Dancing with Deception (29 page)

“I’m waiting for you to explain yourself.”

Rebecca sighed. “Every time I mentioned wanting to get an apartment of my own, you’ve made excuses. This house is so big, I might as well stay. It’s close to the studio, why would I want to move further away from my work?”

“Those were all true.”

“Maybe so.” She turned around and saw her mother’s eyes misted over. At least she felt
something
. “But the thing was; you needed me here. You didn’t want to be alone.”

Lilah stood from the couch and walked across the room to the bar. Her heels clicked an angry tempo that matched the rhythm of Rebecca’s heartbeat. She watched her mother pour a generous amount of scotch, and then down it. More slowly, she poured another.

Rebecca tore her gaze from Lilah and studied a painting above the stone fireplace. She remembered how her father had hired a professional artist to come paint them one of the times he was home. She’d been six years old at the time. Looking at them now—her family—she only felt sad.

It was a pity her father hadn’t been there to enjoy what they could have had. Lilah had been different when he was home. It didn’t take long for Rebecca to learn that that kind of love wasn’t healthy. Soon, she thought no kind of love was.

Had Gideon changed that? She wanted to believe in what they had. Need for him was tearing her apart, making her into someone she didn’t recognize. Did that make her like Lilah?

Her mother crossed the room, scotch in hand, and sat down. “You feel as though you were mistreated?”

“No, not exactly.”

“Well, you came here for something. Why don’t you just spit it out?”

Rebecca stared. Could she really be so dense? Or maybe, she needed to hear the words. “I came here to make things right with you.”

“You never cared how things were before. You had your life, your dance. You didn’t need me.”

“Yes, I did.” She crossed the room and sat down beside her on the couch. “I needed you as much as I do right now.”

And the dam of tears broke. Rebecca wrapped her arms around herself and choked on a sob. The entire story poured out—what Austin had done, how afraid she’d been, and how Gideon had helped her.

When she was done, she looked up at her mother. Through her own watery eyes, she saw Lilah crying. But more than that, she saw her mother hurting. For her?

Rebecca went on impulse again. She took her mother in her arms for the first time in her life. She hugged her tight and felt her breath sigh out when Lilah hugged her back.

“I had no idea,” her mother kept saying.

Lilah pulled back and looked at Rebecca. “You weren’t hurt, though?”

“No, I’m fine. No one was seriously hurt. Blade’s in prison and Dad is still nowhere to be found.” She wiped her cheeks dry.

“That bastard. How did he think he could put my daughter in danger? When I find him I’ll—” She sputtered. “Oh, I don’t know what I’ll do, but he’ll regret it. I swear he will.”

Rebecca swallowed a laugh. Never in a million years would she have imagined Lilah threatening her father—championing her, no less. She kind of liked it.

“I’m sure he will.” Rebecca produced another tissue and offered one to her mother.

Lilah took the tissue. “I’m so sorry, Rebecca. For everything.”

Again, she felt her mother’s arms envelop her. “It’s okay.”

Chapter Eighteen

Rebecca stood behind the velvet curtain and waited for her cue. She was so nervous, she wanted to ring her hands, but she was a professional. In the three weeks since that awful night at Blade’s warehouse, she’d spent every spare minute training and rehearsing. She would nail this even though her heart just wasn’t in it anymore.

The crowd was already pumped thanks to the routines before hers. They were saving her and Niko’s dance for last. Her legs tingled in anticipation because when she was dancing, she wasn’t thinking about anything except the steps.

It was the moments of quiet that broke her heart. She thought of Gideon and everything she’d left behind. She missed him more than she thought possible. She never knew the pain of a broken heart was a physical hurt. She did know, however, there was nothing to ease the pain.

Niko had given him tickets weeks ago but he wouldn’t come. Why would he? And wasn’t Colin supposed to be leaving for his sail? She wondered how Jess was doing, if she’d left the island again. Was she free of her self-imposed cage? Rose and Charles would be there for her.

Tears stung her eyes so she concentrated on the performers on stage. Molly sliced through the air with enough grace to have the crowd cheering. Despite everything she’d done to Rebecca, she had to admit Molly was an incredible dancer. And with the feathery mask covering most of her features, she looked pretty.

As the upbeat tune faded and she and Niko’s soft melody flooded the theater, Rebecca counted. Niko came onto the floor and held out a hand for her cue and her brained simply turned off. As she broke out onto the stage, her heart soared to her throat. She stepped along with the drum and flew into Niko’s outstretched arms.

Her hair, long and dark against her pink leotard flew behind her as she was spun again and again.

Her toes pointed as Niko sat her down and she spun away from him, dancing for several counts. The silk ropes were lowered. Her eyes held Niko’s as she wrapped them around her wrist, and was lifted.

Pushing off Niko, she spun again and again in perfect sync with her partner. The tempo picked up and words of dreams and desires, longings and hope hit her like a fist. Then she was counting again.

She arched her back, pointed her toes and was lowered back onto the stage. As their music faded out, she was aware of the crowd screaming and cheering for them. She felt giddy as Niko spun her for the last time.

When the velvet curtain closed, they were enclosed in darkness. They both laughed like loons and hugged each other.

“Beautiful,” Niko claimed.

“It was great.”

“You didn’t even look that sad while we were dancing, love.” He kissed her cheek then began walking to the dressing rooms.

“I’m not sad.”
Liar
. “I’ve just been working like a slave, thanks to you. But it was worth it.” She stopped in front of her room but didn’t open the door. “Niko…”

“Yes?”

Should she ask him if Gideon had cashed the tickets in? Maybe he’d brought them back because he wasn’t going to come. She wanted to ask him but courage deserted her. Better off not knowing.

“I’m glad you’re my dance partner.”

“Well.” He kissed her cheek again then held her at arm’s length. “Rise from the ashes, sweetheart. Find your wings.” He repeated the words from the song they had danced to. She
tilted
her head
in question,
but he only smiled and walked away humming the song.

She shook her head and decided that all dancers were probably crazy.

As soon as she stepped into her dressing room, she knew something was different. Her clothes were still strung out over the settee, her makeup still scattered on the vanity. But there was a giant arrangement of beautiful, blood red roses, must have been five dozen of them, placed in a tall, dark vase on
the
refreshment table.

Stunned, she walked to them. Their
scent filled the room
,
making her dizzy. She ran her finger tip down
a
silky petal. The little card was tucked inside the leaves and she fumbled it out of the tiny envelope.

For you on your big night

 
      
             
             
With Love, The Avery’s

Tears clouded her eyes as she read the card over and over again. Her breath caught on a sob and she would have simply lain on the couch to cry
,
but a movement behind her had her whirling around.

Gideon was standing in her room, dressed in slacks and a button up shirt the same color as his eyes. He was watching her with a look that almost brought her to her knees. Three weeks had seemed forever without him.

He walked to her and stopped just short of reaching distance.

“Where have you been, Rebecca?”

Just his voice brought tears of longing, soft and hard at the same time with just a bite of anger to it. “I’ve been rehearsing.”

“You’ve been avoiding me.”

“Okay.” S
he blew out a breath to keep from sobbing. “I needed time.”

“You’ve had time.”

She walked around him and sank down onto the sofa. “It was hard for me to live with myself after almost getting your family killed.”

He looked surprised that she’d said as much. She was surprised she had told him that much. “Rebecca, none of that was your fault.”

“I understand that. But I was involved just the same.”

“Have you heard from your father since?” He sat down beside her and even though she protested, he took her hand in his.

“He sent me those daisies.” She gestured to the bright array of flowers on her vanity. “Other than that, no.”

“You’ve been alone all this time,” he murmured.

“I like being alone.”

“I talked to your mother. She had some interesting things to say about what happened. You baked her cookies and went to her
,
but not to me?” When she started to look away, he caught her chin in his hand. “I was looking for you
,
but she didn’t even know where you’d gone. Why did you leave?”

“Gideon, I can’t do this.”

“Can’t do what?”

“
This
. Any of this.” She shoved off the couch and strode across the room to her vanity. Palms down, she leaned over the wood and choked back another sob. Damn, but she was going to cry after all. “I’m sorry about—”

“Stop apologizing for Christ’s sakes.” He stood too and his eyes met hers in the mirror. “Stop telling me you’re sorry. Do you think any of us are angry with you?”

“You should be.”

“We don’t blame you. We miss you.”

“Don’t.” Too much, she thought
,
aching
all over
. Too much, too soon.

He came up behind her. His hard length flattened against her back. Big, dark hands covered hers on the vanity. Caging her in, his warmth surrounded and calmed her.

“What if I told you,” he whispered in her ear, “that I know exactly what you’re afraid of.”

She shook her head because words failed her.

“And what if I told you, you don’t have to be afraid.” His fingers circled her wrist, ran up her arms. He turned her around and brought his hands up to frame her face. “You know that I love you. And what you’re afraid of is that I’ll stop.”

Tears poured down her cheeks. She made no move to stop them. Her heart was so full of hope; it beat wildly in her chest.

“But Rebecca.” He laid his mouth on hers and she tasted a tenderness he’d never shown her. She was awed by it. “I’ll never stop.”

Her arms came around him then and it felt like coming home. She opened for him and let him taste what she’d foolishly denied him.

“I heard you, you know,” he murmured in her ear.

“What do you mean?”

He pulled her back and pinned her with his stormy gaze. “You told me you loved me.”

She remembered whispering the words in the dark when she hadn’t the courage to tell him. She touched his cheek and smiled. “I do love you.”

He smiled at her before pulling her back in for a kiss that made her head swim. She believed him. She believed that he would love her forever.

“I want marriage. Will you?”

“Yes.” Her fingers threaded through his thick, black hair. “I want babies.”

“How many?” He grinned. “My mom will want to know.”

As if on cue, there was a knock on the door and the Avery’s poured in her tiny dressing room. Rose took one look at the scene before her and her eyes filled. She hugged Rebecca and Gideon, babbling.

“The show was amazing,” Jess said in her quiet way. There was a flushed smile on her face that lifted Rebecca’s heart.

“I’m so happy you all are here. Colin?” she said when she spotted him. “I thought you left for your vacation.”

“Postponed. Couldn’t miss my favorite ballerina’s show, could I?” He swooped her up in a bear hug. “Hell of a show, sis.”

“We’re all so proud,” her future father-in-law told her.

Her eyes stung. Her family was back and they were here right when she needed them.

A throat cleared from the doorway and everyone turned to see a tall, broad shouldered man standing miserably in a suit.

All of the warmth drained out of Rebecca.

“Dad?” His deception
was still a hard blow, maybe the hardest of all. She could have been killed, or worse, the people she loved could have been killed.