to a pissed off Miranda.

“I’m going to run to the restroom. Should I... I don’t know, maybe wake the place up on my way out or are you wanting the class to practice in this shadowed, burlesque type lighting you’ve got going on?”

It comes out with more of a bite and I’m glad for that.

Her eyes narrow, but she finally snaps out of it, and realizing she should have some tact, or at least be more careful in the school gym with a student when technically she’s a teacher, she offers a tight smile.

“You can turn them on.” She starts backward, her narrowed gaze sliding to Nico. “Help me grab—”

“Just,” I cut her off, tugging Nico with me. “Don’t.”

I don’t wait for her response, if she gives one, but pull Nico out the door with me all to drop his hand and storm into the bathroom a door down.

I’m so fucking annoyed and pissed, and an array of other things I don’t even want to think about right now.

My dance coach? Is he that careless?

This is someone I have to work with for the entire school year. It’s not like we announced to her that we were dating – fake dating – but based off how he came right to me the first day, the interest was at least laid out in front of her and the rest of my team. To make matters worse, Alex, who acted like an ass just now and does know us to be together, saw the same thing I did.

It’s embarrassing.

It’s so much more than embarrassing.

Taking a deep breath, I step in front of the mirror, staring directly into my own eyes.

What the hell are you doing, Demi?

A mocking chuckle escapes and I shake my head.

It would be so easy to stand here and play the comparison game, but I’m not going to do that. I’m happy with who I am, with my body and skill set. Miranda and her scandalous tactic this morning has nothing to do with the anxiety building in my chest right now.

This is all about Nico, who steps through the door behind me.

Nico shifts closer, his body now aligned with the mirror as he stands only a few paces back, and a single step to the left, eyes on mine, a heavy hostility surrounding him.

“Demi.” The bridled anger in his voice has my own returning.

“Are you in need of a hall pass, Nico?” I snap.

Shock flashes across his face, but fury quickly takes its place. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

“Answer the question.”

He scoffs, looking away quickly only to come right back. “She told me to come here early, said we had to start going over the rest of this shit. I had no fuckin’ clue it would only be us. You really think I’d be here if I did?”

I stare, forcing the possibilities flaring in my gut at bay.

He shakes his head and charges for the door, but pauses with it half open, his eyes finding mine in the mirror once more. “Is this your game, how you wanna play it so you can go fuck Alex and call it a draw? Or maybe you two just slipped outta his backseat before you walked in the gym, with his fuckin’ hands on you!” he lashes out as he tosses the door open and exits.