Chapter 16

HAVEN POV

My phone buzzed against the wooden floor near the mirror of the dance studio. Again. I’d lost track of how many times I’d heard it go off.

I knew who it probably was. A small twinge of guilt flickered through me as I ignored it again, but I kept at my cool down stretches without moving to check it, and pushed the negative feeling to the side.

I was alone in the studio. Class was over, and the few dancers who had attended had already left, making their way back to their apartments or heading out for a late breakfast with other members of the company.

They had extended a courtesy invitation to me, as always, and as always, I turned it down.

I didn’t come to California to make friends. I came to dance, to improve, to boost my chances of becoming a principal somewhere, eventually. Plus, forging connections and making friends remained hard for me, even as an adult. It didn’t help that the one and only friend I’d made as a child had hurt me, kicking me when I was already down.

I sw