2

Elle

The next morning, I was back in the studio for my regularly scheduled dance classes. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get myself to focus on the moves I was supposed to be doing. Part of me wanted to skip my classes; Jude actually had to force me out of bed. While I was meant to be warming up, I let that morning's conversation with him play in my head.

"You love dancing. Come on, it'll make you feel better," he said.

"I'd rather spend the morning with you." My voice came out muffled as I had shoved my head under a pillow. "Don't make me go."

That was when the pillow was yanked from my hands, exposing me to Jude's lovely smile.

"Don't smile at me like that."

"Why not, love? Making you miss me already?"

"How many cups of coffee have you had? We spent almost an hour outside in the middle of the night, and here you are bright and cheery. Weren't you brooding, like, four hours ago?" His mood change was enough to make my head spin.

"I was, but then I had you to remind me of how lucky I am to have a girl like you. So now, I'm focusing on that. As for you, you're going to get out of this bed, put on your dance clothes, and let me drive you to the studio. It's just three hours that we'll be apart. Trust me, I intend to spend every other second of this weekend with you."

I tried to bring my focus back to the studio I was sitting in, but I still couldn't get Jude off my mind. Normally, he knew me incredibly well. Sometimes I felt like he knew me better than I knew myself. But this time, he was wrong. Yes, dancing was usually a fantastic distractor for me, but I just couldn't focus on anything I was doing.

We had a visiting choreographer for the month of January, and he'd been teaching us all kinds of contemporary routines. And while I was usually able to rely on muscle memory enough that I could do the dances in my sleep, that morning I could barely remember a single combination.

Our choreographer started the music, but try as I might, I couldn't keep the count straight in my head. Not even halfway through the routine, I leapt through the air, expecting Jasper to be there to catch me, but I was two counts ahead of everyone else. Instead of landing in his grasp, I hit the floor with a painful thud.

My eyes screwed closed, but I heard the music stop and felt all eyes on me. Jasper was next to me almost immediately.

"Shit. I'm sorry, Elle."

I opened my eyes and reached around to my shoulder. It was both throbbing and tingling at the same time; there wasn't a doubt in my mind the bruise was already forming.

"Not your fault, Jasper." He held out a hand to help me up. "I was ahead." I gently massaged my shoulder and rotated it to keep the muscle from seizing up.

"Let's take five, shall we?" The choreographer looked at me, and I nodded my head with an embarrassed smile as a sign of gratitude.

I walked over to the corner of the room with Jasper and sat on the floor. Another dancer handed him a bag of ice, and he lightly placed it on my shoulder.

"You're never off count. What's going on with you?" There was genuine concern in his eyes. Jasper and I had been dancing together for over half a year, and there was no fooling him that I was distracted.

I hadn't really spoken about Jude's impending departure to anyone; Lily was the only person who knew he was leaving. In my head, I knew it was only two months and that it wouldn't be too bad, but I really only knew a life in London with Jude, and part of me feared that the magic the city held for me was going to be gone when he wasn't there. Yet I forced myself to be happy around Jude. I didn't want him to feel guilty for having to do his job.

"I'm just distracted. Jude...Jude's going to be traveling for the next few months. It's just going to be weird without him here."

"I bet the two of you will be fine. You always seem to bounce back, no matter the issue." He sighed and gave me a smile.

Jasper had been there for me at the lowest point in my relationship, and I don't think he really ever understood why I got back together with Jude after the whole incident with his ex.

I tried explaining that it was all a big misunderstanding, but he didn't seem to get it. I guess he saw how much it tore me apart, and I think part of him was trying to watch out for me; he'd mentioned at one point dating a mildly famous woman he'd met at a music video shoot, and I think it ended poorly. He didn't like to discuss it, but maybe he felt like dating a celebrity couldn't end in anything other than heartbreak.

That being said, at times it frustrated me that he never really gave Jude a chance. Jasper knew how much my relationship with Jude meant to me; we'd partnered up again for the showcase just a few weekends back, and he had helped me perform a routine that actually demonstrated the love I felt for Jude.

Regardless, I still counted Jasper as one of my closest friends in London. Though there weren't too many to count. Other than Lily and Lara, Jasper was the only other friend I spoke to on a regular basis. I keep my circles tight, remember?

"I'm glad to have you here at the studio, Jasper. I don't have much free time, but I'm glad we get to hang out at least every Saturday morning."

"Same here, Elle," he reached behind me for the ice pack, "we'll be getting started again soon. I'll put this back, and you should be rotating that shoulder."

"Okay, dad."

He gave me a snarky little grin before disappearing to return the ice pack. Yes, I was definitely glad to have him to count on.

The choreographer strolled in, and we got back in formation to start over. The throbbing in my shoulder ceased, but I was still gentle with it throughout the rest of practice. When it was finally time to leave, I packed up my stuff and walked towards the exit of the studio. I could see Jude's car in the lot through the glass door, and I wanted nothing more than to resume my time with him.

Just as I grabbed the handle, someone rushed up behind me.

"Elle?"

"Huh?" I turned to be face to face with Jasper.

"I was thinking, we could really use you more at the studio. We need another teacher for some night classes, and if Jude's travels are going to give you more free time, it's something you might want to consider."

Teaching a class could mean one of two things: a break on my tuition or an extra paycheck. I pushed the thought to the back of my head. I only had forty-eight hours left with Jude, and I wasn't going to spend it thinking about my finances.

I snapped myself back into reality and looked into Jasper's hopeful eyes. "Oh, um, sure. Let me think on it, and I'll let you know."

His mouth transformed into a warm smile as he clapped his hand onto my shoulder. I recoiled from his touch; without realizing it, he had ignited the bruise beneath my jacket.

He pulled his hand off me quickly. "Ah. Sorry, love. See you next weekend." He bent to my level and kissed my cheek before heading back into one of the rooms.

When I turned to go out to Jude's car, he was standing outside the driver's door, a confused look in his eyes.

"Everything alright, Elle?" His voice held a strange tension.

"Yes. Is everything alright with you?"

"Did he hurt you?" The confusion in his eyes had morphed into anger.

"What? Who?"

"Jasper."

Oh. "No, no. My head wasn't really in the game today. I wasn't counting right and fell during one of the numbers. Bruised up my shoulder pretty badly. He accidently grabbed it when saying goodbye. It was just an accident." And just like that, the fire was quenched from Jude's eyes.

"Sorry, love. Here," he rounded to the passenger's side and opened the door, "just a little on edge."

Once Jude started driving, I turned to him. "What happened to the cheery Jude I had three hours ago?"

"He's working his way back. Don't you worry." Jude turned to me and smiled. "You know how I get when I think someone's hurt you."

"I appreciate the sentiment. Now, what've you got planned for us for the rest of the day? I was promised that every second of my day after dance would be spent with you."

"It's a surprise." There was a coy smile working its way across his face.

"Jude, please, you know how I feel about surprises."

He contemplated the thought for a moment as he drove. "What's the one thing you've wanted to do in London that you haven't gotten to do yet?"

"Have afternoon tea."

It was lucky timing that we were at a stoplight, for Jude's foot had slipped hard upon the brake.

"Excuse me? You hate tea, Elle. Why would you want to sit through afternoon tea?"

"They have those little sandwiches, and the scones, I love a good scone. It all just looks so adorable. It's literally what has always come to mind whenever I heard 'London' or 'British' or any other word associated with this country." I faced him as the light changed.

"Well, I'm sorry, love, but it's not afternoon tea. Trust me, you're not missing much. Guess again." He removed his left hand from the steering wheel and placed it on my thigh.

I searched my brain for something I could've mentioned to Jude in passing regarding some aspect of London I'd been missing out on. We'd gotten to see nearly all of the major attractions back when my family was visiting, and I really couldn't place anything else that I was dying to experience.

"Can you please just tell me?"

Jude pulled up to the curb outside his house and turned to me with a smile. "Think of your favorite course when you were at university."

What? My favorite class...had I ever even told him that? I thought back to all the times Jude and I had discussed our years in college, and I came across a memory of me gushing about my Shakespearean Studies professor and his ability to recite Macbeth's famous Tomorrow soliloquy at any given moment. That's when it hit me. "You didn't."

He was nodding his head up and down. "I did."

I had to restrain myself from jumping out of my seat. "Which play?"

"Romeo and Juliet."

How fitting. I pressed the latch on my seatbelt and climbed onto him. "I'm sorry I'm so gross and sweaty right now, but I need to kiss you."

I was going to miss being able to kiss Jude whenever I wanted. I was going to miss being able to feel his arms wrap around me whenever I shivered from a chill. And no matter how many times I reminded myself that we would only be apart for two months, I couldn't shake the feeling of emptiness that filled me when I thought of just one day without him by my side.

Jude broke his lips from mine and set them next to my ear. "Let's head inside, Elle. Never know who's watching."

My stomach flipped. I didn't mind getting photographed with Jude when we were out and I looked halfway decent, but I sure as hell did not want a photo of me straddling him in his car, drenched in sweat from dance class, to ever grace anyone's eyes. Jude opened the door and I climbed off him and onto the sidewalk. There was no one in sight, and I shut my eyes for a moment in relief.

The second we were behind closed doors, Jude's lips were back on mine. But my mind had already shifted back to the adventure that awaited us.

I put my hands on Jude's chest and softly pushed him back from me. "Hang on. I've had a moment to process everything and I need details."

An impatient look swept across Jude's face for just an instant before it was replaced with a smile. "Normally, the Globe does these midnight matinees during the summer, but they're doing a winter series this year."

Something caught my ears. "Did you say midnight matinees?"

"Mhmm. I figured it'd be a good way to cram in a few more waking hours with you." There was a sparkle in his eyes that I just couldn't resist. It made the smile chiseled on my face sink even deeper. "It's going to be quite chilly, so we'll have to bundle up, but I think it'll be an experience for us to remember for a long time."

He had finished speaking, but his words were still floating around in my head. "And what will we be doing between now and midnight?"

A mischievous grin spread across his face. "I think you're in need of a shower."

"And?"

"And, maybe, I can join you?"

Oh. A flush built in my cheeks so hot that I swore I'd start sweating all over again.

"I mean, well, I, um...I've never done that." My voice was impossibly small, but it was true. Not even with Luke.

"Done what?"

"Shared a shower with someone." How was it possible that he was making me nervous?

"Baby," he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me tightly against his torso, "you know it's never been my intention to do anything you're uncomfortable with. My mind just got a little naughty for a moment."

What the hell; something in me was feeling brazen. "Let's do it." I peered up at him.

"Yeah?"

My head nodded of its own accord before my mind could catch up with my actions.

Moments later we were both in his bathroom, swiftly dropping items of clothing to the floor and stealing glances at each other. And just like every time Jude and I were intimate, it was gentle and full of love. I could give you the details, but this isn't that kind of story.

After I turned off the steaming water, I felt a soft towel press against my back. I raised my arms for Jude to wrap it around me, and once I caught hold of it, I sensed Jude's fingers moving towards my shoulder. They gingerly ran over the bruise from that morning's fall.

"You swear that bastard didn't drop you?"

I couldn't help the eye roll his words elicited. "Yes, Jude."

"Hasn't he dropped you before?"

"Yes, once, accidentally. If anyone is to blame for this, it's you. I told you I didn't want to go. You forced me, and I couldn't focus on a damn thing while I was there because I was preoccupied with thoughts of you."

"I think that sounds lovely."

"Of course you do. You can't just blame Jasper for things. This is probably why he doesn't like you." The words kind of spewed out before I could stop them.

There was a genuine look of hurt on Jude's face. "What? We barely know each other."

"Yet you just called him a bastard. Listen, Jasper is one of my good friends at the studio. He's not malicious, so don't you worry your handsome little face about him, okay? He's like a brother to me."

"Alright, alright, love. I'm sorry." By that point, Jude had pulled on a pair of boxer briefs. I couldn't help but stare at him. He noticed. "Want to take a picture?"

I grabbed the closest thing I could find, which happened to be a tube of toothpaste, and chucked it at his chest. "Really, Jude, I cannot keep up with your head today. You are just all over the place. I'm going to go change." I left the bathroom to the sound of soft laughter coming from Jude's chest.

It was the best thing I had heard all day.