A Forbidden Finale (Student/Teacher Romance)

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty

The rest of the day was a shambles. I stayed in my room and packed. I'd really thought it was all coming together—I was going to perform on stage tomorrow; I'd met Ethan; I'd even dared to think that maybe my blackmailer had exhausted their use of me. And now this.

I didn't really want to leave.

I didn't have anything to go home to.

It would just be me sat in a bedroom wallowing instead of being allowed to practice ballet and see Ethan. My grades would probably suffer, too. I'd just accepted that ballet really was my life. Just when I'd decided it was what I wanted, it was ripped away.

I didn't want to tell my parents until the last minute. I was waiting for them to arrive for the performance so that I could tell them that I'd decided to quit. I hadn't had the energy to think of an excuse yet—I was hoping something believable would come to me in the moment.

Right now I was facing the impossible task of saying goodbye to Ethan.

Wandering down the corridors at midnight was relaxing, and I tried to memorise the pretty architecture and gorgeous paintings. I'd probably never step foot in somewhere this posh again.

I was relying on my ability to wing it here, as well. Of course ever since Amber had thrown her ultimatum at me I'd been torn between lamenting the ballet career I'd never got to start, and saying goodbye to Ethan. My imagining of the situation had involved us having horny sex one final time before I left rather than what I was actually going to say to him, though.

There weren't any right words or good excuses. Ethan was never going to believe that I was choosing to leave off my own back, not really. But, that didn't matter. I'd left it until the absolute last minute, so Ethan wouldn't be able to figure out why I was leaving and he wouldn't be able stop me.

I swallowed the nagging feeling that this might be enough to make our end of year agreement void. He'd know I was lying to him and that might push our already tremulous relationship over the edge.

Slipping into the teacher's corridor, I felt sick to my stomach.

I didn't want to say goodbye.

I wanted to go in there, give him a kiss and a cuddle, then go to bed together. I didn't want any of the complications anymore. I was worn out with everything.

Shutting my eyes and taking a deep breath, I knocked on the door. It was like a repeat of the last time I'd done this—Ethan answered the door clad only in his boxers and gave me an exasperated look before gesturing for me to come in. He hadn't registered the forlorn expression on my face yet.

"What's up? Oh, hey, what's wrong?" His eyebrows knitted and he took a step towards me. "What's happened?"

I stared at him for long that he really began to get worried before hanging my head. "I'm leaving."

"What?"

"I'm leaving Briarwood. I'm going home tomorrow."

He didn't take another step forward and force my chin up like I'd expected, but took a step back instead. "What are you talking about?"

I lifted one shoulder unenthusiastically. I apparently didn't have the energy to attempt a believable explanation. "I just don't want to be a ballerina anymore."

"That doesn't mean you should leave the Academy." Ethan's voice was strained and he began to pace. "What's really happened? Why now? What has your blackmailer done?" It was the wrong culprit, but basically the same thing. The urge to just tell him and see if he could help was overwhelming. But this was different. One click on Amber's phone and it would be everywhere. I wasn't going to risk that.