The night Drew had finally opened up to me had brought us closer than ever before. I had expected her to be weird around me for a little while and refuse to hang out and talk, but it had been the complete opposite. She was attached to me, and not in the weird and clingy way, but in a good and loving way. I pinned it on the fact that it was because I had been honest with her that night in telling her I loved her. It hadn't felt like the right time at the time but... I was convinced it was now.

We were making progress, and that's all I really wanted.

But as the weeks continued to pass I wondered what Evan had wanted to tell Drew the day of the funeral. I of course had kept that conversation to myself and away from Drew, mostly because I knew she wouldn't take it well. I felt like I was protecting her whenever I had refused him to talk to her, but I was starting to grow paranoid. What if he had important information to tell her? What if Ronnie had left something for her before he had died? Was I preventing closure from her past? Would letting them talk even help her?

I tried to push the thoughts to the back of my mind but it was hard to ignore. I didn't want to withhold anything from Drew, but I had a bad feeling about Evan.

"Miss Breanna?"

I was torn out of my thoughts, looking down at the tiny girl in a pink leotard. I knelt to her level and tried to act as happy as I could, "Yes Morgan?"

She looked timid, and I didn't blame her. I was still considered new, and the children weren't used to me and Maria yet, although most of them loved Maria regardless. I envied her for their immediate approval.

"Why do you look so sad?" the little girl asked, and I felt my heart pull. I knew I shouldn't be in this mood while I was helping but I couldn't help it.

I smiled sadly, and then decided to play it off the best I could, "Because I don't have a cool pink leotard like you."

I watched a smile spread on the little girl's face, her nose that held a line of freckles wrinkling. She wasn't any older than five, but her smile was contagious. She laughed, "You can have mine."

I joked, pulling her into me and picking her up, "I don't think it'll fit, but thank you. Now dance with me!"

I held her on my hip, holding one arm out like you would with a dance partner in a ballroom. I spun her around and she giggled, making me see that this internship was actually really good for me. This is what I loved more than anything, and I hoped I could inspire the young girls and boys I taught to love dance as much as I did.

Then I heard Maria call out from the front of the studio, "Morgan your mom's here!"

I set the little girl down for her to grab her tiny dance bag, smiling, "See you Friday?"

She nodded, "Yes ma'am."

Then she ran off, her tiny feet padding along the floor of the studio. I smiled to myself, watching Maria guide her off of the studio's steps and to her mom. The little girl really had brightened my mood, and I was glad I had agreed to stay a little later today. Usually I only helped with the young children till six, but I had agreed to stay later for the teens from six to seven-thirty. Maria had a date, so she wouldn't be staying but I didn't blame her.

But I would see Drew later because she had agreed to pick me up, and I was counting down the minutes.

The older girls started filing in as Maria waved me goodbye, leaving me with the other instructors for the night. I was excited to work with them considering I hadn't before, and shockingly enough some of them actually recognized me.

"Wait, you're Breanna Kelly right?"

I looked over, seeing a group of fourteen years olds looking at me. I nodded, "Yea, that's me."

The strawberry blonde beamed with excitement, more than her two friends, at the realization. She exclaimed, "Oh my God, I saw your duet at the winter recital and it's was amazing... You and the other girl did so good."

I smiled then, realizing that the girl hadn't seemed phased at all at the fact I had duet-ed with a girl. It was a good thing, because the last thing I had wanted was for people to be freaked out. I mean, don't get me wrong, they had probably been shocked but... come on, it was 2015.

One of her friends commented, "Did you have to fight the coordinators to let you dance with her?"

She seemed uneasy at the thought but I didn't take it to heart, she wasn't like her friend that couldn't seem to take her eyes off of me. Maybe the other girl was bisexual, or gay, and I had given her hope for the future. Her friends weren't nearly as excited as her though.

I shrugged, "I did, but gender shouldn't matter."

The strawberry blonde smiled even harder, "Amen."

We exchanged looks and I gave her a reassuring smile, "So what are your names?"

Of course the overly eager one chimed in first, "Natalie." I would remember her, just because she was different than the rest. She was poised and exuberant, yet controlled and balanced. That night I had enjoyed watching her dance, seeing a lot of myself in her. She was young and had a long way to go, but she was better than I had been at fourteen. I could tell she would go far if she put her mind to it.

The time we had with the older girls passed quickly, and I found myself waiting outside with them for their parents. Of course Natalie had gravitated over to me, and we were now exchanging small talk.

She sighed, "I just can't believe you're going to be teaching us..."

I looked over to her, "You know I'm not some celebrity, right? But if you want an autograph, just ask."

Her laugh was nervous, as if she was holding something back, but I decided not to press. I had a feeling she was different, but I was getting a whole different vibe from her now. Considering we had just met I didn't want to push her, so maybe just letting her have her moment would be good.

She faced me, "Yea but... I don't know. You set a great example, for me at least."

What did she mean by that? I was curious now, but asking her further seemed to be prying. I didn't know her, but it was obvious she felt comfortable with me.

We were nearly alone now, as the last girl besides Natalie climbed into her parent's car. I wondered where Natalie's parents were, but I would wait with her till they came.

She spoke again, this time a little lower, "Can I ask you something?"

I nodded, "Sure."

She played with her hands, immediately reminding me of how Drew did that whenever she was nervous. I smiled at the thought of her, knowing she would be here in a few minutes.

Natalie asked timidly, "That girl you danced with... was that your...?"

Was she assuming that Drew was my girlfriend? And if she was how in the hell did she know? I mean, I knew same sex duets weren't common but...

I answered honestly, "She's my girlfriend."

She seemed to feel like she was prying because she tried to reclaim her motive, "It's not because I stalk you or anything but... I don't know. When I watched you two dance, there was a lot of chemistry. It made it real, but I was just curious."

I smiled at her rambling, wondering if Natalie was silently confiding in me. Maybe she would in time, because I had a feeling she was like me in more than just dancing. Maybe she liked girls too, and maybe it was confusing her and she felt comfortable enough with me to talk about it. I wouldn't press her, and I would let her come to me if she ever felt the need.

I liked having people look up to me, and I liked setting good examples.

Then finally her mom pulled up. Those eyes faced me and she smiled, "Will I see you Friday?"

I shrugged, giving her a smile, "Maybe."

She nodded with a glimmer of hope in her eyes, "Bye Miss Breanna."

"Call me Bree."

She smiled widely, climbing into the car and disappearing. I felt my heart squeeze as she left, wondering if Natalie was going through a hard time right now. There was a look of pain in her eyes, even when she tried her best to hide it behind her happiness. I had been like that too, trying to convince myself I was happy when in fact I wasn't. I had questioned my sexuality for a long time, and constantly being around girls in leotards didn't help. I didn't understand myself, and when I finally met people who taught me that bisexuality did exist I had felt a lot better.

Maybe I could be that person for Natalie, if that was the case, of course. I didn't want to assume, but there was something different. Maybe it was my gay-dar talking.

Then Drew pulled up in front of the studio, her helmet coming off as she smiled. Quickly climbing off her bike, she seemed to be in a hurry, "I have to use the bathroom, like now."

I laughed, pointing inside, "Straight to the back."

I was just about to close the door behind me when I saw a car pull up, wondering momentarily if there was another girl inside that was waiting for her parents. I peeked my head inside and saw no one, the other instructors probably in the back office locking up. I turned towards the car again, only this time I came face to face with someone I hadn't expected to see here.

I closed the door behind me, "Evan, what the hell are you doing here?"

He seemed more annoyed at my presence, "Well, I was trying to catch Drew, but you always seem to be around."

He had something in his hand, something that looked like an envelope, but I didn't think anything of it. It was probably money, or something unimportant, so I crossed my arms in defense mode. I wasn't allowing him to come near Drew.

I countered, "Ever thought it's because Drew's my girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend," he repeated, rolling his eyes, "Right."

I felt myself growing defensive, the words Drew had told me a long time ago resurfacing. Evan apparently didn't believe in that, but apparently Evan didn't believe in good morals either. He was a sick person, and I could only pray I scared him away for good before Drew got back.

I shoved against him, "Yea, now if you know what's best for you you'd fucking leave and never show your face in New York again."

This only pissed him off, and although I was strong I was a lot smaller than him. He was a man towering over me, and my anger always seemed to get the best of me and put me in shitty situations.

He grabbed my arms, hard, and I felt the anger immediately turn into fear. I could only hope Drew was on her way outside right now.

He spoke in a low and menacing tone, "I'm actually glad I ran into, because I forgot to tell you something. I'll fucking end your life if you tell anyone what happened all those years ago. Understand?"

Then the door of the studio opened, and I already knew who it was by the fragrance. Evan's eyes glanced, and his grip on me loosened, allowing me to push away. Drew didn't even speak, no hesitation in her movements as she pulled me behind her and decked Evan right in the nose.

I heard a nasty crack echo as he stumbled back and down the few steps, landing hard on his back. I could feel the anger radiating off of Drew, cutting through the cold atmosphere of January. My eyes were probably wide with fear, and my heart was pounding. Had Drew really just punched this kid in the face? Had he really threatened to kill me?

"Don't you ever fucking touch her," her voice even scared me, and when she went to walk down the steps to beat him some more I grabbed her arm. Evan was bleeding but he was fine, just shocked, as if he hadn't expected Drew to do what she did.

He didn't know her anymore, and that scared him.

He stood, "I was here to deliver the letter from your low-life dad, but looks like you just lost it."

I watched in horror as he ripped the envelope into tiny shreds, spitting blood down on the ground where the paper lied.

Drew seemed shocked but tried to hide it, "Fuck off you piece of shit."

Evan smirked, walking back to his car with his bloody nose. Before he disappeared he hollered, "You're gonna regret that, Drew."

Then he sped off, and I finally took notice to how violently Drew was shaking. I doubted if it was from the cold but I was convinced she was about to explode from the anger. I turned around, inspecting her bruised fist. God, how hard had she hit him?

She panicked, "Are you okay? I swear to God, I'll fucking kill him if he ever-"

"Drew," I pressed, taking her hand in mine, "Please... tell me that wasn't really a letter from your dad."

She shrugged, "How should I know? It's covered in blood."

The fact that she seemed not to really care frightened me, but was it because Evan had just scared her or something else? Drew never really mentioned her dad, ever, which was why Evan's motive had really shocked me. What could Drew's dad possibly want?

I pressed, "Let's go home."

We made our way back to her apartment, and I could tell Drew was still pissed. I was shaken up of course, but everything about tonight had really spiraled out of control. Everything had been fine, and then Evan shows up, threatens me, gets hit by Drew and then speeds off, leaving us with even more questions.

I mean what the hell?

Hand marks were now obvious on my wrists but it was nothing like Drew's hand. The purple was already forming around her knuckles, but she seemed not to care. All she was worried about was me, which was ironic.

We were lying down when she whispered, "I'm so sorry..."

I shook my head, "For what?"

"Evan... my past coming back to haunt not only me but you too... I should've known better than to show my face at Ronnie's funeral. I thought I was doing the right thing..."

I held her face, "You did do the right thing, Drew. This isn't your fault. Evan's sick, he's the problem... not you."

She rolled on her back and faced the ceiling, whispering, "Fuck..."

I rolled over towards her, wrapping my arms around her torso and reassuring, "Everything's gonna be okay."

"Besides the fact that I broke his nose and he not only threatened you, but me too," she confessed, me already knowing this. I didn't want to worry her but I was worried myself, and the last thing I wanted was for something to happen to her.

But I didn't know what to do or say.

She turned to me then, holding my face, "I'm not gonna let him hurt you."

She knew I was worried about our safety. Evan was dangerous; he had showed me that at the studio, but hearing Drew demanding this of herself settled my nerves a bit.

I smiled weakly, "I know."

She was bothered, I could tell, and I didn't know if it was because of Evan or her dad. A little of both most likely, and I had to admit I was curious. I hadn't known her life would suddenly start spinning out of control but here we were.

She shook her head, "My dad... I haven't talked to him in nearly ten years... Not including the few words he said to me at mom's funeral."

Ten years? Holy shit... that was a long time. And now all of a sudden Evan was claiming he was trying to get in touch with her? For what exactly, we didn't know but it was a shock.

I asked, "Why haven't you?"

"Well, when he left I was just thirteen. Alcoholism and love affairs are things your mom's gonna try and keep you away from... but he never tried contacting me. I figured he just didn't want me in his life anymore, so I let it stay that way."

I felt everything in my body ache at her words, desperately wanting to comfort her. I let one of my hands run up and down one of her arms, watching her silently as she spoke.

"Why he's all of a sudden trying to contact me is weird... I have no idea what he could want."

I didn't either, but I was glad she was opening up to me about this. Her mom and dad had always been touchy subjects, but Drew was finally comfortable with me. I was proud of her but it seems that bad news was coming at her from all directions: Ronnie's death, Evan showing up and figuring out where she lives... and now this.

It wasn't fair at all.

I asked, "Are you gonna try to find him?"

I watched her expression change, as if she was considering it but wasn't sure if that was even a good idea. I hoped she did, just so she wouldn't have to question his motives anymore. It would eat her up inside, and the faster she took initiative to close the case the easier her life would be. Then again, Drew's life had been the complete opposite of easy, though I admired her strength tremendously.

She shook her head, "I uh... I don't know."

I smiled reassuringly up at her, knowing that she would need time to figure out everything she was going to do. Even though Drew was tough she was still a human, and I could tell she had a soft spot for her dad, even if he had walked out on her ten years ago. She was angry, but not as angry as she used to be, and now she was getting better at putting the past behind her. Except now everything was finally catching up, with me right alongside her.

I leaned up, taking her delicate face in my hands, "It's gonna be okay. You have someone here for you this time, okay?"

She narrowed her eyes and smiled teasingly, "Who's that?"

I smirked, "Me, you idiot."

I leaned in, kissing her soft lips for further reassurance. I was glad I was here for Drew in this time of need, knowing it would be hard for her if she had been alone. This was me keeping my promise, and I wasn't letting Evan scare me away, even though his threat had terrified me momentarily.

She whispered, "I... I love you."

I smiled then, loving the way it sounded coming out of her mouth. I could tell she had trouble saying it, but it was because she had never had anyone to say it to.

"I love you too," I countered, watching a fantastic smile spread on her lips.

She exhaled a breath of relief, "Hearing you say it... it's amazing..."

It pained me knowing Drew probably hadn't heard someone say that to her in a long time, except maybe Demarcus, but it wasn't the same. I couldn't help but smile like an idiot at how cute she was, but I held myself together.

I teased, "Want me to keep saying it?"

She rolled her eyes, kissing my forehead, "What did I do to ever deserve you, Bree?"

I just smiled and kept quiet, not wanting to ruin this moment by saying something dumb like I always seemed to do. I held her close, allowing sleep to finally take over both of us and bring tomorrow. We had come so far in four months that it was hard to believe Drew was ever unapproachable.

Now there was no way I could keep myself away from her.