Chapter 14 A new place
"Oh my baby." Mom brushes my hair from my forehead. "Why didn't you tell us something is wrong. And you don't even need that old cow Gregory. Other companies would kill to have you with them."
"Because it's her dream company, and her dream choreographer, Phoebe." Dad tells her.
He understands because he's an athlete.
I have worked my entire ballet career to dance for Gregory, I'm not letting an injury take that away from me.
"But do you have to go all the way to the West Coast?" Mom's green eyes shimmer like emeralds. "We can get you the best care here. You can be close to us so we can keep an eye out for you, and what about Ben?"
He's the real reason I'm running away, but my parents love him so much, I don't have the heart to tell them that.
"I'm going to one of the best rehabilitation centres in the world, Mom. And besides, Ben is also so busy, we hardly have time for each other."
"But do you have to go right now?" The worry in her eyes almost push past the urgency for me to leave. "We can still all have dinner tonight, you can leave in the morning. Maybe your aunt and uncle also wanted to say goodbye."
"The West Coast isn't on the other side of the world, Phoebe. We can fly out and visit her whenever we want."
I smile gratefully at my father, I don't know what the hell I did to deserve him. He sometimes understands me more than my mother, especially when it comes to dancing.
"I have fashion week coming up, I can't just up and leave." My mother reminds him. "And you're in the middle of the season!"
And somehow that is working out perfectly for me. It is all the break that I need.
"I'm a grown, adult woman." I remind my mother. "I'm going to a posh resort where elite athletes go when they are injured, nothing is going to happen to me."
"Exactly!" My father reiterates.
My mother hugs me as if I'm really going to the other side of the world. "Two months are so long, I'm going to miss you so much!"
"I'm gonna miss you guys too." I hug her a tad bit tighter, knowing she needs the hug more than me.
I'm an only child. My parents tried for years to have children, and I was finally conceived through IVF, but my mother was advised not to have any more children.
So she's been smothering me. I can't exactly blame her, but sometimes it's good to break away.
"I'll video call daily." I promise her with a kiss to her smooth cheek. "I have to go now, T.J is already waiting to take me to the airport."
I hug my father gratefully, knowing he'll plead my case with my mother as soon as I'm gone.
I don't expect to see Ben driving up my parents' driveway when I step outside. Who the hell told him I was leaving?
"What the hell, Madison?" He flies out of his car. "Where the fuck are you going?"
T.J, who was waiting outside by his car, steps closer, a frown on his face. "You good Madz?"
"Yes." I turn to Ben. "What are you doing here?"
He staggers back like I just slapped him. "What am I doing here? I was having lunch with some associates when Gregory approached me to say he's so sorry that you're injured."
I flinch at the hurt in his eyes. That's why I have to go away. Because if I stay, I might end up hurting him even more.
"I'm sorry, I was going to call you."
"Call me!" He scoffs incredulously. "You were going to call your boyfriend to tell him that you're so hurt you have to take off from work for months!"
It sounds so bad coming from his mouth. What will he say when he finds out that I slept with someone else, that I'm tainted?
"I'm flying out to California in a few hours." I step closer to him to touch his arm, but he yanks it back in anger. "I have to do this Ben, you know how much my career means to me."
"Does it mean more than me?" His blue eyes hold betrayal in them. If he only knew how much more I have betrayed him already.
"That's very unfair for you to say, and you know it!" I throw back at him. "You're always busy, too, and I don't hold that against you."
"Yeah well, I don't push you out either. Have a nice stay in California." He gets back in his car and I watch him drive away with screeching tires while my heart bleeds on the pavement.
I tell myself that I'm doing the right thing.
I'm too young to put him first right now.
I should stay the course and try to get as many years out of ballet as I can.
Ben will understand.
He always does.