Savage Royals: A Reverse Harem High School Bully Romance(63)
Besides, it wasn’t a good idea to hook up with any of them, truthfully.
What had started on extremely rocky ground was finally turning into what could be a really solid friendship, and despite the way my body reacted to all of them, despite the tingles that raced across my skin from just the feel of Mason’s hand on my knee, I didn’t want to risk that.
When we reached Oak Park, they all walked me to the Wastelands before heading back to their dorm. As far as I knew, they weren’t going anywhere else over the break, but I’d promised Jacqueline I’d go stay with her and Philip until Sunday.
I unpacked and repacked my bag with more conservative, fancier clothes and showered twice to make sure I didn’t smell like weed or alcohol. If I could get through one visit with my grandma without her looking at me like I was a major disappointment, I’d consider it a win.
Is that how she used to look at my mom? Was that what drove her away?
Using a round brush, I dried my hair into soft waves, taking a little extra time with my appearance. Then I headed back out. As I crossed campus, my mind drifted back to the past few days, and I felt a smile spread across my face that I couldn’t contain. I shot a glance over my shoulder toward Clarendon Hall, for once sad to be leaving the Oak Park campus.
Jacqueline and Philip greeted me from their usual stations when I arrived—my grandmother at the door and my grandfather from behind the desk in his office. He was missing his usual glass of whiskey, which I liked. I’d already been feeling weird about having drunk so much at the house party; it helped to see that not every blood relative of mine was a slave to alcohol.
Then again, my dad had managed a few dry spells too.
Jacqueline took me out to the back garden, and we chatted about the coming summer and how classes were going. I hadn’t missed a single class all semester, and she praised me for it with a wide smile.
I spent most of the next three days holed up in my room studying or walking the beach, dipping my feet in the cold water and picking up little shells or stones worn smooth by the waves. I’d started a little collection in a jar I’d asked one of the house staff for, and even though I was pretty sure Jacqueline wouldn’t approve, it was my favorite decoration in my room.
On my last evening at the house, I had dinner at the large dining room table with the two of them, mulling something over in my head. It took me until just before dessert was served to work up the nerve to say anything out loud, but the idea had been growing in my mind ever since the night of all the dares with the guys.
Before the kissing, there had been dancing.
And it’d made me the happiest I’d felt in a long time.
I wanted more of that feeling, wanted it in my life all the time.
“So…” I cleared my throat before taking a dainty sip of water, careful not to gulp it. “I’ve been thinking. Once I finish up at Oak Park, maybe I’ll audition for a few ballet companies. There are some great ones that do apprenticeships, and a lot of the time, it can lead to a position within the company if you do well and work your ass—butt—off, which I would.”
Jacqueline rested her fork gingerly on the table, brows drawing together as she frowned at me. “What about college?”
“Well, that would still be in the plans for sure. But maybe after a few years of dancing? Or maybe I could find a program that would let me do both. I could do classes online or something.”
She blinked slowly. “You want to graduate Oak Park and attend an online college?”
“Well, that’s just one option.” I looked to Philip for help, but his face was carefully blank. “I haven’t looked into all the details yet. But dance is what I love, what I’ve always loved, and now I finally have an opportunity to do it—”
“No.”
I stopped short, my jaw snapping shut. “What?”
“No.” My grandmother shook her head. She hadn’t raised her voice, hardly even sounded angry. But I wasn’t stupid enough to believe that meant she was still giving one ounce of consideration to my words. “We decided to send you to Oak Park Prep to give you the opportunity to achieve a great future. That means a good education, leveraged into an Ivy League college, where you’ll make the connections you need to secure a good position. There is no future in dance.”
“That’s…” Disappointment soured my stomach, and I set my fork down too. “That’s not true. Yeah, someone might not be a prima ballerina forever, but that doesn’t mean they can’t have a great career.”
“Someone. Not you.”
“But—”
“No, Talia.” Jacqueline’s voice sharpened, and she held up one hand. “This discussion is over. We’re paying for your education. We’ll pay for your college. But I will not pay for you to live the life of a hippie.”
My chair scraped against the floor as I stood abruptly, hot anger filling my chest. “I’m not hungry anymore. I’m done.”
“Then you may go to your room,” she said softly, and before the last word fell from her mouth, I was already moving.
I closed the door to my room much more gently than I wanted to—I was sure Jacqueline had a zero tolerance policy for temper tantrums—and rested my forehead against it, tears burning the backs of my eyes.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
I’d forgotten.