Mia taps ash from the end of her cigarette, letting it fall to the floor. There were too many loopholes in the case against Greyson. There was time between him leaving the scene—where no one saw him except me and his passenger—and the police showing up at his house.
There was no solid proof that he was drunk driving.
“I meant what I said, though. That you had a community behind you. I hoped they would’ve added more, but… oh, well. Nothing I could do about it without getting my hands dirty.”
“They’re dirty now,” I say.
She frowns. “Yes, I suppose so.”
“Where do we go from here?”
“You tell me what you learned that would make you want to leave CPB. Leave me. And then we’ll discuss what our options are.” She leans forward, staring down at me. “Think about it, Violet. Your memory can’t be that hazy. You only lost a day. But you lost the night I’ve most wanted to forget.”
“I think you already know.” I raise my eyebrow. “I think you know a lot more than you’re saying. I’ve tried to remember, but it’s gone. So please, tell me.”
Suddenly Mia is in front of me, brushing my hair away from my forehead. I don’t move, can’t even breathe, as her fingertips probe my scar.
Greyson makes me forget I even have one. His gaze doesn’t stray up to it, he doesn’t pay it extra attention, or any at all. He thinks I’m beautiful. But he’s not here, and Mia is.
“Did Shawn have you convinced?” she whispers, pressing her nose to my hairline. “Did he give you a two-minute spiel and offer to whisk you away? You can’t fall for his bullshit, Violet. Not this time.”
Giselle is a tragedy. Sleeping Beauty almost is, too. Two girls tricked by people who think they know better. Giselle dies because of it. Aurora falls asleep for a hundred years and wakes up in a new world.
Who pays a lesser price?
Which of them is better off?
“He didn’t convince me of anything,” I say. “What happened that night?”
Giselle danced with the man she fell in love with and saved him from dying. What’s more powerful than that? Being kissed awake by a prince?
“You confronted me,” she moans. “I don’t know what he said to you, or if he said it again. He knew you weren’t going to be cast as Giselle. But he didn’t see your talent like I did. Didn’t think it was something that could just burst out of you. You told me he said you needed time.”
I try not to rear back, but I must make some motion, because she twitches. She twists my hair between her fingers. Not pulling, just staring at the blonde strands.
“I came to Rose Hill to see you,” she says faintly. “I waited outside the studio. And you yelled… I’ve never seen you so mad. So hurt. At me. But was I so delusional to think that you’d make it so far, so fast? True, raw talent like yours is rare. I had to nurture it. And you! I nurtured you, made you into who you were. And you just wanted to leave me to go be one of his soloists.” She scoffs, pounding her chest with her fist. “I make prima ballerinas. Not him.”
“You scared me,” I guess. “That night? Was I frightened?”
By the way she sucks in a breath, I know I’m right. I can almost see it, too. What a reality check. To be told by a choreographer that I so admired that my director was leading me astray. Filling my head with fantasies, when all I needed was to work harder. I know how angry I’d be at Mia.
If I’m only good enough to be a principal dancer at Crown Point Ballet, of course I would never leave her. I’d never get a contract as a principal anywhere else. And a few years of being the best, of getting the roles I wanted… Yeah, I can see how she could’ve manipulated me.
It hits my ego, too.
I can’t help but begrudge the fact that I have to learn this twice.
“You ran to your car. Sped out into the road, and that stupid boy hit you,” she spits. Her eyes are wild.
This is escalating. I scramble for something to ease her—and give her what she wants.
“I’m going to stay with you.” My stomach turns. I take her hand and thread my fingers with hers. “Please don’t make me dance as Giselle again. I want to be Aurora for you.”
A tear rolls down Mia’s cheek. It falls off her jaw and lands on my chest. “You don’t know how much it means to me to hear you say that.”
It’s all a lie.
She releases me and straightens, dragging the chair with her back into the kitchen. I watch her from the floor as she opens the fridge and pulls out containers, pours a glass of water. I see her take a vial from her pocket and let a few drops fall into the water. She mixes it with her finger, then comes back to me.
Is it a test?
She offers me the water first, her eyes large as I bring it to my mouth.
I don’t think I can get out of drinking this.
“Is that food?” I ask, lowering the glass slightly.
She nods. “But you’re dehydrated. Drink up.”
I close my eyes and nod, then take a sip. It doesn’t taste any different. There’s just a hint of sweet aftertaste. She hands me the container second. Cut up chicken, broccoli, and yellow rice with a plastic spoon shoved into it. I eat quickly, practically shoveling it into my mouth. Any faster and I’ll be sick… but maybe the food can slow whatever drug she gave me.
Might be wishful thinking.
My stomach turns, and I brace my hand on the floor. “What was in the water?”
“Something to help you sleep,” she says. “It’s late. You need rest.”
I nod. My inhibitions are fading like I’ve drank too much liquor. My tongue feels thick, my eyes sluggish.
“Oh, and Violet? If you tell anyone what happened, I’m going to gut your senator’s son boyfriend and paint your skin with his blood. Okay?”
It’s the last thing I hear.
56
GREYSON
I’m going to lose my mind.
Coach made me play the first ten minutes of the game. He said we had to keep up appearances for the scouts. For my future. I felt sick every second I was on the ice. When he finally switched me out, I left. I hired a car and got back to Crown Point as fast as I could.
Willow met me outside my house. I went inside and checked every room, even the basement. Just in case. Her phone has been off, rendering her location tracker I gave myself access to ineffective.
There was no sign of Violet. No sign that she came back from her audition.
So we kept looking. I kept in touch with Willow as we searched. The hockey team got back and joined in, and eventually, the sky started to lighten.
All night, and nothing.
We meet back at my house. Willow is distraught, her eyes red and watery. I don’t have the patience for that. For any of it. I just want Violet back—safe and in one piece.
I punch the wall, and Willow makes a tiny peep of surprise. It’s the only sound she’s made since she followed me into the living room, her mouth pinched with worry.
Violet was transparent with her about everything.
Maybe she can figure out who her best friend’s stalker is. And I just haven’t pushed hard enough to jog her memory.
I wheel toward her, uncaring at the flash of fear that crosses her face. She’s never had a reason to fear me, but here we are. “Tell me what you know.”