frame, but it was the endless hours of practice in and out of the studio that had given me the necessary tools to get this far.
I pulled away from Mrs. Logan and gave Mr. Logan an awkward half-hug. Where Mrs. Logan would sometimes play the part of a loving mother, Mr. Logan was uncomfortable with any emotional display. He preferred to remain stoic and unflappable at all times. And that was before his relationship with Ryan had been shattered. Things were even worse now. Neither Mr. nor Mrs. Logan moved to embrace their son.
After I stepped back from Mr. Logan’s fake hug, I felt someone’s heavy gaze on me. I glanced around the crowded auditorium, filled with parents congratulating their kids, and noticed two guys who were out of place. They were both dressed up a little too much – tuxes instead of suits, but it was more than their age and good looks that make them stand out. If they were a classmate’s brothers, I would have seen them before now; our school was small, and families came to many of our events.
At first glance, they could have been just another part of the small group of wealthy patrons that kept our school endowment flush with cash, but when I looked closer, I realized that they didn’t fit the type. These guys were dressed well and obviously had money, but there was a roughness to them that our patrons didn’t have. They had swagger and attitude, and they lacked the softness that the overprivileged ballet crowd usually had.
The one with the dark hair captured my attention completely. Even though I was standing a distance away, I could feel raw intensity radiating from him as I met a pair of stormy gray eyes. My heart rate sped up when our gazes connected, and it shattered the careful veil of numbness I had been hiding under. It was invasive and irritating, so I narrowed my eyes at him and gave him my best fuck off face.
While the dark-haired guy was scowling over at me, the one with sandy blond hair looked amused by a joke made at my expense. I didn’t care to know why they were staring, so I turned away from them. Ryan and I were still wearing our costumes from the final curtain call, and my tutu poked out awkwardly, leaving most of my legs bare. I didn’t mind while I was dancing, but it was unpleasant to be standing still in a cold auditorium after I’ve already done my cool-down and stretches. I had a chill running up my spine that didn’t want to go away. Or maybe it was because I could still feel the unwelcome stares of the hot guys on my back.
Ryan started to excuse us so that we could change, but his eyes widened when he caught sight of something behind me. I didn’t need to turn around to see who it was, because I could feel the weight of eyes on my back. Awareness tingled up my spine, and I pushed away the butterflies that just decided to take flight in my stomach. There was nothing special about these guys, and I’d never see them again after today.
I gave an annoyed sigh and then turned to face the two handsome problems, just as I suspected. I didn’t like that they had sought me out in the crowd, and I hated that my skin heated at the mere proximity of my dark-haired stalker. Yeah, he was hot, but he clearly wasn’t someone I wanted to get to know.
They were both tall with broad shoulders, but the blond was slightly leaner. He had the sharp cheekbones and square jaw of a male model, and his confidence said that he knew how good-looking he was. He would have been the most attractive guy in the room if it weren’t for his dark-haired companion. This guy resembled a fallen angel with his dark hair and perfect features. He had a strong, chiseled jaw and full lips, but it was his eyes that made me unable to look away. They were a gray that reminded me of gathering storm clouds above a tumultuous sea as a hurricane rolled into shore.
Both of the guys were both looking at me with dislike, which made no sense. I’ve never met either of them. Why would they come to a showcase to hate on a random ballerina? None of my instructors pulled punches when we trained, so I knew I had