Page 78 of The Way We Touch
“You were amazing out there tonight!” Her excitement tightens my stomach, and I’d give a million dollars to have her in my arms right now. “Garrett was right. Lightning.”
That makes me chuckle. “Did you watch the whole thing?”
“Yes, from a safe place behind a post in the dining room.”
I laugh more at that. “What were you doing behind a post?”
“Hiding from you getting tackled.”
“They only got me a few times. Garrett had my back.”
“I didn’t like seeing Garrett getting tackled either.”
“From what I understand, he did most of the tackling.”
“How are you feeling?” Her voice is quiet, and she lies on her side, resting her head on her hand.
“Pretty good. I need to get my numbers higher, but it’s only the first game of the season.” My fingers ache to touch her. “I don’t want to talk shop. Tell me about your day. How’d it go?”
She exhales a little groan. “It was fine—so much better than I imagined. I really built it up in my head.”
But I push back. “Don’t do that. Your injury was a big loss for you. It changed everything.”
“I was just a kid, though. I had my whole life ahead of me.” Her voice gets quiet. “I faced much bigger losses.”
Damn, this distance. “If I were there, I’d have you in my arms right now.”
Her lips press together, and she blinks up at me. “I’d like that a lot. I saw your signal on camera.”
“Yeah?” I grin. “What did you think of that?”
“It was kind of perfect.” Her chin dips, and she almost seems embarrassed. “In the middle of everything happening around you, you thought of me.”
I want to say I’m always thinking about her, but that feels like a lot. “Johnson’s wife is organizing a charity gala next month. Think you can get your fine ass up here and go with me?”
“I can try.” Her eyes brighten. “Text me the date. I don’t have class on Fridays, and I’m sure Craig and Allie will cover for me at the restaurant.”
“You forget, Allie’s doing the Friday night lights now.”
“Oh, shit!” She slaps her hand against her forehead adorably. “I keep forgetting Austin’s in high school. He was really great in class today. They all were. As I was watching them, it was just like you said, my love for the dance seemed to heal the pain in my heart.”
She’s so thoughtful and pretty. “You’re going to be the best teacher for them.”
“Do you remember that old saying, ‘Those who can’t, teach’?” I nod and she continues. “I’m pretty sure it was supposed to be an insult, like you weren’t good enough to do the thing, so you had to teach it?”
“You’re right.” My jaw tightens, and I’m not sure where this is going.
“I have a whole different perspective on it now.” Her brow furrows, and I can see she’s struggling with her emotions. “As much as I want to, I can’t dance the way I did before I was injured. It’s not because I’m older and out of shape. I literally can’t go up on pointe… But I can teach.”
Her chin quivers, and I’m on my feet. “Hold that thought. If I can get a plane, I’ll be there in five hours?—”
“Wait!” Her voice is high, and she taps her fingertips under her eyes. “You don’t understand. It’s like I’ve reclaimed that dig. I can’t dance, but teaching dance is such a gift to me now. I understand why Jack coaches. The students are so precious, and they want to learn from someone who knows how hard they’re working and understands their dreams.”
My shoulders are still tense, but I exhale slowly. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I am.” Her eyes are still misty, but her smile is genuine. “I’m really happy.”
Sitting heavily on the foot of the bed, I lean my forearms on my knees. “You’re a really great girl, you know that?”