Chapter 12 Chapter 12
Chapter 12 Chapter 12
Lana’s POV
By the time I got to the field the next morning, they were already there.
Of course they were.
I slowed my steps just enough to take it in before either of them noticed me. The sky was still pale, the sun barely stretching over the edge of the buildings, casting that soft, almost forgiving light that made everything look quieter than it really was.
Aria stood in position, her shoulders set, her body still carrying that stiffness she hadn’t fully shaken off yet. But it wasn’t the same stiffness from two days ago. This one had structure. Control. The kind that came from repetition, not panic.
And Dominic was standing in front of her.
Not beside.
Not watching from a distance.
In front.
Close enough to correct.
Close enough to matter.
“Again,” he said.
His voice was lower than usual. Not sharp. Not mocking. Just focused.
That alone was enough to make something twist in my chest.
Aria moved.
And he watched her like she was the only thing on the field.
Not like prey.
Not like someone he was waiting to tear down.
Like he was… measuring her.
Adjusting her.
Building something.
I folded my arms slowly.
Interesting.
“Your step is still off,” he said, reaching out and tapping just above her ankle lightly. “You’re grounding too early.”
“I thought you said not to rush it,” she replied, her voice slightly breathless.
“I said don’t anticipate the end,” he corrected. “This is the middle.”
She frowned slightly. “That sounds like the same thing.”
“It’s not.”
“Explain it better.”
I almost smiled.
She didn’t sound intimidated.
She sounded… annoyed.
And Dominic didn’t snap back.
Didn’t throw an insult.
Didn’t laugh.
He exhaled instead, like he was actually considering how to explain it.
“You’re thinking ahead,” he said. “So your body reacts before it needs to. Stay where you are.”
She held his gaze for a second, then nodded.
“Okay.”
No argument.
No attitude.
Just okay.
That annoyed me more than it should have.
I stepped forward then, letting my footsteps carry across the field so they’d hear me coming.
They both turned.
Good.
“Look at that,” I said lightly. “Private training session.”
Dominic straightened slightly, his expression shifting back into something more familiar. “You’re late.”
“I’m never late,” I replied. “You’re just early.”
My eyes slid to Aria.
“You too.”
“I’ve been here,” she said.
“I can see that.”
There was a slight edge in my voice that I didn’t bother hiding.
Because I didn’t like this.
Not the practice.
Not the effort.
Not the fact that she was still here when she should have left after yesterday.
And definitely not the fact that Dominic was standing there like he had a reason to be part of it.
“Reset,” I said, clapping once.
Aria moved immediately.
Dominic stepped back.
Good.
That was where he belonged.
Watching.
Not involved.
“From the top,” I said.
She nodded and started.
I watched closely this time.
Closer than yesterday.
Because now it mattered.
Now she wasn’t just some random girl trying to prove a point.
Now she was… something else.
A problem.
Her steps were still not clean enough.
Her turns still carried a fraction too much tension.
Her arms lagged just slightly behind her body.
But she wasn’t falling apart.
And that was the issue.
“She’s improving,” Dominic said behind me.
I didn’t turn. “I can see that.”
“She won’t catch up like this.”
That made me glance at him.
“And how exactly should she catch up?”
He shrugged slightly. “Push her differently.”
I studied him for a second.
“You sound invested.”
“I’m not.”
“Then stop talking.”
He smirked faintly but didn’t reply.
I looked back at Aria.
“Stop,” I said.
She froze mid-step.
“Again,” I added.
She reset without a word.
Started again.
I walked closer this time, circling her slowly as she moved, watching every detail.
“You’re holding back,” I said.
“I’m not,” she replied.
“You are,” I insisted. “You’re thinking too much about getting it right instead of actually doing it.”
“I am doing it.”
“Not fully.”
She stopped, turning to face me.
Her chest rose and fell steadily, her eyes meeting mine without hesitation.
“What do you want me to do?” she asked.
Not defensive.
Not submissive.
Direct.
That again.
That quiet refusal to shrink.
I tilted my head slightly.
“I want you to stop trying to be perfect,” I said. “And start being bold.”
She blinked. “Bold?”
“Yes.”
“I’m not you.”
“I’m aware,” I replied coolly. “But if you stay safe, you’ll stay average.”
Something flickered in her expression.
Doubt.
Then something else.
Decision.
“Show me,” she said.
I smiled.
Finally.
I stepped into position.
“Watch,” I said.
I moved.
And this was where I thrived.
Where everything made sense.
Where my body didn’t hesitate, didn’t question, didn’t second guess.
Every step landed exactly where it needed to.
Every turn was sharp.
Every movement carried confidence.
Control.
Presence.
When I finished, the air felt different.
It always did.
I looked at her.
“That’s what you’re aiming for.”
She nodded slowly.
“Okay.”
She stepped forward.
Took a breath.
And tried.
It wasn’t the same.
It would never be the same.
Not yet.
But there was something new in it.
Something less careful.
Less restrained.
She pushed into the movement instead of easing into it.
Her turn was sharper.
Her final step stronger.
And for a split second, it worked.
Then she lost it.
Her foot slipped slightly, her balance shifting too far to the side.
I saw it coming.
So did Dominic.
He moved before I could.
His hand caught her arm, steadying her before she could fall.
The moment froze.
His hand on her arm.
Her body leaning slightly into him.
Too close.
Too familiar.
Something in my chest tightened, sharp and immediate.
“I had it,” she said, pulling back quickly.
“You almost didn’t,” he replied.
“But I didn’t fall.”
“Because I caught you.”
“I didn’t ask you to.”
“You didn’t have to.”
Their voices overlapped, tension rising instantly between them.
I stepped forward.
“That’s enough,” I said.
They both looked at me.
Good.
“Again,” I added, my tone sharper now.
Aria nodded immediately, stepping away from him.
Dominic didn’t move this time.
He just watched.
Again.
Always watching.
She reset.
Moved.
And I watched her differently now.
Not just her technique.
Not just her progress.
Her.
The way she responded.
The way she held herself.
The way she kept pushing even when her body was clearly reaching its limit.
She wasn’t trying to take my place.
That wasn’t it.
She was trying to earn hers.
And that…
That was dangerous.
Because people like that didn’t stop.
Didn’t quit.
Didn’t fade into the background the way they were supposed to.
They stayed.
They grew.
They became something you couldn’t ignore.
I folded my arms tightly.
No.
Not here.
Not on my team.
“Break,” I said abruptly.
Aria stepped back, breathing harder now, her hands resting on her knees.
Dominic walked over to the bench, grabbing a bottle of water and tossing it to her without saying anything.
She caught it.
Murmured something that sounded like thanks.
He didn’t respond.
I watched that too.
Every small detail.
Every shift.
Every moment that didn’t belong.
“You’re done for today,” I said.
Aria looked up. “Already?”
“Yes.”
“I can keep going.”
“I said you’re done.”
She hesitated.
Then nodded.
“Okay.”
She grabbed her bag, slinging it over her shoulder before glancing briefly at Dominic.
“See you later,” she said.
He shrugged. “Maybe.”
She rolled her eyes slightly.
Then she walked off.
Just like that.
Like she had nothing left to prove today.
Like she was satisfied.
I watched her go until she disappeared past the gate.
Only then did I turn.
Dominic was still standing there.
Still looking in the direction she left.
“Careful,” I said.
He glanced at me. “About what?”
“Whatever this is.”
He frowned. “There is no ‘this.’”
“Right,” I said lightly. “Because you always show up at six in the morning for people you
don’t care about.”
“I came for practice.”
“You came for her.”
His jaw tightened slightly.
“I don’t care about her.”
“Then prove it.”
He didn’t respond.
Didn’t need to.
Because I could see it.
In the hesitation.
In the silence.
In the way he didn’t look away immediately.
I smiled faintly.
This just got interesting.
Because Aria Bennett wasn’t just a problem anymore.
She was becoming a threat.
And I didn’t lose what was mine.
Not to anyone.
Especially not her.