Wednesday

It had been weeks since I'd been here—weeks since I'd stood at the front of the class, guiding my little dancers through their steps, and even longer since I had felt like myself. But today, as I looked around at the familiar faces of my students, their eyes lighting up at the sight of me, I felt something settle inside me.

I was back.

And they were just as excited about it as I was.

"Miss Amber!"

I barely had time to react before a blur of pink tutus and tiny ballet slippers rushed toward me, a swarm of little arms wrapping around my waist as my students tackled me in a group hug.

"I missed you so much!"

"Are we still doing The Nutcracker?"

"Are you all better now?"

"I was practicing at home every day!"

I laughed, kneeling down to their level, trying to answer every single question at once. "I missed you too, and yes, I'm all better now! And of course we're still doing The Nutcracker! But first, we need to get back to work."

Before I could say anything else, Lily pushed her way to the front of the group.

Bryan's little sister stood with her arms crossed, a mock-serious expression on her face, but the second our eyes met, she grinned. "You took forever to come back."

I chuckled. "I know. But I'm here now."

She nodded, then added, "Bryan says you have to be careful and not push yourself too hard."

My stomach flipped, warmth creeping up my neck. Of course, Bryan had said something.

I shook my head, still smiling. "I'll be careful."

Mrs. Lawson clapped her hands together, getting everyone's attention. "Alright, warm-ups. Let's go."

Class started, and as soon as I stepped into teaching mode, everything else faded away.

The moment my students moved to the barre, the nervous energy that had been lingering inside me disappeared. I was in my element again, guiding them through their stretches, correcting postures, encouraging them when they wobbled on their toes.

Lily stuck close to me, always watching carefully, her determined expression almost identical to Bryan's whenever he was focused on something.

As we moved into center exercises, I saw the girls glance at me through the mirror, watching how I moved, taking everything in. Even after weeks away, they still looked to me to set the example.

By the time we transitioned into The Nutcracker rehearsal, the excitement in the room was electric.

The next hour flew by in a blur of music and movement.

The girls worked hard, some stumbling, others nailing their steps with newfound confidence. Lily struggled a little with the turns, but I saw the way she clenched her jaw and kept trying, determined not to let it beat her.

I crouched next to her after she stumbled out of a spin. "You're getting better," I told her gently.

She huffed. "Not fast enough."

I smiled, squeezing her hand. "No one gets it perfect right away. Just keep going."

She nodded, shoulders squaring, and I knew she wouldn't stop until she got it right.

The rest of the class went smoothly, and by the time I dismissed everyone, I was exhausted but completely happy.

I was packing up my things, rolling out my ankle carefully, when Lily nudged me. "Bryan's here."

I blinked, turning toward the door.

Sure enough, he was leaning against the glass window, arms crossed, watching me.

My stomach flipped.

He had been waiting.

Lily grinned, clearly enjoying the moment. "He's gonna walk you back."

I sighed, slinging my bag over my shoulder. "Alright, let's not keep him waiting."

As I walked toward the exit, my muscles aching in the best way possible, I realized something.

I had been scared about coming back. About whether I'd be good enough, strong enough.

But today I proved that I belonged here.

And that I wasn't doing this alone.

—------

The past two weeks had been an absolute mess. Between classes, rehearsals, teaching, and babysitting, I barely had time to breathe. My life had turned into a cycle of dance, late-night study sessions, and crashing into bed completely exhausted.

But now, the big day was almost here.

Tomorrow, I would step onto the stage as the Sugar Plum Fairy.

I still couldn't believe it.

I had spent so many nights doubting if I'd even be able to perform again, if my body would keep up, if I was ready for this. But here I was—back, stronger than before, ready to prove to myself that I deserved this role.

But tonight?

Tonight was about something far less stressful and way messier.

Because right now, I was sitting in Lily's kitchen, covered in icing and bits of candy, locked in a fierce battle.

A gingerbread house competition.

Me vs. Bryan.

And Lily was the judge.

Bryan, seated across from me, had the smug look of someone who thought he had already won.

"Give it up, Lee," he said, leaning back in his chair as if he wasn't taking this seriously. "You can dance, but can you build?"

I narrowed my eyes, smearing some extra frosting onto my house with surgical precision. "You talk a lot for someone who's losing."

Lily giggled beside me, her eyes darting between our gingerbread houses like she was watching an intense sports match.

"Okay, okay," she said, waving her hands dramatically. "You each have five more minutes. And no cheating!"

Bryan scoffed. "You think I need to cheat to beat her?"

I rolled my eyes. "I think you need to shut up and focus."

He smirked. "Make me."

I froze, my breath catching for a split second before I shoved a handful of mini marshmallows at him.

Lily burst into laughter as Bryan dodged them, looking entirely too amused.

"You're so immature," I muttered, focusing on carefully placing gumdrops along the edges of my roof.

Bryan, still smirking, finally leaned forward and started actually decorating his house instead of just running his mouth.

I peeked at his creation out of the corner of my eye.

And instantly regretted it.

Because... it was good.

Like, annoyingly good.

The walls were perfectly straight, the icing didn't look like it had been applied by a five-year-old, and his candy placement was weirdly precise.

I frowned. "Why does yours look like a professional bakery made it?"

Bryan chuckled, running a finger along the base of his house to smooth out the icing. "I have hidden talents, Lee."

I huffed. "I call sabotage."

Lily shook her head, sighing dramatically. "Miss Amber, it's not looking good for you."

I shot her a betrayed look. "Lily!"

She giggled, stuffing a gumdrop into her mouth. "I'm just saying."

Bryan's smirk grew. "Even my own sister knows I'm winning."

I narrowed my eyes, grabbing a handful of rainbow sprinkles. "We'll see about that."

Then, with all the precision of a master strategist, I flung them at his house.

Bryan blinked as the tiny candies rained down over his perfectly decorated gingerbread house, landing in random, chaotic patterns.

Lily gasped. "Miss Amber! That's sabotage!"

Bryan slowly turned to me, his expression unreadable.

And then, he grabbed an entire spoonful of icing and smeared it across my arm.

I gasped, scandalized. "Bryan!"

He grinned, leaning back like he hadn't just declared war. "Payback, Ballerina."

Lily was losing it. She clutched her stomach, laughing so hard she nearly fell off her chair.

I stared at Bryan, narrowing my eyes. "You don't want to start this with me."

His smirk widened. "I think I do."

So, naturally, I grabbed a handful of marshmallows and threw them directly at his face.

They bounced off his cheek, landing in his lap, and Lily absolutely lost her mind.

We probably would have kept escalating things if Lily's mom hadn't walked in at that exact moment.

She took one look at the disaster in front of her—the kitchen covered in frosting, candy scattered across the table, Bryan with icing on his face, and me holding a gumdrop like a weapon—and sighed.

"I don't even want to know," she said, shaking her head.

Lily still hadn't recovered from laughing. "Mom, Miss Amber cheated."

I gasped, clutching my chest dramatically. "Lily, I thought we were a team!"

She grinned, clearly having the time of her life. "Nope. I'm the judge. And I say..." She tapped her chin, dragging out the moment for dramatic effect.

Bryan leaned in, eyes gleaming. "Choose wisely, kid."

Lily pointed at his house. "Bryan wins."

I groaned. "Seriously?"

Bryan shot me a smug grin, reaching across the table to tap my nose with a bit of icing. "Better luck next time, Ballerina."

I swatted his hand away, but I was grinning despite myself.

Even though I lost, even though my house looked like it had been attacked by a tornado, I couldn't remember the last time I had laughed this much.

It was stupid and messy and completely unnecessary.

But for the first time in weeks, I wasn't thinking about rehearsals or my nerves or the pressure of performing in two days.

After the chaos of the gingerbread war, the kitchen was left in an absolute disaster. There was icing on the counter, gumdrops on the floor, and Bryan still had a smear of frosting near his jaw that he hadn't noticed yet. I wasn't about to tell him.

Lily was still giggling as she helped clean up, her energy slowly fading now that it was getting late. She yawned mid-sentence, rubbing her eyes, and her mom caught it immediately.

"Alright, munchkin," her mom said, setting down the dish towel. "Time for bed."

Lily pouted dramatically. "But—"

"No buts," her mom said firmly, though there was amusement in her tone. "You've had your fun. Now go brush your teeth."

Lily sighed like we had just ruined her entire life, but she hopped off the chair anyway.

Before she left, she turned to me with puppy-dog eyes. "Miss Amber, will you tuck me in?"

I melted instantly.

"Of course," I said, standing up.

She grinned sleepily and took my hand, pulling me toward her room.

Lily's room was exactly what I imagined—a mix of pink, stuffed animals, and fairy lights draped around the window. She climbed into bed, snuggling under her blankets as I tucked her in.

She blinked up at me, her voice soft with exhaustion. "Are you nervous for The Nutcracker?"

I hesitated for half a second before nodding. "A little."

Lily frowned. "You're gonna be amazing."

My chest tightened in the best way. "Thank you, Lily."

She yawned, closing her eyes. "Bryan likes you a lot, you know."

I stiffened, heat rising to my cheeks.

"I know," I whispered.

She smiled sleepily, already drifting off.

I sat there for a moment longer, watching her breathing slow, her tiny fingers curled around the edge of the blanket.

She had so much faith in me.

It made me want to believe in myself, too.

When I stepped back into the living room, Bryan was leaning against the counter, arms crossed, watching me. His mom had already gone upstairs, leaving just the two of us.

"Done tucking in the princess?" he teased.

I rolled my eyes, but I was smiling. "She's out like a light."

Bryan's smirk softened slightly, and for a moment, I could see it—the way he cared about Lily, the way he was always looking out for her.

He tilted his head slightly, studying me.

"You should just stay here tonight."

I blinked. "What?"

Bryan shrugged. "It's late. You're already comfortable. And I know you don't sleep much before big performances, so I might as well make sure you don't spend all night freaking out."

I huffed, crossing my arms. "I don't freak out."

He raised an eyebrow. "Amber. You stress about stretching your toes the right way. You're literally the definition of a freakout."

I glared. "That is not—"

"Just stay," he cut in, smirking. "Unless you don't trust yourself alone with me."

My face heated instantly. "Bryan."

He chuckled, clearly enjoying himself, then softened. "Seriously. Stay."

I hesitated for half a second.

But honestly? The idea of going back to my dorm alone tonight, stuck in my own head, overthinking everything sounded exhausting.

I sighed. "Fine."

Bryan's smirk grew. "You're obsessed with me."

I threw a pillow at him.

Bryan grinned as he caught the pillow mid-air, looking way too smug for someone who had just won a very easy argument. I crossed my arms, giving him my best "you're so annoying" look, but it had zero effect.

"Come on," he said, tossing the pillow onto the couch. "I'll grab you something to sleep in."

I hesitated for half a second. Staying here felt... different. Not just because it meant spending the night in Bryan's space, but because it meant I was choosing to be here. To be close to him. To let myself lean on him in a way I wasn't used to.

But, for once, I didn't overthink it.

I followed him up the stairs to his room, my pulse quickening slightly as he pushed the door open.

He rummaged through his dresser, grabbing a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants, tossing them to me. "These should fit."

I caught them, eyeing the sweatpants. "I'll drown in these."

Bryan smirked. "You'll look adorable."

I rolled my eyes, but my face was already heating. "Where's the bathroom?"

He nodded toward the door across the hall. "There."

Bryan had that annoying, cocky grin on his face as I walked out of the bathroom in his oversized clothes. His t-shirt practically swallowed me, the hem skimming my thighs, and the sweatpants—despite being tied at the waist—were way too big.

He eyed me up and down, biting back a smirk. "Damn, Lee. You really are committed to stealing my entire wardrobe."

I huffed, crossing my arms. "Shut up."

"Not my fault you look cute," he said so casually it took me a second to process.

I stared at him, my brain buffering. Cute?

Before I could even think of a comeback, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me onto the bed. I let out a very undignified squeak as I landed beside him, his arm immediately wrapping around my waist like I belonged there.

Bryan laughed, burying his face in my neck. "I forgot how easy you are to manhandle."

I tried to shove him away, but he was too strong. "I hate you."

"No, you don't." His lips brushed against my jaw, teasing, before pressing a soft kiss beneath my ear.

My face burned. "Bryan."

"Hm?" he murmured, his lips trailing lower.

I smacked his arm, trying to ignore the fact that my entire body had just turned into a furnace. "Stop distracting me."

He hummed, clearly amused. "I'm not distracting you. I'm just making sure you're comfortable."

"Oh, please."

Bryan pulled back just enough to look at me, his dark eyes glinting with something mischievous. "You are comfortable, though, right?"

I exhaled softly. "Yeah."

Bryan smirked like he had won something. "Good."

I rolled my eyes, leaning my head against his shoulder, letting his warmth sink into me.

We sat like that for a while, just quiet, just close.

And then, Bryan ruined it.

"So, are you gonna kiss me goodnight, or are you just using me for my bed?"

I lifted my head, narrowing my eyes. "Excuse me?"

"I mean, it's kinda rude," he said, completely straight-faced. "I let you stay, I lend you my clothes, and you don't even offer me a goodnight kiss? Crazy."

I gaped. "You are—"

"—a great boyfriend," he finished for me, grinning.

I groaned, but my face was already burning.

Bryan wiggled his eyebrows. "C'mon, Ballerina. Just a little one."

I sighed, knowing he wouldn't shut up until I gave in.

So, fine.

I leaned in, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. "There."

Bryan blinked at me.

Then smirked. "Weak effort."

Before I could process what was happening, he tilted my chin up and kissed me for real.

It was slow, teasing, the kind of kiss that made my stomach flip in the most ridiculous way. His lips moved against mine with that stupid confidence he always had, like he knew exactly how to get under my skin.

When he finally pulled back, I was glaring.

Bryan, of course, looked completely smug.

"Much better," he said.

I whacked his arm. "You're so annoying."

He just laughed, pulling me closer, his lips brushing against my forehead before tucking me against his chest.

"Go to sleep, Ballerina."

I sighed, still flustered, still warm, but I didn't argue.