Winning Moves (Stepping Up 3)

A knock sounded at the door. Kat quickly paid for the food and sat down with Ellie to eat. Kat rolled the tray to the bed so Ellie could stay and rest.

Ellie sat up and uncovered her sandwich, staring down at it as Kat pulled the desk chair opposite the cart. “It’s all very confusing,” Ellie finally said, her eyes lifting to Kat’s. “I hate being pregnant without him here and I make plenty of money for him to quit. But how can I ask him to give up his career for me?”

What could Kat say? She knew this dilemma like she knew her own name. Far too well. “Find a solution,” she said, and poured ketchup on her plate. She was starving, which surprised her considering how knotted up she was over Jason.

They ate in silence for a short while before Ellie asked, “What would you do?”

The answer was immediate for Kat. “I don’t know. I just know what I did do before didn’t work.”

“That doesn’t help me.”

“I know,” Kat said. “But it’s the only answer I have.”

“I need more than that,” she said. “Because when I see how you and Jason look at each other, I know how much you love each other. Yet, still this business tore you apart.”

“Not this business,” Kat said. “We did. We made our choices and we have no one to blame but ourselves.”

* * *

IT WAS NEARLY two in the morning when Kat left Ellie’s room, having spent a solid hour with her. Ellie wasn’t in pain and Kat had left her in her bed and talking to her husband. Kat, however, wasn’t feeling better. Not at all. Talking about her fears of losing her relationship only drove home where she and Jason were, which was in no place good.

Kat tracked a path past the club. Everything was back to normal and Marcus was no longer around. She’d thanked him for his help tonight when they’d been rehearsing with Marissa, but she owed him another one. She didn’t want to hurt Marcus. He was, and she hoped he always would be, a friend.

She was almost back at the theater to check on things and grab her purse before she left, when she heard Marcus call her name. She turned to find him hurrying toward her and met him at the entry to the dressing rooms.

“I have to head out early tomorrow,” he said. “I’ve got an interview.”

She felt his departure like sandpaper roughing up an already raw wound, and she didn’t know why. Her eyes prickled and she fought back tears.

“Hey,” he said softly, lifting her chin to see her face. “What’s wrong, baby?”

“I’m…okay.”

“No,” he said. “You’re not. I really screwed this up for you, didn’t I?”

“I did,” she said, pressing two fingers to her forehead. “I didn’t tell him about you and…it’s a mess but you aren’t to blame.”

“You’re shaking, Kat,” he said, drawing her hand into his. “I’ve never seen you like this. I messed this up. I’ll talk to him.”

“No,” Kat said, pressing her hand to his chest to still him. “Please. No. He will not respond well to that.”

“Kat, I caused this,” he said. “I’ll fix it.”

“You didn’t cause this, Marcus. I did.”

“Kat—”

“Please, Marcus. I’m fine. And you are a wonderful friend I don’t intend to lose. You came here tonight because of that friendship and—”

“I came here tonight because I still love you,” he said. “But I’m no fool. I see exactly what you told me now. You love Jason. And I care enough for you to want you to be happy.”

“You don’t love me, Marcus. You’ll see that when you really fall in love.”

“You keep saying that.”

“Deep down you know it, too. You love me but you are not in love with me.”

“Is there a difference?”

“Yes,” Kat said. “And I love you enough to hope that you find that out very soon. You deserve it.”

He kissed her hand. “You’re sure I can’t—”

“Positive,” she said. “I’m good. You just take care of you, okay?”

“I’m going to get something to eat. You want to come with me?”

She shook her head. “I need to go home.”

“I’ll call you,” he said and kissed her forehead.

“You better,” she insisted as he walked away. She was about to head into the dressing rooms when she spotted Marissa waiting nearby. Marcus stopped by her side and she smiled as she caught a glimpse of his expression. Maybe, just maybe, Marcus was on his way to falling in love sooner than later.

That smile faded as she walked through the dark hallway and felt the emptiness. Everyone was gone. Jason was gone.

She made the walk to the parking area and the shaking started again. Or maybe it had never ended. She pulled out of the garage and rain pounded her window. She ignored a fleeting thought that it was dangerous to drive this tired, and this upset, in this bad of a storm. She turned up her wipers to see through the fury of the storm, determined to get home before she fell apart.