Pointe of Breaking (9 page)

What concerns me is how a girl like you allowed a dick like Blake to put a ring on that finger.

Did he
really
just say that to me? I literally bit my tongue to silence the obscenities I wanted to scream. Could he have possibly said anything more disrespectful? I clenched my cup of coffee so tightly that my fingertips turned white. In a matter of twenty-four hours, Leo had found just what buttons to push—the good and the bad. Just because we shared this jacked-up sexual intensity that promised to ruin all my good panties, did
not
mean that he could talk to me like that!

I didn’t have to sit around and let him judge me for falling in love with the wrong guy—a guy that had far too many white-collar similarities to him. A guy in the same frat house; certainly Gamma Phi brothers had each other’s backs. Their loyalties had to run deep.

With his fists clenched tight, he stared at me, waiting for a reply. Damn his russet eyes and sexy-ass…
everything
. I wasn’t going to take this from someone I’d just met.

I stormed out of the booth. He scrambled out and behind me in seconds. He grabbed my arm, stopping me.

“What the hell, Adeline? You’re just going to walk away because you didn’t want to answer the question?”

I whirled around and stared up to him. I hoped my gaze looked as cold and dead as it felt. “When you talk down to me like that you sound exactly like
him.”

His eyes narrowed, his body tensed, and his grip tightened around my arm. It hurt, but I kept it from showing.

“I’m nothing like Blake!”

The diner fell quiet. I felt their eyes on us, but I didn’t care. My life was now a major hit in the tabloids and I hoped there weren’t any paparazzi here. If I still had a chance with Joffrey, I needed to stay out of the papers.

His hand around my arm was white-knuckled. And there it was: that same small scar between his thumb and forefinger like Blake’s. Yeah, they were
nothing
alike. They just walked, talked, and hung out with the same crowds.

“Listen carefully, Richards. You can judge me seven days ‘till Sunday for falling for Blake, having sex with him yesterday, and then even spreading my legs for you today,” I snarled. “You’re far from perfect too! Shall I ask Sasha how your ballet date went because ditching her wasn’t very gentleman-esque?”

I edged closer to him and stood on toe so that we were closer to the same height. Passive-aggressive was more my style, but Leo just…he just got to me.

His eyes narrowed. His breathing sped up so that his chest rose and fell the closer I stood. He didn’t back off either. He towered over me. His gaze dropped to my lips and stared at them as he spoke, “You’re a piece of work, you know that?”

I raised my eyebrow. “You said you liked messy.”

He cocked his head to the side and returned his gaze to mine. The intensity in his stare nearly undid me. He reached up to my face. He didn’t so much gently cup my face. No, it wasn’t so endearing and sweet. It was more like, he couldn’t keep his hands off of me nor could he process my outburst. He traced his thumb over my bottom lip. Fuck, it was all I could do to hold my ground and not succumb to my unrelenting desire to close the few inches between us.

He released me. “Don’t go.”

“Don’t be a prick.”

He took a slow, uneven breath reeling his anger in. “I’m sorry.
Please
sit back down.”

The corner of my mouth tugged. Squaring my shoulders, I stepped around him and sat back down in our booth. He scooted down on the same side as me.

Not totally hating the excuse of being close to him, I asked, “Are you seriously trapping me in here with you, Richards?”

“You’re a proven flight-risk.”

He reached across the table and grabbed his coffee. After blowing it, he took a sip. I shivered, thinking about how he brought me to completion without even having to undress me. I bit my bottom lip. How could he make everything look so damn—

“If you keep looking at me like that much longer, I’m not going to be able to control myself.” His fanatical stare spoke volumes, giving way to the mass of tantalizing acts he wanted to do to me.

I didn’t bat an eye.

“Christ, Adeline.” He slipped his hands to both sides of my face and leaned into me. His lips brushed over mine, and when I opened my mouth up to him, there was no misunderstanding of what passion meant. Passion was Leo: the way he moved against me, the way he moaned when I flicked my tongue over his, the way his grip tightened when I whimpered for more. He kissed me like he was suffocating, and my lips were his only revival.

I was a goner.

I reached for his pants, grabbed a belt loop and pulled him toward me. I greedily took what I wanted and for the first time in a long time, I wasn’t being shied from the public’s judgmental eye.
He
wasn’t hiding me.
He
wasn’t ashamed to show me how he felt.
He
was everything I didn’t know I wanted. That scared me. How could I be falling so quickly?

With my hand on his chest, I pushed him back to give me breathing room—thinking space. “Don’t break my heart.”

He tucked the hair that had fallen over my eyes behind my ear. “Then tell me how the
last guy
broke your heart so I don’t make the same mistake.”

He was hell-bent on finding out what he could about Blake, wasn’t he? I reached up and placed my hand over his that was still cupping my face. “Will you just listen then, before you jump to conclusions or say something regrettable?”

“Why did you agree to marry him?” He was more polite about it this time, but there was no mistaking the jealous hate in the undertone of his question.

I moved our hands down so that they rested on his jeans. Why was it so hard to focus on anything but getting inside them? I had to close my eyes to gather my thoughts and clear away the dirty ones. He waited, rolling his thumb over my hand. I couldn’t explain how much his patience meant to me. When I opened my eyes, I just stared at my small hands cocooned in his large ones. He was so much larger than me; I felt so safe around him, so protected. It scared me how much I liked it.

“I first met Blake at
Cuppa
, a coffee shop where I work at downtown.”

“Did you barf on him the first time you met him too?”

I laughed. I couldn’t help it. He was seriously tripping about my ex. I couldn’t blame him, but it was rather endearing to know he cared so much.

“No, he wouldn’t have been…” I paused, searching for the right word. Nothing seemed to fit. “…
sweet
enough to give me a second chance after something of that magnitude.”

That earned me a half smile.

“So I messed up his drink order, really bad. And the thing was that I signed all my drinks with a Cupp-A. Big A for Adeline and a heart around it for,” I said casually even though I was embarrassed saying it out loud. “Customer appreciation? It’s silly I know, but it increases my tips.”

“That’s not why any guy would tip you.”

His hooded gaze fell to my lips. Instinctively, I licked them. He rubbed the back of his neck and mumbled for me to just continue.

“Well, the next day Blake came in pissed as all heck and demanded that the barista who made his drink be fired. He actually kept my coffee cup for proof. I’d just gotten my tuition bill from Joffrey and
really
needed the job. My parents wouldn’t…”

Shit. Shit. Shit! I would not talk about my family’s complete lack of money. That they spent every dime to keep me on a straight path since my sister took an unfavorable detour.

“…I begged Blake not to report me to the manager. After much deliberation, he agreed only if I would go out on a date with him. I couldn’t lose my job over a botched drink. Plus, it’s not like he is awful to look at.” I waited for him to disagree.

He didn’t. Even so, his body was tense enough to let me know I needed to wrap things up.

“For months he kept that coffee cup in his office like it was some trophy. And then, he took me out for drinks to celebrate me becoming head prima. He presented the same coffee cup I’d given him. He scribbled
Marry Me
just under my heart.” I bit my lip. I was talking too much. I shifted in my seat. “There is a lot of bad in him, but he isn’t purely evil…or at least he wasn’t. I still don’t know why he suddenly called off the engagement, but I
know
it had something to do with his brothers.”

“He manipulated you into going out with him!”

“Some people call it charming, Richards,” I admitted and decided that it would be best to change the subject off of my ex. “So it’s my turn now. You have to answer a question of mine.”

Leo let out a breath that he’d been holding. He pretended that he was this cool guy, but I saw right through the act. Why did he hate Blake so much? However, if I talked much longer about my ex, the little vein in Leo’s forehead would burst.

“No, I’m not gay if that’s what you’re thinking.” Leo smirked in a way that was positively lickable. “I know I’ve been sending you mixed messages about it.”

I giggled, “Yeah,
that
was going to be my next question.”

My phone pinged before I had a chance for my inquiry. Retrieving it, I looked at Higgins’ number on the screen.

Higgins—Do not be late for practice. The board is determining if you are the best representation of Joffrey Ballet School. If it was up to me, you’d have been finished as soon as the tabloid hit the newsstands

Leo gave me a puzzled expression when I stuffed my phone back in my pocket. It pinged as soon as I had it tucked away.

“You’re a popular girl,” he said, watching me dig out my phone.

I rolled my eyes. People were talking only because I made a series of bad decisions. He wanted to know what was so important, but I was
not
going to tell him about my ballet troubles, especially since his family footed a big part of my bill at Joffrey. I didn’t want to get into that awkward conversion. No, thank you.

Ivan—Higgy is on a rampage. You better bring you’re A-game.

Me—I’m so going to be kicked out.

Ivan—Stop saying that. It’s not for sure. See you before practice, and you have to tell me everything!

When I went to tuck my phone in, Leo gently grabbed my wrist. “Maybe
I
should have your number. You know, in case you need another lift home or something.”

“How about you give me yours, and I’ll decide if I need to call it.”

“You’re seriously a trip. You’re going to make me work my ass off to get your digits, aren’t you?”

“Yes.” I giggled.

He grinned at my laugh. God, I could just stare at his smile all day. After rattling off his number, he took another drink of his coffee with a double shot of sexiness.

He asked, “So what was your question, the one you had all lined up for me before those secretive text messages?”

Tucking my phone away, I swallowed the lump in my throat. Flirtation aside, there were things I needed to know about Blake—for closure. Even more importantly, if Leo was a part of the same frat, then this was just as much of an investigation about him. I glanced again at the small scar between his thumb and pointer finger that was seemingly insignificant, but there was more to this brotherhood than anyone was letting on. This frat was more than just a bunch of power-hungry rich boys who would dump a girl of white-trash-pedigree.

Shrugging my shoulders I said, “I’ve never been inside a frat house before.”

“Is there a question coming?”

It wasn’t a lie, but I hadn’t fooled him with my “innocent” inquiry. Not in the least.

I said, “You’ve seen my place. Can I see yours?”

He took a drink of his coffee and then said, “Sure, I’ve got nothing to hide.”

Nothing to hide—
yeah, right.

A huge party was planned for next Saturday night to celebrate homecoming and the end of midterms. I could think of no better opportunity for Adeline to get the full fraternity experience. I knew everyone would connect the dots and figure out that it was Blake’s ex-fiancé, especially after our tabloid splash, but I really didn’t care. I was done kowtowing to the fraternity, and I actually couldn’t wait to see the look on Micah’s face when I strolled in with Adeline.

For a whole week now, all I could think about was her in those damn ballet shoes and how hot her legs were in them. I was dying to go back over to her place and finish what we started on her kitchen counter. But the paparazzi was breathing down our necks and I knew from experience that a little time apart would do a world of good.

This wasn’t the first time I’d been splashed across the tabloids. My Gamma Phi initiation had involved a group of us freshman pledges streaking through the campus fountain in the Quads. The paparazzi somehow managed to catch that and identify me, even with a ski mask on. They were pains in my ass.

Adeline seemed really nervous about being photographed again too, because she was under her own kind of pressure with Joffrey. She didn’t talk about it much, but she seemed relieved when I told her if we’d lay low for a few days, the paparazzi would back off.

Couple all of that with midterms for me, and an intense rehearsal schedule for her—this whole week apart felt like the best kind of aphrodisiac. A slow build up to something major.

Until then, the best parts of my days were her sexy texts. It was those very texts that kept my hand tied over every day until Saturday.

Adeline—What are you doing?

Me—Studying, you?

Adeline—Just got done dancing naked in my apartment.

Me—Weird, me too.

Adeline—LOL. Don’t tease.

Me—You started it.

Adeline—Just as long as somebody finishes it…and soon.

Me—I have something that could tide you over.

Adeline—I’m listening...

I dug around in the images on my phone until I found the one I wanted, then attached it and clicked send. The smirk on my face made me feel like such a girl, but I couldn’t help it.

Adeline—NO. YOU. DIDN’T!

Me—Oh, but I did. :) You like?

Adeline—This makes me very happy. Please excuse me for…ohhh, 5-10 minutes is probably all it’ll take.

I barked out a really unattractive laugh, which was hilarious in its own right because the photo I sent her was of me and a Labrador puppy posing for the month of February inside the Men of Gamma Phi Calendar. It was a charity calendar Chase and I put together last year and I knew it would make Adeline smile.

Me—If my picture brings you that much pleasure, maybe I should come by and see you. Or is it the puppy?

Adeline—Yes. To both. I need this calendar.

Me—It’s yours for the low low price of $9.99. All proceeds go to the Humane Society of New York.

Adeline—Well, I’m glad to see you’re willing to take your shirt off for a good cause. Hopefully I get an up close and personal view of this on Saturday.

I was getting the distinct impression that Adeline was a dirty girl and that excited the fuck out of me. However, I was still going to try my hardest to take it slow with her. Seeing that tear roll down her cheek at Shooters about killed me. Knowing that it was over Blake and his fucked up shit killed me even more. I had to tread carefully and make sure she really was over him.

In the mean time, I was having a blast getting to know her personality through our pseudo phone relationship. I could already tell she was funny and had a great sense of humor. But I wanted to know more about her.

Me—Tell me about your parents.

Adeline—What do you want to know?

Me—Do you get along with them?

Adeline—Yes, I get along with them great. They went to every single one of my performances in Chicago. But they’ve never seen me perform in New York.

Every one of her texts were interesting like that. She would say a single sentence, but it would reveal a wealth of information about her.

Adeline—Tell me why you dated Sasha?

Me—What do you mean?

Adeline—We’re not exactly the same “type”

Me—That’s one of my favorite things about you. ;)

I chuckled when she responded with a snap chat video of her just rolling her eyes. Damn, I already missed her. Adeline was different. She was funny, and special, and broken in some fundamental way that made her feel like a flower that I needed to cherish and protect. Yet, she seemed fiercely independent at the same time. I couldn’t understand how Blake just used her like he did. But one might say I did the same to Sasha. My only defense was that I never made any promises, and I sure as shit never put a ring on her damn finger.

God would I love my fist to have a meeting with Blake’s face right now
. I’d say Felicia deserved better, but I didn’t really know that for sure. Felicia and Sasha were both social climbers and the amount of respect they had for themselves was miniscule. They made absolute fools of themselves outside of Adeline’s apartment that morning. It only made Adeline shine that much more with her determined but quiet power. The kind of power people stopped and listened to. Adeline was the type who would fight her whole life if she had to.

Fuck that was hot.

Adeline—Favorite band.

Me—Don’t really have one. Aerosmith is currently climbing the charts in my heart.

Adeline—Haha. What can I say? I love classic rock.

Me—And now, so do I. :)

Me—Favorite food?

Adeline—I’m a ballerina. I survive simply on criticism and self-loathing.

Me—I definitely intend to change that.

Adeline—Promise?

After yet another cold shower this week, I decided to leave the five o clock shadow on my face. Every minute spent getting ready at Gamma Phi instead of picking Adeline up was a waste of my damn time.

I jogged down the stairs, smirking at the text Adeline just sent me of her kitchen counter. Fucking tease! I paused briefly while a few of the fraternity pledges struggled through the doorway with huge kegs for tonight’s party. Watching over them was my buddy Chase.

“Hey man, you’re not leaving are you?” he asked, moving over and letting the others continue shuffling the beer towards the kitchen.

“I’ll be back,” I replied, scratching the back of my head impatiently as he blocked the front door.

“I was going to come up and talk to you.” He motioned for me to follow him onto the front porch, and I sighed heavily. Now was not the time for bro talk. Now was the time for me to go pick up the girl that had been occupying my dreams for days. I was practically vibrating with impatience.

I attempted to rein in my impatience because I’d kind of been blowing Chase off all week. Luckily, that was sort of the beauty of our friendship—low expectations. We were there for each other when we needed to be, but we weren’t needy.

When we reached the side of the deck, he looked down, nervously scuffing his feet against the wooden deck. “Dude, I hope you know I didn’t mean to rub your face in those papers last week. Or make Adeline out to be something she’s not. I haven’t talked to you much lately, and I know we were all swamped with midterms and stuff. But you get that I just wanted to make sure you knew about that shit before your mom called or something right?”

I sighed and half-smiled at him. “I know, man. We’re cool.”

“I don’t give a shit what those papers say. Or anyone else for that matter.” He smiled playfully and finger combed his blond hair out of his eyes. “So are you going to tell me who you’ve been talking to on the phone every damn night this week?”

“Do I even have to?” I asked, crossing my arms.

“I had a feeling.” He nodded knowingly and his face turned serious. “I just want to warn you that I’m not the only one suspecting it.”

“What do you mean?” My hackles rose.

“Micah asked me today if you and Adeline were seeing each other.”

“What’d you tell him?” I asked.

“I told him it was none of his damn business. Then I told him that he needed to get laid.” He chuckled softly and added, “You know I always have your back right?”

He nodded his head ever so slightly as if saying he would go to battle for me in the blink of an eye if I needed him. But reading between the lines, I could tell he was scared for me.

“I do know that, man. And I got yours. Always.” We fist bumped and slapped hands in our traditional fraternity handshake.

“And who’s got my back now?” An annoying as hell female voice peeled loudly from behind me.
Sasha.

“I so do not have your back right now, dog,” Chase said patting me heartily and running off inside.

So much for brotherhood.

“Sasha, now is not the time.” I turned to face her as she strode up our porch steps. I placed my hands on my hips in a defensive stance, trying to portray that she was most definitely not welcome.

“Now is not the time, Leonardo? When will be?” She paused mid-step, her thin hand perched on her narrow waist.

I dragged my eyes from her head to her toe and flinched when I saw excitement elicit behind those baby blues. My lazy gaze was a mistake. She thought I was looking and appreciating. She shook her blonde hair back from her face proudly, like she knew she’d already won. The reality was, I was looking and trying to figure out why the hell I was ever attracted to her.

“There won’t be a time, Sasha,” I said, striding toward her and backing her down the steps. “We have nothing to discuss. I think I made it clear that whatever we had before is over. Completely over this time. No more ballets. No more favors. No more anything.”

Her thin lips parted in shock. “You can’t possibly mean that, Leo. You know why we belong together. I shouldn’t have to remind you.”

“And yet you do. Consistently,” I rebuffed through gritted teeth. “I know who you are, Sasha. I don’t need a reminder. What I need, is for you to leave my porch. Leave this house. And leave me alone. Are you getting that?”

She shook her head in disbelief, her lips puckered in defiance. Damn it, this girl could not take a hint. I’d been ignoring all phone calls and texts from her this entire week and still she showed up here expecting something.

“I mean it, Sasha. I’m sorry to be harsh, but this is the way it is.”

Her bitch face slammed down into place. “If you’re seriously going to go after that girl—That ballerina!—she’s a
nobody
, Leonardo. She’s from nowhere. And she’ll be nothing her whole life. Don’t be an idiot.”

“Don’t be a fucking bitch,” I barked. I was losing my cool and I couldn’t help it. I didn’t need this shit. And I sure as shit wasn’t going to listen to it.

“Go.” I walked toward her so she stumbled backwards down the sidewalk.

Once she was far enough away from the house, I blew past her and jumped on my crotch rocket. I glanced up one last time as she stood stock still in front of my fraternity house in utter shock. The Gamma Phi Greek letters and her standing there were just two physical representations of all that I was driving away from. And I couldn’t be more excited.

Within fifteen minutes, I was back at Adeline’s place, and my sour mood had lifted tremendously. That was the beauty of a motorcycle in Manhattan. What took most people forty minutes to an hour—I could zig and zag through in less than fifteen. Buzzing through psycho cab drivers was an extreme adrenaline rush and after that bullshit talk with Sasha, it was exactly what I needed to clear my head.

I unzipped my leather jacket and pressed the button to her apartment number. She didn’t say a word. She just beeped me through, signaling the entry opening. I darted inside and climbed the stairs, jitters shooting off all over inside of me. Damn, I hadn’t been this nervous over a girl since I was a high school sophomore, and one of the hot senior girls had asked me to prom.

I knocked on her door and was greeted not by the clear blue-eyed beauty I had been daydreaming about for the past week, but by a tall, dark, and extremely toned dude with tribal tattoos snaking up beneath his black tank top.

“Leo?” the guy asked expectantly.

“Yeah…that’s me,” I responded cooly.

“I’m Ivan, the dance partner. Nice to officially meet you.”

I shook his hand stiffly, not giving anything away. I puffed my chest out a bit just to show him that I wasn’t intimidated.

“Addy girl is just finishing up.”

Addy girl? Real fucking cute.

He turned and strolled back into her studio like he owned the place.

“What brings you here?” I asked, not caring about pretenses and too impatient to wait for answers from Adeline, who could only be in the bathroom since she was nowhere to be seen.

“I had to stop in to remind Addy about a meeting she has tomorrow at Joffrey. She’s been so busy lately, we’ve hardly had a chance to talk. She’s been rather distracted by…well, I guess by you!” Ivan crossed his inked arms over his chest and grinned at me. But his grin didn’t meet his eyes.