Page 38 of Love You Still
Vance
“Are you two ready to go?” I ask both girls as I stroll into the waiting room. Their heads immediately snap toward the sound of my voice, sly smiles spreading across both of their faces.
“Sorry for interrupting you, Uncle Vance,” Jade says before shoving her phone into her pocket.
“You didn’t interrupt anything, Squirt.” I smile as I stride toward them, taking a seat in the empty chair between them.
“We aren’t little kids anymore; we know what happens when a man and a woman find each other attractive,” Love huffs, crossing her arms.
“I find Selina a lot more than just attractive,” I mumble under my breath.
In my eyes, Selina will always be the most beautiful person in the world. Even though we’ve both changed a lot over the years, all the things I love about her are still the same. The way her smile lights up an entire room, the way the sound of her laughter is so contagious you can’t help but laugh right along with her, the way her eyes hold so much emotion that I get lost staring into them. But she’s also just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside.
She’s been acting like she has one foot out the door ever since she arrived back in town, but someone who’s intent on leaving doesn’t buy a business. Mrs. Grymes may have told her about the dance studio closing with the hope that Selina would buy it, but she could’ve said no. But Selina wanted to give the young dancers in this town a haven, a place to call home, just like Ms. Cassandra did for her when she was younger. I know deep down she wants to stay here, but for some silly reason, she doesn’t believe she can do both. Sure, it will be hard to run a business and train for a ballet at the same time, but it can happen. She can fulfill her dream of dancing the lead inSwan Lakeand still have a place here to come back to. I just need to convince her that it’s possible.
“We know that, too. You love her.”
“You’ll find a way to convince her to stay. I know it,” Jade and Love answer almost in unison, bringing a smile to my face.
To them, it’s that simple. I love her, so I’ll know exactly what I must do to make her stay. When, in reality, I have no fucking clue. Yes, I love Selina. I have since the moment I laid eyes on her, but is it really as simple as just asking her to stay? Selina has told me that she was afraid I’d ask her to stay after graduation, but I don’t want her to give up on her dreams. I want to be allowed to be a part of them, no matter what that looks like. If she needs to do a long-distance thing until her contract is up, then so be it. If she needs me to stay here and help run the dance studio, I can do that, too. Whatever it is she needs, I’m willing to do it. I know it’s going to be hard on both of us, but we can get through it together.
I wrap my arms around both of them and pull them to my side for a hug. “Yes. I do. I love her a lot.”
“Didn’t you two used to date in high school?” Jade’s entire body stiffens as if she’s afraid of how I might react to her nextstatement. “My dad told me how you two would go on double dates with him and my mom.”
“Yeah, the four of us spent as much time together as we could. Selina and your mom were best friends, just like your dad and me.”
“Do you know why she never came back to see me? Does she blame me for my mom dying?” she whispers, burying her nose in my side.
I plant a kiss on the top of her head. “Selina loves you. We all do. Your birth was one of the best moments of your dad’s life.”
“And the worst.”
“Never,” Love chimes in, pushing to her feet and kneeling in front of Jade. “Your dad loves you to pieces.”
I can’t even imagine what it’s been like for Jade growing up. All the sympathetic stares and events that she’s had to miss because her mom wasn’t here. We’ve all tried to chip in as much as we can, but there’s something about not having your mom that leaves a void inside your heart.
My parents weren’t the best role models. My mom worked herself to death, trying to take care of me and put a roof over our heads when I was younger, and I have no clue who my father is. To me, he’s nothing more than a sperm donor, someone who blessed my mom with a child. I never really knew who he was, so I never had a chance to miss him.
“Love’s right. Your dad will always love your mom, but he didn’t lose her completely. He sees her every time he looks at you.”
“And there is just enough space in there for my mom and me.” Love sniffles before pushing to her feet and turning her back on both of us. “I can’t wait for the four of us to be a family.”
“Me either.” Jade giggles, pushing to her feet and placing both hands on her best friend’s shoulders before twisting her around to face us.
Love’s hazel eyes swim with emotion as they dart around the room, looking anywhere but at Jade and me. Tears stream down her golden-brown skin as Jade wraps her arms around her waist, enveloping her in a hug.
“We’re always going to be family. Right, Uncle Vance?”
My heart swells a few sizes bigger at her calling me her uncle. Love has been so terrified of losing the small family we have all created with each other, something that she’s wanted for a long time. Sure, Audrey loves her to bits, but it seems Love wants more for them both. The moment I met Audrey and Love, I knew they’d fit perfectly into our family. The fact that Connor is in love with Audrey is just a bonus, making it a lot easier to explain to people asking about another niece who looks nothing like me. Our family is bonded by something stronger than blood: unconditional love for each other.
“That’s right,” I answer, as Selina comes strolling into the room. Her head is cast down as she searches her bag for something, completely unaware of what’s happened in the last few minutes.
Selina changed into a painted-on pair of jeans and an oversized sweatshirt. The golden skin of her right shoulder calls to me as the tips of her hair brush against it, taunting me, begging me to thread my fingers through it and pull her head back, taking her mouth once again and claiming it as my own.
My mouth waters as I look over and see the peaks of her nipples poking through the fabric of her shirt. Looks like our little rendezvous in the rehearsal room at the studio affected her just as much as me. I can’t say I regret kissing her. In fact, the only thing I regret is getting interrupted.
“Sorry I kept you guys waiting for so long, I had to—” She freezes in place, her eyes switching between the three of us before settling on me and narrowing them slightly. “What did you do?”