As the other dancers bustled into the dressing room Ellie hung back. She rubbed her forehead, suddenly feeling light-headed. Not to mention absolutely hollow inside. When she’d walked off the stage she’d seen Vivian standing at the bar and for a moment their gazes had locked. Her friend’s silent plea had tugged at Ellie’s heart, made her want to rush over to Viv and give her a hug. But she hadn’t been able to do it, not when she still couldn’t stop those feelings of betrayal from pulsing through her.
Not only had Vivian fired her but she’d lied about Josh being in town, and that wasn’t something Ellie could get over so easily. Or quickly.
Hugging her chest with her arms, she walked toward the back doors and stepped into the alley, needing to breathe in the cool night air. She had to collect her thoughts, figure out what she was going to do now that she didn’t have a job. Now that everything was up in the air with Luke.
God, what am I doing here?
Out of nowhere, a wave of homesickness so powerful, so torrential, crashed over her body. The light evening breeze snaked through her hair, ruffled her skimpy costume and made her shiver. She missed San Francisco, she missed her old life, and for the first time in months, the urge to pack up and go home was stronger than ever.
She thought about her ballet days, the elegant venues she’d danced in, women in sparkling jewels, men who appreciated the art rather than the bodies involved. The applause and the praise, the red roses thrown at her feet, the orchestra members in the pit. She may have lost that part of her life but Vivian’s words in the dressing room reminded her that it didn’t have to be over. You could be an instructor, open up your own ballet school.
“Ellie?” She turned to see Luke standing at the back door with a concerned look on his face. “Why are you crying?”
Startled, she lifted her hand to her face and felt the moisture there. When had she started crying?
“I…” Her throat tightened. “I don’t know.”
Before she could blink Luke was beside her. He drew her into his arms and held her against his chest, his embrace filling her body with warmth. “I can’t stand to see you cry,” he murmured, pressing his face against the top of her head.
Her tears soaked through the cotton of his shirt and yet she still wasn’t quite sure why she was crying in the first place. Maybe it was because her entire world had crumbled beneath her again, slid away like grains of sand through her fingers. She didn’t have a reason to be in this town anymore. No job, no Vivian to depend on. And it made her feel so damn helpless.
As a small sob slipped out of her mouth, Luke ran his hands over her trembling shoulders and threaded his fingers through her hair. Then he planted a feather-light kiss on her forehead and whispered, “Come on, baby, let me take you home.”
“Here, I hope I made it the way you like it.” Luke handed her a steaming mug of tea before joining her on the sofa.
She thanked him and accepted the cup, then moved into a cross-legged position and took a long sip. The warm liquid slid down her throat and soothed her insides. When they’d returned to the bungalow she’d changed into a pair of comfortable sweatpants, a faded old T-shirt and thick wool socks, but for some reason she still felt cold.
“Why do you think Viv lied to me about Josh?” she asked softly.
A pained look entered Luke’s gray eyes as he shifted in his seat. “Honestly? I think there’s something going on between the two of them.”
She nearly dropped her mug. “Are you serious?”
Luke shrugged. “It’s just a feeling.”
Ellie set down her cup, leaned back and laced her fingers together. Josh and Vivian? No. That didn’t make any sense. Though she loved them both deeply, she couldn’t imagine them as a couple. Josh was uptight and rigid, while Vivian was the most adventurous free spirit Ellie had ever met. What did they even have in common? And if there was something between them, why hadn’t Vivian told her?
As if reading her thoughts, Luke’s low voice broke through the silence. “Vivian cares about you. She never meant to hurt you or lie to you.”
“Well, she did.” She swallowed back the lump of pain clogging her throat. “I can’t believe she fired me.”
“Ellie, about that…” His tone faltered. “Vivian’s not the only one to blame for that.”
She snapped to attention. “What do you mean?”
“I kind of asked her to do it.”
“You!” Disbelief filled her face before dissolving into triumph. “I knew it. Viv denied it but deep down I knew she wouldn’t have done it unless someone else talked her into it.”
With a low-pitched growl she shot to her feet, fighting the ridiculous urge to kick him in the shin.