Chapter 96 I Want Him to See It

Chapter 96 I Want Him to See It

Isabella's POV

Anna pushed open the coffee shop door and walked out.

I sat alone by the window, my mind full of doubts.

Sitting there by myself, if Terrence didn't have anyone else in his heart, if all he did after coming back from the military was stay in that crappy apartment every day, then why did he lose his temper in the parking lot?

That night in the dim light, when he lifted me onto the hood of that Mercedes G-Class and pressed his body tight against my thighs—who was he thinking about in that moment?

I didn't dare keep thinking about it.

If I followed this thought any further, the clear answer would completely destroy me.

I took a deep breath and forced myself to stand up.

I didn't have time to wallow in these feelings right now.

I had the most important rehearsal this afternoon, and I couldn't walk into the music studio with all this mess in my head.

I slung my violin case over my shoulder and hurried across the street.

I pushed open the glass door of the music studio. Dustin was already there.

He wore a black sleeveless tank top and loose practice pants, his back to me, one leg up on the barre as he stretched.

The muscles in his back moved smoothly with each stretch, showing a kind of powerful grace.

The moment he heard the door open, he turned to look.

"Good afternoon, Isabella." He lowered his leg, grabbed the towel hanging around his neck to wipe the sweat from his face, and gave me a warm smile.

"Good afternoon, Dustin." I set down my violin case, took out my violin, and desperately tried to push that man in the black leather jacket with his cold expression out of my mind.

"You seem a bit distracted." Dustin walked over to me. "Didn't sleep well?"

"No, I'm fine." I forced out a smile. "Just a little nervous. Elena's coming today to check our lift coordination training."

Dustin laughed easily and patted my shoulder.

"Don't worry, just do it like we've practiced over and over. Just trust me completely with your body."

His palm was broad, with calluses from years of dance practice.

But strangely, the moment his hand touched my shoulder, I felt nothing.

If it were Terrence, just one light touch from him would make my whole body tense up, my skin burning hot.

Damn it, stop thinking about him!

"Ready?" Elena walked in wearing her signature black heels.

She held her baton, her eyes sharp as a hawk's.

"Ready, ma'am." Dustin and I answered in unison.

"Good. Go straight to the climax of the third movement. No warm-up needed, I just want to see the final stage presentation."

Elena sat down in the chair at the front of the room, giving her orders in an icy tone.

I took a deep breath and walked to the center of the practice room.

I positioned the violin on my left shoulder, pressing my chin firmly against the chinrest to secure it.

Dustin moved behind me.

His chest came close to my back, maintaining a professional small distance without crossing any lines.

Then he reached out both hands and gripped my waist firmly.

His thumbs pressed right on the bruise on my side that hadn't faded yet.

I instinctively sucked in a breath, my body curling slightly.

"Did I hurt you?" Dustin asked in a low voice, immediately lightening his grip.

"I'm fine, let's continue." I said through clenched teeth.

Elena's baton cut a sharp arc through the air.

"Begin!"

Dustin gave a low shout and suddenly exerted force with both hands.

My body instantly lifted into the air.

The intense feeling of weightlessness made my stomach churn. My feet left the ground completely as his powerful arms held me up in mid-air.

"Play, Isabella! Why is your bow hesitating?!" Elena shouted from below.

I frantically drew the bow across the strings, but my body was off-balance. My entire right arm was stiff, and the first note came out badly off-key with an obvious shaky vibrato.

"Stop!"

Elena struck the wooden floor hard with her baton, making a sharp crack.

Dustin immediately set me down gently.

The moment my feet touched the ground, my legs were so weak I almost collapsed. Dustin reacted quickly and caught my arm in time.

"Your state just now was terrible!" Elena stood and walked over to me. "You were completely stiff and panicked up there, your playing was full of fear! If you can't even handle this simple aerial move, you might as well give the concertmaster position to Sophia right now!"

"I'm sorry, ma'am. Let me try again."

"Take ten minutes! If you can't fix your state, we're done for today!"

Elena snorted coldly and walked out of the practice room to smoke.

I walked over to the barre in a daze, carefully placed my violin in its case, then leaned against the wall, breathing heavily.

A bottle of cold water appeared in front of me.

I looked up to see Dustin standing there, his eyes full of concern.

"Drink some water."

I took the cold water, twisted off the cap and gulped down a big mouthful. The icy liquid sliding down my throat barely suppressed the anxiety in my heart.

"I'm really sorry, Dustin. I'm slowing down the rehearsal."

"Look at me, Isabella."

Dustin suddenly reached out and gently lifted my chin.

I was forced to look up and meet his eyes.

"Your playing skills are excellent, really excellent. You're just afraid of falling. But Isabella, I swear on my dance career, I will never let you fall. Even if my arms give out or get injured, I will catch you."

His sincere warmth healed me. This was exactly the kind of partner I needed in rehearsal.

He was reliable, professional, and working with him, I would never feel that out-of-control panic.

"Thank you, Dustin."

I smiled from the heart.

Ten minutes later, Elena clicked back into the practice room in her heels.

"Begin."

I positioned my violin again. Dustin moved behind me, his hands gripping my waist once more.

This time, I didn't shrink back at all.

"Up!"

My body lifted into the air again.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, let go of all fear, and completely trusted my body and state to my partner.

The bow fell, touching the strings.

Tchaikovsky's passionate, full, powerful melody instantly flowed out.

I stabilized my core strength in mid-air, my stiff arms completely relaxed, and smooth notes poured out one after another.

Dustin held me steady, his steps moving smoothly across the wooden floor. Our coordination was perfect.

As the piece ended, Dustin set me gently back on the ground.

The practice room was quiet for two seconds.

"Much better." Elena, for once, didn't find fault and nodded slightly. "Keep this up. That's it for today's rehearsal."

After Elena left, I looked at myself in the mirror.

My hair was soaked with sweat, a few strands stuck to my cheeks, and my gray fitted T-shirt was also drenched, clinging to my body. But I was glowing with confidence.

I did it.

I conquered my inner fear. I deserved the concertmaster position for the Spring Gala.

But in this moment of joy, a strong sense of regret suddenly welled up in my heart.

I really wanted Terrence to see me like this.

I wanted him to know that I wasn't that weak girl anymore, the one who could only tremble in alleyways and cry quietly curled up in bed.

I wanted him to see with his own eyes how brilliant I looked standing center stage with my violin in hand.