Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 152064 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 760(@200wpm)___ 608(@250wpm)___ 507(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 152064 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 760(@200wpm)___ 608(@250wpm)___ 507(@300wpm)
Flip’s thumb sweeps the edge of my jaw. “I like you, Tally.” He kisses the end of my nose and settles back in his seat.
“I like you, too.” I buckle my seat belt. “Where to? Should we grab a coffee off campus or something?”
“I have a surprise first.”
“What kind of surprise?”
“It’ll be a time-saver, and that’s all I’m saying.”
“Hmm… Sounds practical.” I go with it and stare at his profile while we drive. “How was practice this morning?”
“Good. I think we’re solid going into this away series,” he replies.
“How’s my dad doing?”
“Okay. Lexi’s been stepping in to lead a bit lately.” Flip glances at me for a moment. “Have you talked to him?”
“The other day, yeah.” He threw out a couple of times to get together, but they were both during dance practice or classes.
“Things okay with the two of you?” he presses.
I shrug. “I don’t think he’ll ever stop being married to his job.”
“I’m sorry, Talls.” Flip slips his hand under my hair and gently squeezes the back of my neck.
My phone buzzes with a call.
“Do you need to get that?”
“It’s my mom. It’s like she has a sixth sense.” I answer the call and bring the device to my ear. “Hey, what’s up?”
“Just thinking about you and wanted to check in,” Mom says.
My parents are so vastly different. My mom will call out of the blue, no reason, just to tell me she loves me. I feel like an afterthought with my dad. “I’m good. Are you good? How about Ties and Fenna?”
She chuckles. “I’m good and so are your brother and sister. It sounds like you’re in a car.”
“I am. I’m not driving, though.”
“But you’re with friends?”
I glance at Flip who’s paying attention to the road. “Yeah, I am.”
“Call me later when you’re home.”
“It might not be until after nine. I have dance practice tonight.”
“That’s fine. I’ll be up until nine thirty.”
“Such a night owl,” I tease.
“Real partier over here. I love you, sweetheart.”
“I love you, too, Mom.”
I end the call as Flip turns into a strip mall with a café, a used-clothing store, an independent grocery store, a print shop, and two other businesses that appear closed. This plaza isn’t far from the cat shelter I volunteer at.
“Things good with your mom?”
“Yeah, they’ve been a lot better lately.”
“That’s good. I’m glad your relationship with her is solid.”
“Me, too.” I told Flip about her visit after he took me out for dinner and how it helped smooth things out between us a little. Our relationship isn’t perfect, but we’re working on it.
He parks in an empty spot, and I hop out, meeting him at the hood. I take a step toward the coffee shop, but Flip grabs my hand. “We’ll stop there after.”
I reluctantly let him lead me away from the decadent smell of freshly ground beans and baked goods. He stops in front of a dark storefront and pulls a set of keys from his pocket.
I glance up at the sign above our heads that reads Make Your Move as he unlocks the door. I recognize the name. “I thought this place was closed.” I looked up studio rentals in the area, hoping I could find something reasonable. For a few seconds I was excited, until I realized this place wasn’t open anymore.
“The owner moved to a new location. Check it out.” He flicks on the light.
I step inside the empty studio. It would be the perfect location to practice. “Whose is it now?”
“It’s yours,” he says.
I frown. “I can’t afford this.” Based on my research, renting space in a studio off campus is expensive. Before my parents announced their divorce, I might have tossed out the idea, but not when my parents’ individual expenses have suddenly doubled.
“You need a place to rehearse, and this is close to campus. Now you don’t have to worry about being able to fit in time around classes, or your troupe’s part-time jobs. It’s a three-minute drive from your apartment, and it’s yours.”
“Mine?” I repeat.
“Well, the rental agreement is in my name, but you have it through the end of June.”
“You rented me a dance studio?” My voice cracks, and my eyes start to water.
“You were stressed. I wanted to make it easier for you,” he says gently.
Tears spill over and track down my cheeks.
Flip frowns and brushes them away. “Is it too much, Talls?”
“No. I mean, yes, but…” I shake my head and bite my lip to keep it from trembling. “No one has ever done anything this nice for me.” Flowers and stuffed animals and chocolate are one thing, but an entire dance studio? “This is really expensive.”
“I make a lot of money, and I still shop at the no-name grocery stores, so it’s well within my budget. More importantly, I want to take care of you.”
“Thank you.” I throw my arms around his neck. “This is just…thank you.” I’m already planning out a schedule. My troupe will have loads of time to practice together and on our own and some of the other groups that are struggling could use this space, too.