His Heartbreak, Her Daughter

I was beginning to believe I couldn’t believe in anything anymore.
My dance teacher Maia had always made a rule, no outsiders inside the studio when a dance lesson was taking place. The woman never could follow her own rules.
I had arrived on time with two minutes to spare. I raced out of the car and ran, hoping to get the message across to Emmett and Edward I did not want them to follow me.
“Hey Aly- Sleep in as usual?” My dance mate Crystal asked. She was standing off to the side with some of my other dance friends, Anne, Michelle and Diane.
“Could you adore me any other way?” I put down my bag and took off my jacket, I had to wear my long sleeved unitard to cover the scrapes that still covered my arms and legs. My hair was tied down the side of my neck to cover the bite. Yeah, I’d thought of everything. Almost.
“Oooo who are those stud muffins?” Anne asked looking over my shoulders.
Oh no. I shut my eyes, cursing silently in my head.
“It’s like the gods have come down to bless us.” Diane said dramatically.
I turned pouting. Yep, those were my stud muffins. My stupid godly stud muffins out to curse me.
“Never seen them before.” Michelle said.
“Excuse me.” I squeaked and went over.
“I wonder if today’s adventure in the dance studio will be exciting as last time we were at one?” Emmett asked looking around, an old memory making him smile.
“Don’t joke about that stuff Emmett.” Edward said frowning, he was clearly not impressed. Then he looked at me and his lip twitched up. “Why Aly… Those are not very nice things to say.”
“I told you not to follow me.” I stopped screaming every bad word in the book at Edward in my head to talk. “I’m fine here, I am safe. What are they going to do-”
“Don’t count them short on anything.” Edward said and leaned in as he spoke quieter, “You know Victoria’s mad. She’ll do anything to hurt Bella- Even drag you out by your hair in the middle of class.”
I crossed my arms, “Doesn’t play by anyone’s rules does she?”
“No one.” He stared me right in the eye as if to intimidate me, I stared right back, not feeling intimidated at all and telling him that silently too. He smirked and then looked over my shoulder, “You should get back to your friends.” He straightened back up, “They’re just bursting with questions.”
“I’ll get back to them when you leave.” I stood straight as an arrow, really wishing I could be scarier.
“Aly, you know we can’t.” Emmett- who I’d nearly forgotten was there, a truly amazing feet- said, enjoying my torture much too much, “We promised everybody we wouldn’t let you leave our sight.”
“Well I think I should have a say on whether or not I want to be stalked and really I don’t so… Get lost before I make you- or worse, Maia makes you.”
“She won’t do anything.” Edward said.
“Oh you do not know her- Just go wait out in the lobby, please. Even if Victoria came here you,” I looked at Edward, “Could just violate her twisted mind and stop her before she even gets into the building and you…” I looked at Emmett, “You… You could just burst through the wall and send the building crashing to the ground.”
Emmett looked at Edward, “She’s right. I really could. Hey, do you want to hear about sometimes Rose and I-”
“Emmett,” Edward said with a grimace, “Don’t even think about it.”
I was kinda curious about this but more grateful when I heard a familiar shrill voice shout, “Alyson Black!”
“Ha! Now you two will get it.” I turned to see Maia heading across the floor, eyes on me and the Cullens, like everyone else in the class, “Yes Maia?”
She stopped before me, “And what precisely are you doing not stretching and getting ready like the others?” She looked at the Cullens and spoke before I could answer her first question, “And who are your friends?”
“They were just leaving-” I began.
“We’re Aly’s cousins.” Edward interrupted.
“And…?” Maia said looking down at him- even though she was shorter- from behind her glasses. She looked really unimpressed. I couldn’t help but smile, She’s get rid of these clowns.
“And we were just curious about where she danced, she’s really secretive about it.”
“Real shy, our Aly.” Emmett added with a grin I shot a glare back to him, both of them. But they were just smiling pleasantly. They were trying to play the charming card were they? Well Maia would never be so-
“I’ve noticed that too.” Maia said.
What? My head snapped back to her, she was nodding.
“Aly always holds back, It’s really quite sad she never just lets herself go… I think she has real potential.” Maia continued to speak.
…What. The. Hell.
“Mhm that’s what Aunt Bella has always said about her.” Emmett said.
Oh god- I needed to hit my head against something.
Maia leaned on her tall walking stick, “Do you boys know anything about ballet?”
“What!” I said aloud, very loudly. All eyes fell to me. I laughed uncomfortably and said, “I mean… They don’t know anything-”
“We’ve been to a few ballets.” Edward once again interrupted me. “Our parents took us and it really is a overlooked art.”
Oh, brother.
“Yes, The Nutcracker is my favorite.” Emmett said beaming.
Maybe if I pretended to have a seizure we could leave.
“Well maybe you boys could stay and give me an opinion on the girls dance?” Maia said.
“Maia!” I said and she looked at me alarmed by my outburst, I blushed and spoke quietly, “What about the rules about… outsiders, being in the studio… when we are…”
“Oh, rules are meant to be broken.” Maia said most unlike herself and went behind me to stand between the boys, “Your cousins are not afraid to admit they like ballet… I think we should invite them to watch… Wouldn’t you like to show how hard we’ve worked Alyson?”
“But-” I began.
“You want them here Alyson?” She made it a question, but it was much more of a command.
I glared at them both, Emmett was straight out about his smugness. Edward just waited for my answer, but you knew he was smug over this too, just hiding it. Which made him worse.
“Yes, Miss Maia.” I said.
“Good.” She went past me, “Alright children, We have two special guests to show how hard we’ve worked today…” Maia began her prep speech and ordered us around.
“Good luck.” Emmett told me.
“Why don’t you just bite me.” I said and caught Edward stiffen in the corner of my eye, Emmett didn’t notice. I turned and joined my classmates. I stretched as the teacher talked and then we were ordered to dance, not the one we were doing for recital but another we’d practiced and had come in second.
Hm… Maybe I should be nicer to my bodyguards… Definitely should be better about what I think around Edward. That would be the hardest. Trying not to voice my real thoughts in my brain, the place I can be truest to myself. I looked over to Maia who was talking to Edward as they watched us.
Emmett’s grin could have doubled as a damn lighthouse it was so bright. I rolled my eyes.
At one point I nearly stumbled over my feet, but that wasn’t so unusual, I wasn’t so good at the running part or the jumping or the running and jumping.
At the end we all stopped, we had to stand in a certain final position, mine was in the back and all I was supposed to do was have my head back and arms up. But I felt a wave of nausea. My arms fell and I opened my eyes but it was dark and I couldn’t hear anything but my own quick breath. I couldn’t stand. I couldn’t move.
When I fell arms caught me and held me, I could hear voices but not what they were saying.
“It’s alright Aly.” One voice cut through the silence, “Just stay still a moment.”
I did so but my eyes opened and all I saw was Edward’s face. I didn’t know if my voice would work, but I spoke anyway and it came out lower then a whisper, “You caught me… again.”
Edward nodded, “You didn’t look like you could yourself.” He tried to make it sound like a joke.
I nodded and wondered if this was going to be a reoccurring episode. Me, falling, Edward, catching… Boy, I hope not. It was embarrassing enough already.
I think he was smiling when he said, “I’ll be there.”