The Ballerina's Second Act

blindin

he first t

ice. Ethan

n you hear me?

like he w

s wider. The light was

o view. He was pale, h

" he whispered,

and, his grip t

a. This is all my f

g his own head wi

a

anaged to say. My vo

. It' s

ce contorted with pain. "I

obbed, burying his face in the

hand trembling, an

than. It'

hing felt okay. But

, his eyes s

o much. I' ll take c

m, but a cold dread

ad hap

hen, followed by Eth

Mr. Miller, the board mee

' t even l

g," he said, his voice flat,

the Henders

ut any damn deal, M

nd backed out

nurse, demanding to see the do

room was

ny do

red, asking a million questions, h

said to a younger one. "Ethan Miller' s girl. They' ve been

lush creep

led back the sheet c

Not from me. I coul

room wen

ooked down, then quickly at m

is face turning

to sit u

ed, my voice tremblin

e ans

to push me back down. "

he sheet a

hen I

what I di

knees..

ly bandag

ballerina

back up, my hands

ered. "No more

hem to see. I di

ies and quickly filed out,

my legs used to be, his face

ed the

d cruel, shot through l

it me then,

l morning jog do

through the trees.

on. About Juilliard. Ab

lways in my tho

h. Amelia Hayes, the gifted ballerina. Eth

aid we wer

re was

ica

e

ss. Pretty, in a s

ssed wit

hundred times. Kindly

d me. O

alked him. Sent him endle

mor

d in my perip

beat-u

twisted

at him just last week after he' d publicly rejected h

accele

right

ening thud. The seari

l frozen, look

they sh

y. "Mr. Miller? Ms. H

looked at me, his eyes filled with

utside, Mia. I' m

orehead, his l

he

my vitals, her exp

very devoted,"

y engaged, but everyone knew.

y there, the truth

et care

ms. Sha

e of Jess.

than. He

d him. Or tho

om came. Kind, gentle Mrs.

ack, his eye

been caught. Her par

with anger. "To some remote family cabin. Redwood Creek Ca

so sure.

ieved

a wh

I was a little stronger

y my bedside, talking, holding

hours. "Family business," he' d say.

. An anony

ainCapt

ssica

ort, filled with

erstand. His true love was hurt, and it' s

tone start

me today. He yell

aid he needed to make s

ty about what happened to her

od ran

iting her.