“Let’s take a five minute break?” Connor says, blessedly giving his dancers a moment to catch their breath after ten straight minutes of his cardio-intensive choreography.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ25BNiBC4k0
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Eve pushes up the sleeves of her hoodie and then pulls them down again. She can feel the dampness of sweat under the collar of her shirt, pasting her hair to the back of her neck. A droplet trickles down the bridge of her nose and drips off the tip. Taking a deep breath, Eve accepts that she has to take off the hoodie or risk overheating.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB5bNd6FlGO
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Taking it off, she leaves it against the wall beside her water bottle. Maybe no one will notice—409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWXTOJTqOhZ
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“What happened to your arm?” Connor asks, standing arms akimbo and looking at her in the mirror.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzqa41ByaNM
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She tugs at the bandage self-consciously. “Oh. Nothing, really. I just needed a few stitches.”409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr8ShtSSt9U
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He turns around and looks at her directly now. She’s aware of how all eight of the other dancers are watching them.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzIHREpvBsN
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“Stitches?” he repeats, saying it like it’s a dirty word. “What happened between last night and now that you had to get stitches?”409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡap3yCE7VuB
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This is exactly what Eve had been hoping to avoid—the reason she considered not coming to class today. She can’t skip, though, when they have a performance coming up so soon.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj5zN0LgszN
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“I…kinda got stabbed.” She scratches around the stitches, through the bandage.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm2YYK27Fkw
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“You…kinda…got…stabbed,” he says, taking a step toward her. “How does that happen?”409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXRisEhVoYU
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Everyone is still staring. Eve feels the danger in him right now—a compressed spring, a snake ready to strike. She has to fight not to take a step back. She didn’t do anything wrong.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs8kQfWN2aN
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“Well, I leave food in the breakroom fridge at work sometimes,” she says, words coming out in a rush. “I don’t want it to spoil in the car. So I stop by work on the way after dance and on my way home.”409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAsTfjF44RB
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Connor doesn’t say anything, so she keeps going.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPlMSPYUl2t
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“I went there after leaving class last night.”409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXHjSdpligb
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“At midnight,” he says now, as if he’s just making sure.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhmgMjWmmvH
409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkOoh8XZ2m0
“At midnight,” she confirms. She can’t look him in the eyes, so she looks past him to the back of his head in the mirror. “I usually just pop in, grab my food, and pop out. But last night, this man showed up. He used to work there but was fired a few months ago.”409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxTLiatILzO
409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZj6EBwY2vt
His expression doesn’t change. In fact, he doesn’t move in the slightest. A quick glance at the clock shows her their five minute break has long since passed.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe9C9JhkX3s
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“He was trying to get into the building,” Eve says. “He tried to make me let him in, but I wouldn’t. So…he got pissed off and stabbed me.”409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhlirZEAPPP
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Now his eyebrows shoot up.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjbnCyxwGAr
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She adds quickly, “It’s fine, though. I was lucky. He went for my stomach, but I managed to block him with my arm.”409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡulmZcsYRKc
409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Ki8ebP6QT
“Lucky,” he says, voice dripping with disbelief. “You were lucky you were only stabbed in the arm and not in the gut.”409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmknAeGDESV
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Veins in his right temple turn into miniature mountain ranges.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXPfgpw4MP3
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“What about those times you made me come into the office with you because you were too scared to go into the building by yourself at night? Where was that fear last night?”409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl0FCRUqUvn
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“I can’t rely on you all the time. You said so yourself,” she says.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHV3Vj2ETJn
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“Connor, man,” another of the dancers says, stepping in. “At least she’s okay, right?409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD7OTMifwxc
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“I can’t believe you’re so stupid!” Connor bursts, ignoring him. “You really don’t have any common sense! So when I say you shouldn’t rely on me all the time, it means you should go to deserted office buildings by yourself in the middle of the night?”409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxBX9RqJ9la
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Eve’s surprised by his vehemence. Actually…no, she isn’t. There’s a reason she tried to hide the bandage and considered not coming to class today.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBHuLaC2MwE
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“You’re right,” she says quietly. “I was reckless.”409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz8tvumQTVP
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All the steam seems to evaporate from Connor, then. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before turning back to the mirror. His eyes graze the clock. He claps his hands together once.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZzaeGgf8p
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“Looks like our five minute break turned into a ten minute break. Let’s get back to work. Let’s go from the top—with counts first and then music. Ready? Five, six, seven, eight…”409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiKoMKxM3Ah
409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCgrY4QCe54
Eve watches him in the mirror, following his choreography but also observing his expression. He’s settled back into the friendly, but strict dance instructor and choreographer, but she knows him well enough that she can see the concern in his eyes and feel it in the tension of his shoulders.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV754XJ2QFf
409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9yZvYsRgLQ
Thank you, Connor.409Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxNb4IOSrjE
Penana
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