Chapter 7: Rehearsals and Unwanted Feelings
Practice became routine.
Unfortunately.
Every afternoon, Lily Hart and Noah Blackwood met in the rehearsal hall, endured the same music, the same steps, and the same forced proximity.
Lily treated it like a chore.
Noah treated it like a problem.
Because the more time he spent with her, the harder it became to understand how he ever thought she was unbearable.
"Your footwork is wrong," Lily said calmly, adjusting his stance without asking. "You're thinking too much."
Noah blinked. "You're bossy."
"Correct," she replied. "And you're stiff."
He huffed, then—annoyingly—did as she said.
It worked.
She didn't smile in victory. She didn't gloat. She just stepped back, arms crossed, watching him with a sharp, focused gaze.
Noah felt something twist in his chest.
Since when did she look like that when she concentrated?
She wasn't watching him with admiration.
She was watching him like an equal.
And that was… new.
By the third rehearsal, Noah noticed things.
Lily always arrived early.
She left the moment practice ended.
She never lingered near him, never tried to extend conversations.
Once, he intentionally slowed down after rehearsal.
She didn't wait.
"Do you have somewhere to be?" he asked.
"Yes," she replied immediately. "My life."
He laughed before he could stop himself.
She glanced back, surprised—then rolled her eyes and kept walking.
That laugh haunted him all night.
Amy, on the other hand, noticed something else.
Noah was smiling.
More.
And not at her.
The next day, Amy arrived at practice carrying drinks.
"Noah," she said brightly, handing him one. "You must be tired."
He took it distractedly. "Thanks."
Lily raised an eyebrow. "Careful. Sugar before practice ruins balance."
Amy smiled tightly. "I'm sure Noah can handle it."
Ten minutes later, Noah slipped during a lift.
Not Lily.
Him.
The instructor sighed. "No sugary drinks before rehearsal."
Amy's smile cracked.
Another day, Amy whispered loudly to a group of girls nearby.
"Lily's only trying now because she wants Noah's attention again."
Lily, stretching nearby, didn't react.
Noah, however, frowned.
"That's not true," he said before thinking.
The girls stared.
Amy stiffened. "Noah?"
He cleared his throat. "She's been… professional."
Lily shot him a look—half amused, half unreadable.
Amy swallowed.
On the fifth day, Amy "accidentally" bumped into Lily backstage.
"Oh!" she gasped, stumbling backward dramatically.
Lily didn't even move.
Amy tripped over her own feet and landed on the floor.
The instructor rushed over. "Are you alright?"
Amy nodded tearfully.
Lily sighed. "You should look where you're going."
Noah watched the whole thing.
In silence.
Something shifted.
Practice after practice, Noah found himself noticing Lily in ways he never had before.
The way she hummed softly when counting steps.
The way her eyes sharpened when she focused.
The way she never once complained—even when exhausted.
Once, during a lift, she slipped.
Instinctively, Noah tightened his grip.
Their eyes met.
For half a second, the world went quiet.
Her breath hitched.
So did his.
She pulled away first.
"Don't read into it," Lily said coolly. "I just don't want to fall."
But Noah knew.
I already am.
Amy's final attempt came a week before Foundation Day.
She cornered Noah, voice trembling. "You believe her over me now?"
Noah hesitated.
That hesitation said everything.
Amy's eyes filled with tears—but this time, he noticed something strange.
They didn't reach her eyes.
And for the first time, Noah wondered—
How many times did I choose wrong… just because it was easier?
Across the hall, Lily laughed at something Mia said, carefree and bright.
Noah watched her.
And realized, with a mix of dread and clarity—
He wasn't falling anymore.
He had already fallen.
And Amy?
Every attempt to pull him away only pushed him closer to Lily.