Dancing for the Lord The Academy - By Emily Goodman Page 0,53

Katarina snorted. “As if Nicholas ever had any interest in any such thing before. Does Mrs. Baxter have any idea what you’re really doing up there?”

“We’re really studying, Kat,” Nick said calmly. “Come up and check in yourself, if you want. Actually, if you’re interested, you’re welcome to join us.” He made the offer knowing full well that she wouldn’t take them up on it. For one thing, Katarina might have been on the same fast track they were academically, but she wasn’t nearly as dedicated to it. She would be several chapters behind. For another, she would consider it beneath her to spend that much time in Danni’s company.

“Really.” She looked them over in a way that suggested she knew exactly what they were trying to do. Nick knew full well that she didn’t even have a clue. “Well, you two have fun, now.” She fluttered her fingers at them in a movement that was meant to appear vindictive and spiteful. Mostly, it just came out looking pathetic.

Nick shrugged and headed for the stairs. Danni paused for just a moment, her heart going out to the forlorn-looking young woman.

“You really are welcome to join us if you want,” she said quietly.

Katarina looked up, and suddenly, all traces of dejection fell away. Rather than answering Danni’s invitation, she took a completely different track. “You’ll never keep him, you know,” she said flatly. “I’ve seen you—you aren’t half the dancer I am.”

“I think that’s up to Nick to decide, don’t you?” Danni very carefully didn’t place any emphasis on the nickname. Let Katarina think of it what she would.

“You think you can hold him with pretty words and kisses, don’t you?” Katarina shook her head. “It may have worked on the boys back home, but it won’t work on Nicholas—I promise you that. He’ll head for greener pastures just as soon as he finds a better dancer.”

“If I were trying to keep him with kisses, I might be worried.” Danni’s voice was wryly amused. She didn’t take offense to the clear insult to either her or Nick. It was clear that Katarina didn’t either know or understand either of them at all anyway. “Personally, I’ve always thought he had more sense than to be won that way.” That having been said, she turned and hurried up the stairs behind Nick. He’d be wanting that ice pack; and anyway, Katarina didn’t have anything to say that she considered to be worth listening to.

Nick was pacing the floor of her room when she got there. “She doesn’t get it, does she?” he demanded.

“Get…what?” Danni slipped inside and eased the door almost shut. She didn’t want to break the house rules; but she also had the feeling that Nick wouldn’t want anyone else to hear his heated rant.

“Anything!” He dragged his hands through his hair. “Human kindness. Friendship. Humanity in general. You name it, Kat’s missing it.” He spun suddenly to look at her. “What bile was she spewing at you after I left?”

“Just the usual.” She kept her voice light. There was no sense in getting Nick any more riled up than he already was, especially when there was nothing either of them could do about it. “Come on. Sit down, get this ice on your shoulder while you rant.”

“I don’t know if I can sit.” But he rearranged her pillows into a pile very similar to the one he created in his own room—more to have something to do with his hands than anything else, Danni thought.

“There’s no use letting her get to you this way. You know she is who she is, and she always will be.”

“That’s not comforting,” he snarled.

“No?” Danni sat down on the bed, patting the seat beside her. With a sigh, Nick dropped down onto it. “I think it will help if you simply accept that it’s her choice, you know.”

“Maybe.” He didn’t look convinced as he took the ice pack from her, staring down at it as though he didn’t recognize it. To be fair, Danni barely did. It was a far cry from the frozen peas she and Michael had always used back home.

“Katarina is just…Katarina.” A squeak in the hall outside made Danni pause, but when there wasn’t any further noise, she didn’t feel any qualms about continuing. This was the conclusion that she had reached about the girl as she struggled to understand why she found it necessary to be so nasty to everyone; and she thought Nick might benefit from it, too.