He shook his head, not trusting himself to speak. The sadness in Deborah's eyes made his stomach lurch. He dipped his gaze, feeling sick, because he knew he was going to disappoint her.
"You're happy here?" his dad asked.
Adam nodded. "I... I've applied for a position at Ballet Torsion," he managed to say, even though his voice sounded cracked and frail. He lifted his head and met first his dad's gaze, then his mum's. "I need to start living my life for me. I hope you can both understand that."
They nodded, although Deborah sobbed.
"Of course," she whispered. "We're so grateful for everything you did for us and the dance school." She slipped off the sofa and knelt on the floor in front of them, placing her hand over Adam's cheek. "You should follow your dreams. I don't doubt the company will accept you. You're an exceptionally talented dancer and you shouldn't let your passion go to waste."
"I wasn't," Adam said, hating how close he was to tears. "I was helping other dancers find their potential. And I'll do that again, in a few years." He was certain of that, either as a teacher or running his own company.
Deborah wrapped one arm around him and the other around Luc, drawing them both to her in a firm embrace. "I love you both so much," she whispered, sobbing openly. "I'm so sorry I hurt you."
"We both are," their dad said, joining the hug pile.
That simple action of being hugged by both their parents ruined Adam completely. He sniffed once in a feeble attempt at holding back his tears and then let them flow freely, his chest heaving with the exertion of crying. Within seconds, all four of them were crying and hugging and then laughing, too. It was the weirdest combination of sounds he'd ever heard. But it was also amazing: the sound of a family reuniting.
"Do you forgive us?" their dad asked as they all finally parted.
"Yes," Adam and Luc said in unison, not even needing to glance at each other for mutual confirmation.
"Let us take you out for lunch," Deborah said, running her hands over her face in an attempt to wipe away the tears that made her cheeks glisten. "We've got some catching up to do."
"Sure," Luc said. "That would be great. But... could I borrow Adam for a moment?"
When their parents nodded, Luc grabbed Adam's hand again and tugged him to his feet. They headed to the bathroom, which was the only private space in the apartment.
Once there, Luc closed and locked the door and then pushed Adam against the sink, kissing him and holding him so tightly, Adam was sure his ribs and mouth would break under the pressure.
"Thank fuck," Luc whispered, resting his forehead against Adam's.
"You told me everything would be okay," Adam said, not able to temper the stupid grin that had spread across his face.
Luc nodded. "I did, didn't I?"
Adam caught hold of Luc's face and forced him to look up until their gazes locked. "You said it, but you didn't believe it, did you?"
Luc sighed and then shook his head. "But I'm so glad I was wrong." He kissed him again, the desperate heat of his mouth scorching Adam's. "So. Fucking. Glad," he said between kisses.
"Me too," Adam agreed. "So, what now?"
"We go out for lunch and let them grovel some more?" Luc said in a none too serious tone, prompting them both to laugh.
"No, I mean... where do we go from here?"
"Well, we already agreed you'd move in," Luc said. "Don't think I forgot that conversation, just because we both fell asleep straight after."
"I'm glad you didn't forget," Adam said, circling his thumbs over Luc's cheeks.
"And you're going to get into Ballet Torsion," Luc told him confidently. "So I'd say our future is pretty much set. We live here for now and eventually find a bigger place that doesn't involve climbing up a ladder whenever we want to fuck."
"That sounds great," Adam said.
"Great?" Luc asked with mock shock. "It sounds perfect!"
Chapter Thirty-One
Luc
Luc watched Adam through the restaurant window. His brother was standing outside on the street, his mobile phone pressed to one ear, his hand covering the other.
"Looks important," Adrianna said, following his gaze.
"I'm hoping it's the ballet company he applied to a couple of weeks ago," Luc told her.
In fact, he was crossing his toes in his boots, hoping that Adam was getting good news. Watching Adam's face was giving him no clues at all. He'd expected a grin to cross Adam's face, but so far, he looked impassioned. Maybe it wasn't Ballet Torsion at all. Christ, he hoped they contacted Adam soon. He hoped Adam got an audition.
"So, if all goes well we'll be going to watch Adam perform soon?"
Luc smiled and nodded. "I think it takes several months of rehearsals, so maybe not that soon."
"I'll expect complimentary front row seats," Adrianna said.
"I doubt I'll get any complimentary tickets." He winked at her. "Besides, you're the one with friends in high places, you should be the one to organise the freebies."
She folded her hands on the table. "I'll see what I can do."
Of course, they were talking hypotheticals, but Luc really wanted Adam's dream to become a reality. He deserved it after the sacrifices he'd made over the last few years.
"He's coming back," Adrianna said. "Should we pretend we weren't watching him?"
Ignoring her comment, Luc stared at Adam expectantly. Adam's face was utterly unreadable, which was absolute torture.
"Well?" Luc asked as soon as Adam sat down. "Was it Ballet Torsion? Have you got an audition?"
Adam's face remained impassive as he nodded. "It was Ballet Torsion."
"And?" Luc's stomach churned as Adam still didn't smile. Had they turned him down? Shit. They couldn't have turned him down, could they?
"You realise Luc is going to pop if you don't put him out of his misery," Adrianna said.
Adam breathed in deeply and hung his head.
"Oh shit, Adam, I'm sorry," Luc said.
"Yeah, you'd better be," Adam said, lifting his head. A grin spread across his face. "Because I got an audition!"
Luc let out a whoop and punched his fist high into the air. He didn't care that the people on the tables around them were suddenly staring.
"That's amazing. I'm so proud of you."
Adrianna clapped her hands. "That is amazing news. Well done."
Luc jabbed his finger into Adam's knee beneath the table. "Don't ever tease me like that again, though."
Adam laughed. "You loved it really."
Luc snorted. "So, when's the audition?"
"In a couple of weeks. I can't believe this is happening, Luc. I can't believe I've been given a chance to audition for one of the best ballet companies in the north of England."
"And you'll get in," Luc told him.
"One step at a time," Adam said cautiously. "I've got to perform well at the audition. I'm not going to swagger in there assuming I'm God's gift to dancing. If I want this, I have to work for it and try my hardest. All the dancers there will be just as good, if not better than me. Competition will be fierce. I have to keep my feet on the ground and my expectations realistic."
"You have a very mature attitude," Adrianna said approvingly. "What do you see in Luc again?"
"Hey!" Luc objected. "I'm mature." He squeezed Adam's hand. "Seriously, well done on getting this far. We should order some wine to celebrate." He waved to the closest waiter and selected a bottle of reasonable but not crazy expensive bubbly wine from the drinks menu.
When it arrived, a couple of minutes later, he poured each of them a generous amount—enough for the bubbly froth to rise and spill out of their glasses—before raising his glass in a toast.
"To Adam. Ballet dancer extraordinaire."
"To Adam," Adrianna agreed.
"To us," Adam said quietly. "Because without you to encourage me, I'd never have even applied."
"Soppy sod," Luc said, his cheeks glowing red.
"I'm not done." Adam stared at him, his
brown eyes deep and soft like molten chocolate. "Realising I wanted to be with you is the best thing that's ever happened to me. I can't imagine my life without you in it. I love you."
Luc bit his lower lip, squeezing Adam's hand even tighter. There was nothing he could say to Adam's words that wouldn't pale in comparison.
Beside him, Adrianna clapped her hands. "Bravo," she said. "So beautiful. Bravo."
"Is your boss mocking me?" Adam asked Luc, his nose wrinkling in amusement. He turned his gaze to Adrianna. "Are you mocking me?"
"Not at all," Adrianna assured him. She pressed her hand to her chest. "I'm actually quite humbled to be here with you two lovebirds. Would you like me to go?" She pointed her thumb in the direction of the door. "Or maybe you two would like go get a room?"
They all laughed.
"I think we can hold off until after dinner," Luc said.
He was half tempted to take Adrianna up on her offer of an early exit. Because Christ, after Adam's speech he wanted nothing more than to get his stepbrother home and rip off all his clothes. He took a sip of his bubbly wine in an attempt to dampen his rampant desire, but it was like throwing a teaspoon of water on a forest fire.
"Are you sure?" Adrianna asked, flicking her gaze between the two of them.
"Sure," Luc said, laughing when Adam raised an eyebrow.
"Speak for yourself."
Luc opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't quite find the words, so drank too much wine. The bubbles went straight up his nose, making him snort and splutter.
"I'm kidding," Adam said, slapping him on the back. "Christ, Luc, lighten up." He leaned across so his lips brushed against Luc's ear, before whispering, "I can wait, but we're not getting any sleep tonight."
Luc's eyes widened. He smirked but kept quiet. He was definitely looking forward to the meal ending, even though they hadn't even ordered food yet.
"You really shouldn't have kept Adam all to yourself for so long," Adrianna said. "You two are simply perfect together." She ran her finger over her lip. "Are you sure I can't suggest that thing?"
"What thing?" Adam asked.
"No," Luc said.
"What thing?" Adam repeated. "What am I missing out on?"
"I guess you'll never know," Adrianna said, very purposefully dropping her finger from her lips to her menu, where she glided it down the choices, her lips puckering despite having no one to kiss.
In that moment, Luc decided that he hated her. She was an amazing and funny boss, but he hated her.
"Boring," Adam complained. "Right, I've chosen what I'm having. What about you two slow pokes?"
Luc was glad Adam had moved on from the subject. Even though he knew she was only kidding and that she wouldn't really have a threesome with them, he still didn't need the idea being put into Adam's head. Adam was his. He didn't care how insanely jealous that made him, but he really didn't want to share.
The meal passed quickly. Adrianna was always quick to suggest a new topic whenever it looked like the conversation was starting to wane. Luc took every opportunity he could to make contact with Adam, whether it was to simply touch knees, or to brush his hand over his stepbrother's thigh. They opted for dessert, mainly out of politeness to Adrianna, but eventually their plates were empty and their stomachs were full.
"Well that was lovely," Adrianna said, as he paid her portion of the bill and dropped a five pound note on the table to cover her share of the tip. "We'll have to do it again sometime." Her gaze softened. "I meant what I said, you are perfect together." She stood and pulled her coat on. "I'll see you on Monday, Luc. Good luck in your audition, Adam."
They nodded goodbye to her and watched her leave before Adam grabbed Luc's hand.
"Can we make our exit now? I can't wait to get you home."
"You took the words right out of my mouth," Luc told him, before kissing him. He started to stand, but Adam held him down.
"Are you ever going to tell me what Adrianna was talking about?" he asked.
Luc grinned. "Maybe, one day. But not tonight. Tonight, you're all mine."
Adam raised his eyebrows. "Only tonight?"
"No, not just tonight. Always."
Chapter Thirty-Two
Luc
Luc and his parents took their seats. Like the night he'd taken Adam to see Don Quixote, they were in front row seats in the dress circle. His parents had gotten dressed up for the occasion, his mum wearing a long green evening gown, with a faux fur bolero. His dad was wearing a tuxedo, with a green bow-tie to match his wife's dress. Luc didn't think he'd ever seen his parents looking so dolled up; his mum had even had her hair and make-up done. He knew they were insanely proud of Adam, just like he was.
It was the opening night of Adam's first production with Ballet Torsion, after months of rehearsals. As they waited for the curtain to rise and the lights to go down, Luc flicked through the programme. It was an interpretation of Orwell's 1984. Luc had never read the novel, but he did have a vague idea of the story. Not that he'd be concentrating on anything but Adam.
Sure enough, when the curtain rose and the lights went out, Luc focused on the stage, staring only at Adam. His stepbrother was beautiful and powerful and the most talented dancer on the stage. At least, he was in Luc's eyes. He didn't claim to be an expert and he'd freely admit that he was hopelessly biased. He watched both halves of the ballet intently, absolutely captivated by the stunning grace that Adam exuded with every extension of a leg or arm. One day, Adam would be a principle soloist, of that Luc was sure.
Afterwards, Luc and his parents waited in the lobby of the theatre until Adam joined them, his face flushed from cleaning stage makeup off it.
"You were wonderful," their mum exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his shoulder so she could embrace him.
"You were fantastic," Ken agreed, before taking his turn to hug his son. "You really do belong on the stage."
"I take after you two," Adam said, grinning at them both. He moved to Luc, hugging and kissing him.
"Was it everything you hoped it would be?" Luc asked.
"And more," Adam replied. "Thank you for pushing me to follow my dreams."
"I just told you what you needed to hear. That's all."
As he held Adam and stared into his dark eyes, it felt like the rest of the world faded to black. It was as though they were completely alone, even though their parents were standing close by.
"I love you."
He covered Adam's mouth with his own, kissing him with unbridled passion that should have left him red with embarrassment. He felt Adam's left hand on his cheek and the other on his back. He wrapped his own arms around Adam, drawing him close so their chests were pressed together. He knew, beyond any doubt, that this was exactly how he wanted to spend eternity: in Adam's arms.
The End
Available Now
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A Dance For You
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About Colette
Colette’s personal love story began at university, where she met her future husband. An evening of flirting, in the shadow of Lancaster castle, eventually led to a fairy-tale wedding. She’s enjoying her own ‘happy ever after’ in the north of England with her husband, two beautiful children and her writing.
You can connect with Colette in the following ways:
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A Dance For Two Page 19