Mateo’s limbs were soft and hard at the same time, each fingertip screaming with joy and agony. He leaped and turned, stretched and filled the space with beauty and fire, passion and despair. Archer’s jaw dropped when Mateo’s grand jeté spanned what seemed like the length of the entire stage. Then another and another.

When the music stopped, Mateo did too, chest heaving and glistening with sweat, eyes wet. Then he turned and looked right at Archer. “Did you enjoy the show?”

Archer jolted, hastily wiping the tear from his cheek he didn’t realize had fallen. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to spy … But that was incredible, Mateo.”

Mateo grunted in reply, head dropping to stare at his feet. “It was nothing.”

Archer took a few steps closer. “It took my breath away. You—You’re … Mateo, why are you here? Why aren’t you still on Broadway?”

Mateo stiffened, his face closing off. He turned and stalked over to the AV equipment, snatching a T-shirt off the ground and yanking it over his head before jamming a few buttons on the panel. The stage plunged into darkness. “None of your business.”

Archer blinked as his eyes adjusted. “I’m sorry, I—Mateo, please…” He put out a hand as Mateo stormed past.

Mateo shook off Archer’s touch and blazed down the stairs toward the exit. “Don’t.”

“I think people would love to see you again—”

“No, they wouldn’t, Archer.” He stopped at the door. “You just had this dumb childhood obsession with me. No one else misses me. No one else wants to watch me dance.”

“Mateo.” There was enough in Archer’s voice to get Mateo to pause with his hand on the door. “Have you not seen and heard the audience when you dance? Are you kidding me? They love you, Mateo. They fucking adore you. So you were partying too much five years ago. No one cares. Celebrities can get high, crash a car, apologize, and book a new job the next day. You didn’t hurt anyone.”

“I hurt Abby,” he said softly, hand falling to his side. He turned to face Archer.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Archer asked.

Mateo’s eyes were wet. “I didn’t mean to,” he said in a rush. “There was one night I got drunk after the show, and Abby asked me if I was doing okay. We were friends and she was only worried about me, but I—I lashed out at her. Told her to mind her own business, that we weren’t friends at all, we just worked together, and then … I told her she only got the role because she was trans.”

“Oh.”