Burning Touch

Chapter 26

Izzy was spending the day with Andre in his penthouse. They were curled up together on the sofa in the living room with the t.v. on. It was Izzy off day and she had no rehearsals to attend or dance workshops to turn up at; she had decided to just have a lazy day in but Andre had shown up at the apartment and stolen her away.

It had been a week since Josie left and the apartment wasn't as it had been when she was around even now that Mia had taken the bar exam, she always headed out to the library leaving the apartment quiet. So she was glad Andre had shown up and whisked her away to his.

"I can hear the engines in your head."

Izzy smiled. She lifted her head from his chest and shifted her gaze from the t.v. to him. Andre smiled before he looked down at her.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked her

"How glad I am that you brought me here."

"Uhm, I should get a kiss for that."

Izzy shook her head with the smile still on her lips.
"You should." She lifted her head to his and he brought his head down and kissed her just the way she liked it.

The ding of her phone interrupted them.

"Don't get it." Andre said as he wrapped his arms around her and squashed her to him.

"Wasn't planning on it." She got comfortable on top of him as their kissing session continued.

Time passed too quickly when they were together, spending the day with Andre didn't seem enough.

Izzy watched him in the kitchen from behind the island. She loved to cook but she didn't complain when Andre asked her to sit this out, besides she loved watching him more.

Her phone rang and she got up from the stool and went to get her phone from the living room where it had been since she arrived.

"Hey, Mia, what's up?"

"Hey, I won't make it back in time for dinner."

Izzy smiled.
"Neither would I."

The line was silent for a moment before Mia spoke.
"Oohh, ok." Izzy heard the smile in her voice. "Good then, we both deserve a night out."

"You deserve it more after the exam."

Mia sighed across the phone.
"I guess. Fred makes me forget the world around us, it's almost scary."

Izzy looked at Andre from the living room just in time for him to turn and smile at her. She smiled back.
"I know what you mean." She said, "But for tonight, let everything fade away and have fun."

"You too." Mia said

"See you later."

"Yea."

They hung up and Izzy checked her notifications. She swiped at the ones from social media. Sent quick text messages back and replied to WhatsApp messages. All that was left was her email, she decided to check them later but figured why wait.

She opened her email and the first one caught her attention. She opened it with a frown and as she read through, she felt the air leave her lungs.

"Oh. My. Goodness!" She stared at her phone in shock.

Andre walked into the living room with a hand towel over his shoulder.
"Everything alright?"

She looked up at him, opened her mouth, and closed it, unable to speak.
"I-I just got an email."

Andre raised his brow for her to go on.

"From Laurieann." She said, "One of her dancers just injured her leg and she wants me to take her spot."

Andre smiled.
"I'm not surprised."

Her smiled faded.
"Did you have anything to do with this?"

Andre sighed as he walked closer to her.
"All I did was invite her to your last show. Laurieann has a mind of her own and she saw talent in you the way everyone does. This was all you."

Izzy's smile was back on as she jumped him for a hug.
"Thank you so much for believing in me."

"You're one special girl Belle." Andre said

"You aren't so common yourself."

Andre laughed.
"Thanks." He said, "Now let's go eat, I'll bring out your favorite wine to celebrate."

"Grape?" She pulled back with her arms still around his neck.

"What else is there?"

After dinner, they went to the balcony and sat down near the bonfire Andre had fixed. Izzy sat next to Andre with her legs across his lap, her arms around his neck and his around her midriff.

She sighed.
"Every single moment with you feels surreal."

Andre frowned and looked at her.
"Why do you say that?"

"Because I never imagined any of this would happen to me." She said, "Finding someone so amazing it's hard to imagine a moment without them."

Andre clenched his jaw and stared into those eyes he'd come to love. Not just the eyes but also the person.

Izzy was everything he had never thought he wanted. Only now he didn't just want her, he needed her. She filled up the void he didn't know he had. She was the Ying to his Yang and he couldn't imagine a day, a moment without her.
"I love you." He whispered.

Andre watched as Izzy's eyes grew wide. She blinked a couple of times as the fire crackled in the silent night. She swallowed hard thinking she was hearing things.

"Wh-what did you say?"

Andre smiled with a sigh. He reached up and caressed her cheek with his thumb. He leaned closer.
"I love you." He said again.

Izzy was quiet, she was trying to find a stable ground for all her ballistic feelings. She couldn't think even if she tried.

"You don't have to say anything."

"I-I..."

"Don't." He stopped her. "I didn't say it just so you could say it back. I just needed you to know how I feel about you."

Izzy was silent as she took a moment to recognize the words he just said to her in the depths of his eyes.

It was Andre, he wouldn't lie about anything to her most especially his feelings.

She didn't know what to say, she knew she felt something really strong for Andre but she hadn't taken the time to really think about what that could be. But now that he had said those words, she didn't have a choice but to deal with those feelings and figure out what they actually were. She didn't want to drag him along if she didn't share the same feelings he did but she knew that was unlikely.

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Hey guys,

Another update! I'm not sure if there'll be an update next Friday because I have a 40-page report to write and Friday is the deadline, also I haven't even started cause I just got my laptop today.

Yea I was supposed to get it on Monday but the repair shop was closed. So, I got it today instead. Long story short, I have to get started on the report and I have to make a website for my sister, I'll try writing between all those and "try" to get a chapter ready before Friday.

Try being the operative word.

Leave a comment below. ❤️

Thanks for reading and voting,
J.L.