Bound to You

I was thankful for the fact that I didn't need an alarm to wake me up, but my body wasn't completely used to the time difference. So when I opened my eyes, and I realized that it was still dark outside, I groaned. The clock told me it was just after two in the morning, and I knew I wouldn't be going back to sleep anytime soon. My nap that was originally only supposed to last two hours ended up lasting ten. I pulled my laptop onto my legs and searched for a 24 hour coffee shop. I still hadn't gone grocery shopping, and I was a monster if I didn't have at least one cup of coffee in my system. I found one a few blocks away and pulled on a pair of tights. I slipped my feet into my converse, praying that it wasn't raining outside. I pulled my mom's NYU sweater over my head. It still smelled like her perfume, and I smiled, making a mental note to Skype her and my dad later.

I grabbed my wallet and my keys before stepping out into the cold air. I wrapped my arms around my midsection and started my trek down the street. London seemed alive at night, much like New York. It was almost like I was home, and in a sense I was. I knew I was going to have to make a trip to see my grandparents. I wasn't even sure if they knew that I moved. I heard music coming from what looked like a bar with a sign hanging over it that read Whisper. It seemed ordinary except for the stage that was in the back, velvet curtains hanging above it. There was a sign in the window saying that they were looking for dancers and singers. I couldn't help but to walk inside. I pushed the door open, a small chime signaling whoever was working that I was there.

"We're closed." A familiar voice startled me, and my eyes snapped to the counter, landing on the asshole from a few days ago. I gulped and stepped back toward the door, but I couldn't shy away from people like him for the rest of my life.

"I saw the sign in the window saying that you were looking for dancers?" My voice was squeaky, and I cursed the fact that my nervousness was obvious. I was normally confident, but he made me feel small with just a look.

"Andie!" He called someone's name and disappeared through a door. I stood there awkwardly, wondering if this Andie person actually existed or if he was just trying to get rid of me. I tugged at the bottom of my sweater, looking around the bar. It seemed like more of a lounge, but it was beautiful all the same. The dim lighting created a sultry sense of calm, but I still felt jittery.

"Hello. Harry tells me you're looking for a job?" If I remembered correctly, Rhys called him Harold. Maybe Harry was just a nickname. I stared at the woman that towered over me. I wasn't incredibly short, but she had to be at least 5'10".

"Yes. I saw the sign that said you're looking for dancers and singers?" I gave her a small smile, hoping she didn't notice the fact that my hands were shaking.

"You can do both?"

"Yes ma'am." I nodded once, standing a little bit straighter. I need to show off some semblance of confidence if I had any hope of her considering me for a job.

"And where have you danced?"

"I just graduated from Juilliard." She gave me an impressed look before circling me. I probably should have made myself more presentable, but I had no idea I'd come across this place. I was kicking myself for only putting on chapstick before I left my apartment.

"So you're not a native."

"Sort of. I was born here, and I came back with my parents a few times. I decided to move back permanently once I graduated." I wondered how many times I'd be explaining myself. It was ridiculous when I was in New York. I didn't talk like the people I went to school with, but my accent wasn't as heavy as my parents'.

"Wonderful. What style of dance are you trained in?"

"Ballet, modern, hip hop, tap, jazz, lyrical, and contemporary." The list sounded extensive, but there was always more to learn. I still took classes just to make sure I didn't lose anything.

"Great. Alright, well it's a bit late, so why don't you come back tomorrow 12, and we'll see what you've got." I grinned, the nervousness in my stomach slowly disappearing.

"Thank you so much."

"No problem. What's your name, love?"

"Arielle Laurent." It seemed like something in her head clicked because her eyes widened, and she raised her eyebrows.

"That's why you look familiar. You're Ron's niece, right?"

"Yes." I hadn't talked to him either, and I wondered if Andie was the girlfriend he always raved about but no one ever got to meet. I hadn't talked to him for a few months, and he was probably going to be pissed that I hadn't told him I was moving back. He was my favorite out of all my dad's siblings, because my aunt Beatrice was an absolute bitch.

"I'll tell him that I saw you. He'll be happy to know you're back. I'm Andrea, his fiancee, but Andie is fine." I didn't know they were engaged, which just showed how much we actually spoke to each other, but I smiled all the same. She was going to be family.

"It's nice to meet you, Andie, and congratulations. I didn't know you guys were engaged. He's probably going to hit me when he figures out I moved back without telling him." Ron and I weren't that far apart in age, so he was more of a big brother than an uncle. Andie laughed, and Harry appeared from the back again. I tried to avoid his burning gaze, focusing my eyes on my soon-to-be aunt.

"I'll make sure that doesn't happen. I'll see you tomorrow." I smiled and waved, stepping back out into the cold air. I still had every intention of getting coffee, despite the fact that I was wired from excitement.

"Arielle, wait!" I turned, raising my eyebrows at the boy jogging toward me.

"Yes?"

"I just wanted to say that I was sorry for the way I acted last time I saw you. Rhys doesn't really like my girlfriend. I thought he was trying to set us up." I didn't like that disappointment settled in my bones at the mention of his girlfriend. It didn't surprise me that he was in a relationship with the way he looked.

"That doesn't give you the right to be an asshole," I pointed out, turning on my heel again. I wasn't going to let him ruin what little good mood I had. I was just going to get my coffee, go home, and binge watch Chopped.

"You're right. I apologize. At least let me walk you to your car."

"I didn't drive. I live around the corner, so I walked. I'm just going to get coffee." He fell into step with me, shoving his hands into his pockets. He towered over me, exactly like Andie did, and I straightened out my posture. I hated feeling small.

"Then I'll walk with you."

"You don't have to. I'll be fine," I said, pushing my fingers through my hair. My mind was going a mile a minute as I thought about what I was going to wear, what I was going to sing, and what I was going to perform.

"But I'd feel horrible if something happened to you." I rolled my eyes at his personality switch and didn't say anything else. Maybe if I ignored him, he'd go away, "You know Andie pretty well?"

"I don't know her at all. She's my uncle's fiancee, but that was my first time meeting her." I found the coffee shop I'd been looking for and stepped inside, smiling at the smell of freshly ground coffee beans.

"You're Ron's niece?"

"You know my uncle?" I quirked an eyebrow before glancing at the menu. I already knew what I wanted to drink, but my stomach was starting to growl. I made a mental note to go shopping as soon as the stores opened.

"Of course. Him and Andie own the place." I should have figured it out, but of course the thought never crossed my mind. I sighed and rubbed my temples, knowing that me auditioning was going to be a problem.

"That's just wonderful." I walked up to the counter, glancing around for the person working. A small girl with blonde hair and large glasses walked from the back, a small smile on her face.

"Welcome to Marie's. What can I get for you?"

"Hi. Can I have a white chocolate mocha with an extra shot of espresso and a blueberry muffin please?" It might have been rude, but I didn't check to see if Harry wanted anything. He wasn't even supposed to be here.

"Your total is £4.80." I pulled a £5 note from my wallet, handing her the money and telling her to keep the change.

"Thank you." I walked to the side, watching as she made my drink and set the blueberry muffin in the oven to warm up.

"You know, you're the one that's being rude now," Harry said, moving to stand next to me. I turned and stared up at him, trying to figure him out. I wanted to make a smart comment, but then I'd be no better than him.

"I'm sorry." I wasn't, but I wanted him to be quiet.

"I don't believe you."

"You don't have to believe me. You don't even have to be here. I literally live five minutes away. You're welcome to walk out at any time." I motioned toward the door, plastering a fake smile on my face.

"Your uncle would kill me if he knew I let you walk home alone."

"I won't tell him. I promise." I turned my back, moving to grab my drink and muffin when I saw that they were done, "Thank you." I gave the girl a small smile before walking out, Harry following close behind me. Did he seriously have nothing better to do?

"May I ask why you decided to move back?" I preferred silence, but it was obvious he wasn't going to go away, and he probably wouldn't stop asking questions either.

"I wanted to be on my own, and in New York, I wasn't on my own. I literally lived like five minutes away from my parents. Nowhere else in the states interested me enough to move there, and I've always loved London. Actually begged my parents to move back when I was fourteen. I always knew I'd end up back here. It was only a matter of time." I shrugged, thankful that we were almost back at my building. I figured my drink had cooled down enough that it wouldn't scald off my tastebuds, and I took a tentative sip, enjoying the warmth that spread through my body.

"Are you excited to be back?"

"Yes, but no. I forgot how shit the weather was majority of the time. I'm going to miss the sun." A small smile crossed my lips when he laughed. It was a beautiful sound, but I wasn't going to turn to mush. He was still an asshole.

"It's sunny here sometimes," he said, shoving his hands deeper into his pockets.

"Yeah, once or twice a week. And then it rains every other day." I took another sip of my coffee and plucked a piece of my muffin from the bag it was sitting in. I was thankful that it was still warm because cold muffins didn't appeal to me.

"So Juilliard...." I stopped walking once we were in front of my building. I was perfectly capable of walking up the stairs on my own. I didn't need a babysitter.

"What are you trying to accomplish here?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows at him. I'd already considered seeing him again a cruel twist of fate, but the fact that he was capable of being nice sort of bothered me after the way he acted.

"I'm trying to make it up to you for the way I treated you." I rolled my eyes, unlocking the glass door to the lobby.

"Consider yourself forgiven. You don't have to make anything up to me. Goodnight, Harold." I turned to walk inside, but his voice stopped me.

"That's not my name."

"Okay?" So what the hell was his name?

"Rhys uses it as a nickname. My name's Harry." That seemed unusual, but I didn't want to comment on it. I'd spoken to him enough for one day.

"Noted. Goodnight Harry." I walked inside without waiting for him to say anything else and pressed the button for the elevator. I was thankful to be back in my bed, and I pulled up Netflix, clicking the next episode of Chopped. I enjoyed my extremely early breakfast while watching people attempt to make edible dishes out of outrageous ingredients. Whoever came up with the idea for Chopped was a genius.



My phone ringing broke me out of my vocal warm ups, and I walked over to my bed, picking up the offending object.

"Hello?"

"Arielle! It's Rhys." I smiled at the excited tone of his voice and grabbed my shirt from the corner of my dresser.

"Hi, Rhys. How are you?" I asked, putting the phone on speaker. It was almost 11:30, and I decided to put on a small layer of makeup. I wanted to look more presentable than when I walked in. I took my glasses off and set them in their case before putting in my contacts.

"I'm wonderful, thanks for asking. I wanted to see if you were free for lunch?"

"I have something to do at 12, but if you're willing to wait until I'm done, we can go eat after." I swiped some mascara on my eyelashes, deeming myself acceptable.

"Of course. Just give me a ring when you're done, yeah?"

"Yeah. I'll see you later." I hung up and threw my phone in my bag before slipping my feet into my shoes. I doubled checked myself just to make sure I had everything and walked out the door. It was overcast, but it was a lot warmer than I expected. I walked into Whisper, surprised at the sight of my father's brother. I didn't know he would be here.

"Ari!" He yelled, a wide grin on his face.

"Hi, Uncle Ronny." I walked over, wrapping my arms around him in a tight hug.

"How's my favorite niece?" He pressed a kiss to the side of my head, wrapping a large arm around my shoulders.

"I'm good. Where's Andie?"

"I'm here. Are you ready?"

"Yeah, but he needs to disappear. He's biased," I said, pointing a thumb at my favorite uncle. Andie laughed, but Ron looked offended. I rolled my eyes at his over dramatic expression, handing Andie my headshot and resume.

"I don't need this."

"No. I'm going to audition just like any other girl would. I have sheet music and a instrumentals on my phone. I'm normal. I'm not the boss' niece today, got it?" I looked at both of them, making sure they understood what I was saying. I got away from New York to be on my own, and I didn't want any handouts.

"Understood. Let me just go get our choreographer." Andie disappeared, leaving me to get myself ready. I walked up to the stage and started to stretch. I pulled the ponytail holder from my hair, letting the waves flow down my back. I closed my eyes and took a couple deep breaths to relax my nerves. I felt almost as nervous as I did when I auditioned for Juilliard. The small feeling that I was going to vomit reared its ugly head, but I pushed it back down, "Arielle, this is Mona." I shook the woman's hand, offering her a nervous smile.

"It's nice to meet you." I was grateful that my voice didn't betray me.

"It's nice to meet you as well. We're going to have you sing first." I walked to the speakers, smiling as I plugged my phone in. I scrolled through the endless amounts of music, picking my favorite song from the Rent soundtrack. I pressed play and walked back to center stage, hitting a pose. The music started for Take Me or Leave Me, and I grinned, feeling in my element.



I heard the small chime of the front door opening, and I allowed myself a small peak. Harry was standing there, hands shoved in his pockets exactly like last night. I pushed myself even harder to prove that he wasn't a distraction.



I took a deep breath, flipping my hair out of my face. My lungs were burning slightly, but I felt amazing, and the blinding smile I got from Andie and Mona only encouraged me further. Ron was in the back whistling, and I covered my giggle with a small cough.

"Damn girl. You sure this is where you want to be? You belong in the O2 arena" Andie asked, raising her eyebrows at me.

"Yes, I'm sure." I grinned at her compliment, resisting the urge to jump up and down like a small child. I still needed to dance, and I didn't want to sprain my ankle from getting too excited.

"You ready to dance?" I nodded, walking back over to my phone. I picked the mix I'd been working on all morning, hitting play before I slid into my splits. The music started off slow, and I flipped over my shoulder. I could feel a pair of eyes on me, but I knew it wasn't Andie or Mona. When I looked up, they were too busy whispering to each other, glancing at me every now and then. I knew who was looking at me, and it made me nervous. I'd danced in front of people before. I wasn't new to performing by any stretch of the imagination, but his gaze made my skin hot, and I was positive that my cheeks were flushed. I completed my last turn, hitting my ending pose.

"How'd I do?" I asked, my breathing heavy.

"Juilliard trained you well." Andie was grinning at me, and I hopped off the stage, grabbing my phone from the speakers.

"That was a waste of time. I could have told them you were amazing." Ron was grinning at me, walking forward to stand behind Andie and Mona.

"No special treatment. I moved back to get away from all that. I'm here to work. Are you going to let me work? Or do I have to keep looking for a job?" He held his hands up in defeat, chuckling at me.

"You will do no such thing. We knew halfway through your routine that we were going to hire you. You start Thursday." I grinned, feeling accomplished as Mona beamed at me. Andie started to ramble off details about rehearsal time and costume fittings. I could see Harry leaning against the bar, a perplexed look on his face as he stared back at me. I hated that he made me nervous. I wasn't used to the feeling.

"Does Poppy know you're back?" I cleared my throat, running my fingers through my hair.

"No, but I'm going to see him and Nana tomorrow." I hadn't actually made the plans, but I knew I was gonna have to see them eventually. If I randomly ran into them on the street, they'd never forgive me. I'd been here for almost a week and hadn't been by their house yet.

"Good. They've been talking about you a lot. Said you're the only grandchild with a head on their shoulders. Rachel quit school, Aflie never went, and Claire just announced that she was a lesbian." I choked on my saliva, trying to hold in my laughter. My family was very traditional, and I knew my grandparents just about had a fit when Claire gave them the news. I'd known since I was 12, but it had to be shock for everyone else.

"Family dinners should be wonderful."

"Right. Well, we're closing up for now, so get out. I'll see you Thursday, Bub." I gave everyone a hug, except for Harry, and stepped out into the cool air. I pulled my phone from my bag, getting ready to dial Rhys' number when someone stepped in front of me.

"You were amazing up there." Harry's voice didn't startle me this time around, but I was a little shocked that he was speaking to me. I'd been rude intentionally to avoid any further conversation, but it seemed that my efforts had failed.

"Thank you."

"Are you headed home? I could walk you."

"Yes, but only until I get ahold of Rhys. I'm meeting him for lunch." I watched Harry's face morph into something I couldn't explain before he nodded once and walked back inside, leaving me absolutely confused. I tried my best not to dwell as I walked home. I hit the call button for Rhys' contact and held the phone up to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey! We still on for lunch?" I asked, unlocking my front door.

"Yeah. Send me your address, and I'll be there soon." I nodded before realizing that he couldn't see me.

"Got it. See you in a bit." Things were starting to look up.