“And finally meet the Wilis? Yes, please.”

We said goodbye and I got into the car, resting my head for a second on the wheel. There. Even if it hurt a little to be with Jude now, I could still do this. I could still be his friend.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

I WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE the parking lot when my phone buzzed. I smiled and dug it out of my bag, knowing who it was without having to look.

How did it go??

I considered my response very carefully. If I said something like It went really well, Colleen’s romantic mind would translate it into Jude’s fallen madly in love with me.

The dance looks great. Can’t wait for you to see it!

I’m so excited!! I can’t believe you choreographed. Badass move, badass move.

Jude wore ballet clothes, I couldn’t resist adding, bracing myself for Colleen’s response, which was five full lines of heart-eye emojis. Any news on your end? I typed. I knew she was supposed to be hearing from ABT soon.

Not from ABT. But Swanson and I talked for six whole minutes today.

Vandervort for the win!!

She responded with an eye-roll emoji.

We kept texting until my fingers got numb from sitting in my car without the heat on and Colleen had to get back to Giselle rehearsal.

Go dance some guys to death, I typed. Talk to you soon.

I finally started the car and pulled out of the parking lot, but I didn’t go home. I’d gotten one best friend back. Now I needed to get the other.

Margot’s eyes widened when she opened her front door, but the coolness returned in a second. “Hey,” she said.

“Hi.” I fidgeted on the doorstep.

“My parents will be back soon, and then I have to go to TGI Fridays,” she said. Margot hated her monthly Saturday lunches at TGI Fridays with her parents. She called them hostage situations.

“Maybe I can get you out of it,” I said. “I’ll tell them I’m having an emergency or something.”

Margot flicked her eyes to me and then back to the ground. “Nah.”

Oof. Blowing off a chance to get out of TGI Fridays meant she really didn’t want to talk to me. But I had to keep trying. “Can I come in? Just for a few minutes?”

Margot sighed and stepped away from the door. We sat on a cream love seat in her living room. I’d never been to Margot’s house before, even though she’d invited me several times. Fresh waves of guilt washed over me when I thought about that.

“I wanted to apologize for everything that happened at the rink,” I said, getting right to it.