Submit (Book 1, The Karyln Trials)

Chapter Twenty-Nine

     I take a bite of pork, my teeth making a small scraping noise on my fork in the dead silence. August and I eat in a comfortable quiet, sitting across from each other at our small table.

In the months following The Trial, our dynamic has shifted in such a way that it's hard to follow. One moment we're helping decorate for the Season of Light, and the next we can hardly speak to each other without being thrown into a hole of dark memories from The Trial.

Over the past week, we hadn't spent much time together, having been so busy getting our performances ready, so it felt really good to sit down and have a nice dinner together. Though, as much as I wanted to enjoy a simple dinner, I couldn't ignore the slight crease in August's brow. He hasn't spoken more than three sentences in the past ten minutes and I can tell there's something chewing at him.

I set my fork down on the rim of my plate and finish chewing. "Auggie," He raises his eyes to mine and I watch how his slumped figure curls in a little more. "Is something the matter?"

He drops his eyes and dangles his fork between his fingers, starting at a small chip in the white wood in front of him. When he finally puts the fork down he slides his plate forward and rests his elbows on the table. "Yes, Adaline."

I start at my name, an unwelcome tenseness forming along my spine. It's been forever since he used my full name, and it was never good when he did. "What?"

He sighs and shakes his head. "What's going on between you and Julian?"

My jaw drops and I shake my head, unable to believe what he said. "I-we-what?"

He sets his head in his hands and sighs. "You and Julian have been spending a lot of time together and I want to know why."

I narrow my eyes at him and a heavy heat settles over my heart. There's no way he can actually be saying what he's saying. "Yes, because he's my pas de deux partner."

I think of the older man, another twenty-second ballet dancer. He and Cora are two years older than we are and I've been Julian's partner since coming back from The Trial because I'm the only female ballet dancer over eighteen.

"Cora says that Julian has been avoiding her as much as he can and spending a lot of time with you." His gaze is like fire, his blue-grey eyes dark and storming.

"Like I said, because he's my pas de deux partner!"

He stands, moving his chair back so fast it tips and nearly falls over. "But why are you both spending so much time together? You said that you've had the routine down-packed for weeks!"

"Because something very important is going on!" I raise also, leaning heavily on my hands that sit on the table, straddling my forgotten plate.

"Like what?! Cheating on Cora and I?!" I drop my head and clench my teeth, willing the tears away.

I think of the outspoken pianist. Cora was a very opinion-oriented woman who spoke whatever she thought. It irks me that she got into August's head. I look back at August, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. "Like I'm helping him plan how he's going to propose to Cora."

My words are as cold as stone, washing over August in a quiet wave. His whole body seems to unclench and his face falls. "But-you-he—"

I stand up tall, balling my hands into fists to keep them from shaking in fury and sadness. "He asked me not to tell you because you are terrible at keeping secrets. He thought that if you knew, you might tell her."

"What do you mean? I'm great at keeping secrets..." He crosses his arms, knowing very well that that was a lie.

"Emma and Aidan, two months ago." I cock my head to the side, reminding him about what he did at his family get-together.