Chapter 5

My eyes widened. "You dance?"

"I can handle a simple duet," he said casually.

I hesitated for a second before nodding.

At this point, I had nothing left to lose.

His name was Julian Brooks.

The moment he stood beside me and placed his hand on my waist, I went rigid.

His posture was flawless.

Even more shocking was his incredible sense of rhythm. Without any prior practice, he fell perfectly in step with my movements.

When we reached the lift, I instinctively tensed up.

Whenever I danced with Zach, he would groan, roll his eyes, and complain about how heavy I was.

Over time, I had developed a terrible habit of shrinking myself during lifts, terrified of being a burden.

But Julian's hands were steady and firm against my waist.

"Open your body. Let yourself fly," he commanded.

"I... I'm worried I'm too heavy," I admitted, embarrassed.

He let out a soft chuckle.

"If a male dancer can't lift a 152-pound partner, he has no business being on stage."

I froze, looking up into his eyes.

There was no judgment, no annoyance—only a calm, reassuring certainty.

I took a deep breath, fully arched my back, and leaped.

He caught me effortlessly.

In that single moment, our coordination felt so natural, it was as if we had been dancing together our whole lives.

For the next month, I followed Julian's healthy nutrition guide while secretly practicing the duet with him in the abandoned studio after hours.

Soon, the day of the Annual Showcase arrived.

The auditorium was packed. The Juilliard representatives sat front and center in the VIP section.

When I walked into the backstage dressing room, everyone was frantically doing their makeup.

Seeing me, Zach scoffed. "What are you doing here?"

Before I could answer, the Head of the Dance Department, Dean Vance, walked in. Her eyes lit up when she saw me.

"Chloe Miller! Make us proud out there tonight."

Ms. Gable quickly stepped in. "Dean Vance, actually... Chloe isn't performing tonight."

The Dean's smile vanished.

"Not performing?" she asked, incredulous. "She's the top dancer in her year. Why isn't she on stage?"

Ms. Gable explained awkwardly, "Her partner requested a change. Since it's a duet and she doesn't have a partner, she had to be pulled."

Dean Vance's face darkened instantly. She glared at Zach, who was standing nearby.

"You're Miller's partner, right? You two have worked together for six years. How could you pull a stunt like this right before the showcase?"

Zach crossed his arms, looking completely arrogant.

"Dean Vance, partnership is a choice. There's no rule saying I have to be tied to her forever."

"I found a better partner, and I have the right to choose who I perform with. No one can force me."

Dean Vance was red with anger.

Just then, the announcer's voice echoed from the stage: "Next up, our final performance of the night—'Chasing Light'."

Zach smirked at me. "Since the program is set, you're extra weight, Miller. If you want to perform so badly, go find your own guy."

He leaned in, whispering maliciously, "But since you can't, get out of the way. Don't ruin our show."

The other dancers backstage whispered and stared.

My throat tightened, and I bit my lip to keep from crying under the weight of their judgment.

"Thank you, Dean Vance. The show is starting, I should go," I whispered, my legs trembling as I turned to leave.

"Wait."

A calm, commanding voice sliced through the chatter.

Julian stepped out from the crowd, walking straight toward me.

He looked at me, a soft smile playing on his lips, and extended his hand.

"Don't worry. I'll be your partner."