Read Rival: A Feuds Novella (The Feuds Series) for Free Online Page B

age. How old
was
he? Davis wondered while she waited for his reply.
Nineteen? Twenty?
He’d gone straight into training after high school; it had made sense. He was an amazing dancer.
    Davis was so distracted by her thoughts of Seth’s body—the way it looked weightless in the air and yet strong enough to lift any ballerina—that she almost missed the ping of her phone.
    317.
    That was it. Not even a smiley. Davis frowned. Was Seth not as excited about seeing her as she’d thought he’d be? Maybe their kiss had meant nothing to him. She deflected the wave of embarrassment that swept over her. No. She was not one of those insecure girls who fluttered around worrying what boys thought. Davis took a huge breath and pulled on a light silk bomber-style jacket over her tutu. If she was going to break the rules, she was going to look damn good while doing so.
    ***
    Davis didn’t know what to expect, but the studio space was bare-bones. Only the floors were shiny and new, constructed from high-quality engineered wood. The rest was very industrial and made of concrete blocks, aside from the large glass panes that bordered each of three studio rooms. All the other studios she’d been to were sleek and luxurious and full of comforts, as if they were showing off their talent without their talent needing to actually be there. This was so minimalist, so void of frills. Davis felt a little like a fish in a bowl as she stood there, staring into the rooms. One of them was empty—was Seth inside?, she wondered, feeling her chest tighten. Inside the second, a young boy of about twelve was practicing. She found Seth and a young dancer in the third. Davis approached the glass and Seth held up his palm, fingers spread.
Five minutes.
    Davis waited, scrolling through her DirecTalk a dozen times for new messages. Finally, she went inside the empty studio to check things out. It was a big space—and for the millionth time she wondered how it was that Seth was so successful. How could he own all this space? She began flexing her toes instinctively. The walls were soundproof; she couldn’t even hear the smallest hint of music from the other rooms.
    Eager to banish all thoughts of the previous night’s message from her mind, Davis began her basic warm-up, stretching while she waited. She moved her legs into a split, and she felt a twinge in her ankle where she’d twisted it, but the pain wasn’t that bad. She wasn’t going to let anything get in her way. Not anymore.
    She thought of Fia, twirling in her room the night before, and laughed aloud. Fia was so sweet and unencumbered … and so obsessed with Davis. It was adorable. Taking a cue from her little sister, Davis spun around in a large circle with her arms outstretched. She began to lose herself in the movements, twirling and leaping with a freedom she’d never felt in any of her choreographed routines. Was this what improvisation was like? Davis had seen amazing improv, but she’d never imagined she could pull it off. It was really wonderful, the feeling of dancing without any rules or restrictions.
    Seth cleared his throat. He stood in the doorway to the studio. Davis stopped abruptly, her cheeks flaming. She hadn’t noticed him approach.
    “Improv?” Seth raised his eyebrows. “No way. That’s the quickest way to lose any competition.”
    “Hello to you, too,” Davis said, trying to sound tougher than she felt.
    “Hey,” Seth said. His tone was so casual. They stood there for a second, eyeing each other. Had their easy intimacy of the other night completely disappeared? For the millionth time, Davis wondered if she’d misread the signals.
    But then, why had he told her to come here?
    “So, is there anything specific you’re looking for? Dance-wise?” he asked. “I’m giving you a free hour,” he told her. “That’s what you wanted, right? Training advice?” His tone was friendly, but Davis was thrown all the same. Disappointed even. Half of her was thrilled that