Page 58 of Scarred

Apprehension about seeing Cayden again flutters in my stomach. It’s been two weeks since our phone call, and he’s avoided me like the plague, canceling the last two yoga sessions and even sending Mae to bring Scarlett to dance class.

It’s probably for the best, but it doesn’t make it any easier to forget about him. Noah mentioned at dinner that some of Knox’s teammates would be at the wedding, and when he mentioned Cayden specifically, I nearly choked on my wine.

It’s bad enough I have to face him after practically begging him to make me cum over the phone, but to pretend in front of my family that we’re just working clients and that I haven’t gotten off to his image multiple times these past few days is going to be a trainwreck.

He’s already in my head more than he should be, bleeding into everything—including my dance. I have the spring recital coming up, and every year I do a solo. I’m never the one who slips. Never the one who forgets movement or misses a landing.

And yet, here I am, letting one man unravel years of discipline.

It’s frankly pissing me off that I let him invade my personal space like this. If I had kept my boundaries, none of this would be happening.

“Are you okay, sis? You’ve been really quiet today.”

I meet my sister’s concerned gaze in the mirror and put on a reassuring smile. “I’m fine. Guess I’m just overworked and overtired. It always gets crazy this time of year when I start preparing for the spring recital.”

What I’m telling them is true. I am overwhelmed and stressed about the recital. I’m just leaving out the six-foot-four hockey goalie part that’s the root cause of it all. I usually tell them everything, but right now I don’t have the strength to get into it, and frankly, it defeats the purpose of trying to forget him if I bring him up to talk about him.

“It’s going to be amazing just like it has been for the last two years. Quinn is over the moon excited for her trio this year with Maven and Lily Anna.” Sophia smiles at Bella and Emma, and they nod excitedly in agreement.

“And those dance dresses they are wearing? My God, they are beautiful. Makes me wish I had stuck with dance when I was little,” Sophia laughs.

“We would have if Luna had been teaching us back then. Old Mrs. Brooks wasn’t exactly up to date with the times. Her itchy costumes were the worst,” Bella says, scrunching up her nose at the memory.

“Do you remember the Titanic scene?” Sophia adds casually as she fights to hold back a grin.

My sister lets out a sharp laugh. “Oh, my God. Don’t⁠—”

“I’ve got to hear this,” I grin, turning and joining them on the dressing room couch.

“Me too,” Emma giggles, making room for me next to her.

“She had us doing My Heart Will Go On at nine years old, and your sister had her first solo,” Sophia says, turning to me.

“It was lyrical,” Bella defends, even though I’m already cringing at where I know this is going, “you’re supposed to get into character.”

“Bella had to die on stage,” Sophia giggles harder.

“She did not,” Emma says, her eyes going wide as her hand flies to her mouth to stifle a laugh.

“She did,” Sophia grins. “Full collapse. Her arms were out like she was floating in the ocean on a piece of driftwood.” She mimics with her arms, and Bella struggles to hold in her laugh. “You stayed down for, like, a full minute,” Sophia adds. “Our Moms thought you forgot the routine. I thought you had actually died,” she laughs.

“I was committing to the emotion,” Bella states matter-of-factly.

Sophia snorts. “You were committing to hypothermia.”

“Rose had nothing on that performance,” Bella finally breaks out into a full-blown laughing fit with us as we picture her dying body on stage.

“Please tell me Mom taped that?” I ask when I can finally speak, wiping away my tears.

“I’m pretty sure Noah and Maverick stole it that night and were going to blackmail me with it one day,” she laughs. “I really need to coerce my husband into telling me where it is.”

“I’m pretty sure you can think of something,” Sophia says, wagging her eyebrows.

“Oh, I have plenty of ideas up my sleeve,” Bella grins.

“Thanks for dragging me here today,” I suddenly say. “I didn’t realize how much I needed it,” I smile, looking at each of them. It felt good to get out of my head a bit and have some fun.

“Of course,” Emma says, reaching over and squeezing my hand. “That’s what family is for…to know what you need before you even realize it yourself.”