moment, and I pulled Ryan down a couple of cars. We got some irritated looks from other people trying to board, but Brett followed behind us, and we were able to get on without the stalker.
The doors closed, and I sighed in relief.
“You can’t say that’s a coincidence,” I told Ryan. “It’s one thing to be on the same train at the same time every day when we’re on our way home from school. But this trip was completely random. There’s no way it could be a coincidence.”
“You think someone’s following you?” Brett asked curiously.
I chewed on my lower lip before I spoke. “I don’t know,” I said finally. “It’s crazy, right?”
“Kinda,” Brett said with an amused look at Ryan.
Ryan shrugged his shoulders as if to say: yeah, she’s crazy, but she’s my best friend.
I huffed in irritation. Ryan just didn’t want to admit I was right in front of Brett. He was still trying to impress his crush, and acting like a paranoid psycho wouldn’t help.
“I guess it’s a good thing you’re getting out of the city,” Ryan pointed out.
I glared at Ryan. That wasn’t a done deal. I was still hoping to stay in New York if the Logans could talk some sense into Richard. I knew he was the driving factor behind this nightmare, because my mother wouldn’t think twice about leaving me behind and never looking back.
“Really?” Brett asked cheerfully. “Where are you going?”
“I might take a break,” I lied awkwardly. “After my grandmother…you know.”
A flash of sadness hit me. I still missed my babushka every day. I missed her greeting me when I got home from school, I missed the days we’d cook dinner together, and I even missed her scolding me about my laziness when I tried to sleep in. Losing her felt like I had been cast adrift in an ocean with no sight of land. Without Ryan, I’d be completely alone, and without ballet, my life would be pointless.
“Yeah,” Brett said uncomfortably as he cleared his throat. “I get it.”
The lights flickered before we slowed for the next stop, and I grabbed hold of the metal pole in front of me, so I didn’t lose my balance. A few people got off at this stop, but only one entered our car, so there were finally three seats available for us. I sat across from Ryan as he sat next to Brett.
“So, Katya,” Brett said casually. “If it becomes well-known around the community that Richard Wilder is going to show up at your performances, it should make it a lot easier to get a spot in a company.”
I blinked in surprise. “What?”
“Not if it’s also well-known that he’s not willing to make donations,” Ryan said snidely.
Brett ignored him and leaned forward to speak to me. “If you did get him to donate regularly, you’d have a lot of influence. You might even be able to get your friends into the same company.”
“That’s not how it works,” I said slowly. “They only want the best dancers.”
Brett shook his head. “Ballet is about money, just like everything else in the world.”
I looked over at Ryan, but I saw a bitter look on his face that I’d never seen directed at me before.
“Are you okay?” I asked him softly.
Ryan shrugged, but his eyes were distant. Something caused him to pull away from me, but I wasn’t sure what it was. Maybe I needed to get Brett to focus his attention away from me and back to Ryan.
The train braked with a loud squeal as our stop was announced overhead.
“This is us,” I told Brett as I stood.
Ryan followed us sullenly, and I wracked my brain for what I should do. I should announce I was going to take a long bath when we got back to the apartment. That way, Brett and Ryan could have some alone time together.
My mood lifted as I developed my devious plan, but then abruptly dropped as my eyes caught on the stalker again. He may have ridden in a different car on the subway, but he’d gotten off at our stop. Our eyes locked as they met through the crowd, but then he was gone.
I kept looking over my shoulder as we walked home, but I didn’t spot him again. Regardless, I didn’t relax until we were back in our apartment, with the door securely locked. Ryan might have the right idea. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to get out of the city for a few days.
My thoughts drifted to the