Master of My Heart

by Marissa Honeycutt

  Chapter Ten

  When Sabrina had calmed down, she stood, walked out to the sinks, and splashed cold water on her face. She took a deep breath before creeping back to the empty studio to get her things.

  Martin obviously remembered her, but she wasn’t sure if it was a good or bad thing.

  She sat down hard next to her bag and stared at the wooden floor. What would she do if she didn’t make the company? Maybe Martin could help find her a job. She could pretend she was the same girl as before, at least long enough to find a place to live. Then settle into a life of anonymity in a city she once loved. Anything would be better than going back to where she came from.

  Sabrina sighed and hugged her legs to her chest, resting her chin on her knees. She’d stay here until the list was posted and then figure out what to do next. At least it was warm.

  Soft footsteps caught her attention a few minutes later. She looked up to see Jayson walking into the room. “How’d it go?” He headed toward her and she stiffened.

  “Not good,” she said in a low voice.

  “Why do you say that?” he asked, crouching down in front of her.

  She shrugged. Why would he care?

  “Don’t give up ‘til you see the list.”

  She sighed. She didn’t have the energy to argue, and besides, what was the point?

  “How about some lunch? My treat.” He smiled warmly.

  “No, thank you,” she said quickly. “You were very kind to give me something to eat earlier. I’m okay now.” She looked back at the floor, hoping he’d go away.

  He didn’t. Instead, he sat down on the floor, stretched out his long legs, and crossed them at the ankles. Down the left leg of his navy-blue sweatpants, written in white block letters, were the words BOSTON BALLET.

  “You’re a dancer?” she exclaimed, her mind reaching for something she’d read the previous day on the train.

  He grinned and nodded. “I am. Is that okay?”

  She nodded. “Are you Jayson . . . Reynolds?” She knew he looked familiar. She’d seen his picture in one of the dance magazines Mr. Baker had given her to read on the train. He was a principal dancer with the company.

  He gave a cheerful laugh. “Guilty as charged.”

  Sabrina frowned and studied him for a long minute. “What do you want?” she asked suspiciously.

  His brows furrowed. “What do I want?” he repeated, then gave her a gentle smile. “You look like you could use a friend. I happen to be a nice, friendly guy and thought I might fit the bill.”

  Why would he want to be her friend? Was he pretending so that he could just sleep with her? After all, that was all she was good for.

  On the other hand, he did seem nice. He was a member of the ballet company, so he couldn’t be too bad, right? She supposed anything was possible, but didn’t recall ever hearing of a ballet dancer getting violent.

  What was the worst thing that could happen? If he wasn’t a nice guy and he raped her, so what? She’d been through worse, and at least she’d have food in her stomach. If he killed her—if she could even be killed—then at least she’d be freed from this hell called life.

  Sabrina looked up and saw Jayson watching her, a curious look on his face.

  She’d known nice men before. Her dad was the kindest man she’d ever known. And Chase . . .

  Somewhere deep inside she knew not everyone in the world was like Ramon or Khyan, but it had been so long since she’d been around nice people, she’d forgotten what it was like.

  “Jayson?” A woman a couple of years older than Sabrina with long, straight blonde hair and bright blue eyes walked into the studio. “I’ve been looking all over for you. Martin wasn’t sure if you’d left or not. He thought I might be able to—” She stopped when she saw Sabrina and smiled. “Hi. You must be Sabrina.”

  Sabrina glanced between her and Jayson, who waved the woman over. Was this his girlfriend? She said she knew Martin.

  “Hey, Liz. Sabrina, this is my sister, Liz. Liz, this is Sabrina.”

  “Oh!” For some reason, relief spread through Sabrina’s body. She wasn’t sure if it was because he had a sister, which made him seem safer, or if it was because she wasn’t his girlfriend. Why did it matter? It wasn’t as if someone like Jayson Reynolds would be interested in someone like her. At least for more than sex. “Hi,” she said softly.

  Liz sat down on the floor next to Jayson. “Martin said you’ve had a rough couple days. Here.” She held out a small, foil-wrapped rectangle.

  “What’s that?” Sabrina asked warily.

  “Homemade granola bar,” Jayson answered with wide, excited eyes. “Liz’s are the best. But if you don’t want it . . .” When he reached for it, Liz punched him in the arm.

  “This is for Sabrina!” she scolded.

  “Ouch! You’re not supposed to hit your big brother!”

  “I’m just making up for the years you mistreated me,” she said with a laugh, then stuck out her tongue.

  Jayson rolled his eyes and pushed her away.

  Sabrina stared at them, frozen. She didn’t know what to think about their interaction. She thought they were playing, but were they really? They seemed to really like each other. It had been so long since she’d been around “normal” people, though, she’d forgotten what playing around looked like.

  “Martin says the list’ll be posted in about ten minutes,” Liz said, holding out the granola bar again, circling it away from Jayson’s reach.

  “You can have it, Jayson,” Sabrina said, smiling slightly. “I’m fine.”

  Jayson sobered immediately. “No. Really, Sabrina. I’m fine. I was just messing with you.” His eyes were sincere and earnest. “Honest.”

  Sabrina cautiously took the bar from Liz, glancing back at Jayson before unwrapping it slowly. They both watched her intently, making Sabrina feel like a new pet kitten.

  “Liz, can I talk to you for a sec?” Jayson said, standing.

  Liz nodded and reached up to let him pull her to her feet.

  Jayson looked down at Sabrina. “We’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere. Please,” he added. He didn’t move until she nodded, then they walked into the hallway together.

  Sabrina took a bite of the sweet and salty mixture of oats and nuts, chewing thoughtfully. It was good. Really good. She’d never tasted anything like it before.

  She heard Liz and Jayson talking in the hallway, though she couldn’t understand what they were saying. A few minutes later, they returned and sat down next to Sabrina again.

  They looked at each other, then Liz nodded to Jayson.

  He cleared his throat. “So, you mentioned you didn’t have a place to stay here in Boston, and . . .” He paused, glancing at Liz. “Well, we have an extra room, if you’d like to stay with us. It’s not huge, but there’s a bed and dresser.”

  Sabrina stared at them, her mouth dropping open. Why would they be offering her a place to stay? They didn’t know her at all. She blinked, trying to hide the tears welling up in her eyes. “You two are very kind,” she began, her voice catching in her throat. “But I don’t want to be a bother—”

  “It’s not a bother.”

  They both looked at her so earnestly, Sabrina felt bad for trying to refuse. She saw movement in the doorway and looked up to see Martin standing there. When their eyes met, he nodded toward Liz and Jayson, then smiled.

  Martin knew who she was. She didn’t believe he would do anything to hurt her. Maybe I can trust this good luck?

  Sabrina looked back at them. “Okay,” she said slowly, giving the siblings a timid smile.

  Jayson and Liz grinned. At the satisfied look on Martin’s face, relief spread through her. I made another good decision!

  “Excellent! We’ll take you home after the list posts.” Jayson glanced up and saw Martin standing there. Martin rais
ed his eyebrows, then disappeared around the corner. “Ooo!” Jayson exclaimed. “List’s posted.” He hopped to his feet and reached for Sabrina’s hand. She let him help her to her feet.

  “No worries, big brother,” Liz grumbled as she stood. “I can get up by myself.”

  Sabrina backed away from Jayson. “I’m sorry!”

  Liz grasped her hand. “Sabrina, I was just teasing him.” Her blue eyes looked sincere. “Really. Jayson and I tease each other a lot. Don’t take anything too seriously between him and me.”

  Sabrina glanced between them again. Jayson nodded before turning and walking away.

  “Besides,” Liz whispered, nudging Sabrina’s arm with her elbow as they walked out of the room. “He’s always extra polite when he likes a girl.”

  “What?”

  Liz winked at her, but didn’t say anything else.

  When he likes a girl?

  Sabrina watched Jayson walking in front of her. He had a dancer’s grace, his head held high and shoulders back, but still managed to be masculine at the same time. She briefly wondered if he was gay, as many male dancers were, but she was almost certain he wasn’t. Besides, Liz said he liked girls.

  She and Liz followed him downstairs, but at the bottom step, she balked.

  Jayson turned around and smiled when he saw her frozen in place. “C’mon,” he said, grabbing Sabrina’s hand to pull her forward. “Go look.”

  She swallowed as she looked at the crowd gathering in front of the huge bulletin board on the wall. Liz’s and Jayson’s expressions were encouraging, but Sabrina was still nervous. She knew she was a decent dancer, but was she good enough to join an East Coast dance company? Especially after all that happened the last several years?

  In the crowd, Sabrina heard sobs of misery mixed with shrieks of joy as she let Jayson move her forward. Her heart pounded in her ears. She paused and rubbed her clammy hands on her tights, torn between wanting to have made callbacks and not wanting to have made callbacks. She felt a small push to her lower back. Her feet obeyed, while her upper body resisted and leaned backward. The pressure continued until she stood in front of the board. She slowly looked up at the piece of white paper with numbers handwritten on it.

  Her gaze slid from the top to the bottom and . . .

  I have a callback? Sabrina clapped her hand over her mouth as she stood there in shock. She had a callback! They wanted to see her dance again!

  “Told ya.” Jayson leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest and a smirk on his face, though his eyes were crinkled at the corners.

  Sabrina blushed and looked away. Number 43 stood in front of her, mouth screwed into a sneer as she looked between Jayson and her. Then she rolled her eyes and stomped away. Sabrina glanced back at the board. 43 was on the list. Why was she upset?

  Jayson walked over to Sabrina and put his arm around her shoulders, leading her away from the crowd and to the doorway where Liz waited, holding Sabrina’s bag and shoes. “I promised Martin we’d make sure you have two more meals today and a good night’s sleep. He wants to see what you can do when you’re not at a disadvantage.”

  “I’ve slept,” Sabrina protested, stepping away from him and glancing at Liz.

  Jayson looked down at her with an arched brow. “Have you? You have dark circles under your eyes. Honestly, Sabrina, you look like you’ve been through hell and back.”

  “Jayson!” Liz exclaimed, punching him in the arm.

  Sabrina chewed her lip. It wasn’t far from the truth.

  He cupped her chin gently, making her look at him. “But you still made callbacks. That says a lot about your talent.”

  Unless Martin is basing this on how I danced when I was here before. Maybe I’m not that good anymore and he just hopes I am.

  “Do you like sandwiches?” Liz asked. “Salads? Steak?”

  Sabrina shrugged. “Anything is fine.” She felt awkward with them wanting to feed and take care of her. But, then again, Martin seemed okay with it. She didn’t have any other options, unless she wanted to sleep in the train station again. That wasn’t an appealing thought.

  Liz gave her a sympathetic smile and glanced at Jayson. “Let’s get Mario’s and head home. She looks exhausted.”

  Now that the excitement of the audition started to settle down, exhaustion had begun to set in. Her body was starting to hurt, too. A few memories popped up of what she’d done on the train with Kelvin and his friends. She’d done a lot more before and felt better the next day. But she’d lost her healing abilities when she removed her Immortality.

  How do humans stand being in pain for so long?

  Suffering like this and not being at risk to hurt anyone was worth it, though. She had done horrible things when she was Immortal.

  She quickly changed shoes and pulled on her street clothes, then the three of them walked outside. It had warmed up considerably since she arrived that morning, but the breeze still chilled her.

  “Our apartment is just a few blocks away,” Liz explained as she walked next to Sabrina, Jayson behind them. “There’s a great deli on the way where we’ll grab lunch.”

  After picking up their food, they walked a few more blocks to a red-brick apartment building.

  “Are all the buildings here made of brick?” Sabrina asked as they walked up the stone steps.

  Jayson and Liz laughed. “Not all of them,” Liz said. “But it is used a lot here.”

  “It does make for a beautiful city,” Sabrina commented absently, looking up and down the tree-lined street.

  Jayson stopped and looked around. “Yeah, I guess it does.” He shrugged, then unlocked the door.

  They took an elevator up to the fifth floor and walked down a long hallway. Jayson unlocked a blue door and stepped aside for her and Liz to enter.

  Sabrina was surprised by the modern feel of the apartment, considering the outside of the building looked so old. Just inside the door was a dining room with a rectangular black table surrounded by six white-linen chairs. The galley kitchen sat adjacent to the dining room. Beyond that was a living room with windows on two sides. A long blue couch and a matching chair sat in the corner, a coffee table in front of the couch, and panel TV on the opposite wall.

  Liz opened a door off the dining area. “This is your room. It’s not huge, but it has a comfortable bed.”

  The room had a queen-sized bed, a dresser, and a nightstand with a lamp on it. The floor was wood, and white curtains framed the two rectangular windows. The blue-and-white quilt on the bed looked homemade.

  Sabrina’s heart filled with warmth. “Thank you, Liz. You and Jayson are so kind.”

  Liz put a gentle hand on her shoulder. “I don’t know what happened to you, but Martin said you could use a friend.” She smiled. “We’d love to be that for you.”

  Sabrina walked into the room and sat down on the bed for a few minutes, sinking into the softness. A sigh escaped her lips.

  “Hey, you hungry?”

  Sabrina turned to see Jayson standing in the doorway. She nodded and followed him out of her room. Liz was already sitting at the table, unwrapping her food. Next to her sat a guy about Jayson’s age, his long brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. He looked up, smiling, as she approached.

  “Sabrina, this is Jon, Liz’s fiancé,” Jayson said, sitting at the end of the table. He motioned toward a chair. Sabrina gave a shy smile to Jon as she sat down.

  “Ah, the audie everyone’s talking about,” Jon said in a friendly tone.

  “The what?” she asked, confused. “Audie?” She glanced at Jayson.

  “It’s what we call dancers who are auditioning,” Jayson explained.

  “Oh.” She remembered Martin calling her that earlier today. She looked at Jon. “You’re a dancer, too?”

  He nodded. “Principal. And Liz was recently promoted to soloist,”
he said, looking at his fiancée proudly.

  Liz’s cheeks turned pink. “Well, I didn’t think you could stoop down from being a principal to marry someone who was only a corps dancer.”

  Jon shook his head and rolled his eyes. “You know I don’t care about that.” He leaned over and kissed Liz on the cheek, making her beam.

  “Wow,” Sabrina murmured under her breath. Being in a room full of professional dancers made her feel so insignificant.

  Sabrina quietly ate her lunch, trying to follow their banter in an effort to stay awake. They had been so kind to her, she didn’t think it would be polite to interrupt them just to say she wanted to go to sleep. That would be rude, wouldn’t it? But she was so tired . . .

  Someone called her name and she jumped. Jayson smiled at her as Liz and Jon started walking away from the table. “What?”

  He chuckled. “You look like you’re going to fall asleep in your lunch.”

  She looked down and realized she’d only eaten half her salad. “Sorry,” she whispered.

  Jayson put his hand on hers. “Nothing to apologize for. You’ve had a tough couple of days. Do you want to take a shower and sleep for a while?”

  She nodded, grateful that he seemed to understand.

  He showed her the hall bathroom, which would be hers since his and Liz’s rooms both had bathrooms attached.

  “Do you need anything else?” he asked as he handed her a fluffy red towel.

  She glanced into the shower, seeing soap and shampoo already in there, and shook her head. “I think I have everything. Thank you,” she added sincerely.

  His eyes widened for a second, then softened into a warm smile, sending shivers through her body. Something about his smile made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. He nodded and left the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Sabrina . . . Sabrina . . .”

  He’s calling, but he can’t find me. I see him in the darkness, walking . . . looking . . . searching for me. But he can’t see me.

  I hear a growl, seeing him looking in my direction. He knows I’m here, but he can’t see me. I can feel his anger and frustration.