Burning Touch

Chapter 38

Six weeks later.

Izzy had been stuck at home for weeks but stuck isn't the word she would have used to describe it. It had been refreshing just being indoors not having to do anything even if it was something she loved. Being away from her hectic schedule and just taking some time off was good for her. She hadn't known what she had been missing all along. She thought doing what you loved was what everything was all about but now, weeks later, she realized even doing what you loved continuously was hectic; if you never take a break from it every once in a while, it became a chore.

She had had time to think about everything, get a different perspective of her life. Andre was a constant thought and she also understood his letter to her. She had the 'this is what he meant' moment sometime between getting her ankle broken to this point. She was glad for the injury because it gave her one more reason to appreciate her life and the people she had in it. During the past weeks, she had reconnected with a lot of people she hadn't spoken to in what felt like forever. When she called each of them up, she was reminded of how long it had been since they had been in contact. She was surprised at how much time had flown by and what she had been doing within that period. It was then she realized how right Andre had been, how right he was. She needed to find a balance in her life.

"There you go." Kelsie said as she took out the cast.

"Thank you." Izzy said with a smile.

"So, what's the first thing you're looking forward to doing?"

"She's heading straight back to the studio, no doubt." Ilana said.

"Of course." Kelsie shook her head with an expression that read 'of course, what was I thinking'.

"Actually, I'm going to call Laurieann and request for two weeks off. There's something I really need to do."

"Just remember, nothing too jumpy. Your cast might be off but you need to take things slow for a while."

"I will but please, no cane. I just got off the crutches."

Kelsie smiled.
"Since you're a fellow colleague, I'll give you the benefit of a doubt and trust you to be cautious."

"Just how cautious is 'cautious'?"

Kelsie narrowed her eyes at her.
"What do you have in mind?"

Izzy smiled.
"Something that involves flying."

"Oh, please don't tell me you want to go paragliding." Ilana prayed.

Izzy laughed. She wasn't, but she had no doubt it was just as dangerous.

Twenty-four hours later, Josie had just finished making dinner when her doorbell rang. She frowned because she wasn't expecting anybody and especially not at this hour. Josie walked to the door and looked through the peep-hole and was surprised at who stood on the other side of her door. She unlatched the chains quickly pulled the door open staring at the one person she had least expected to see on her doorstep.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" Josie asked, surprised, shocked, and very happy.

"Good to see you too Josie." The visitor said with a smile. "Are you going to let me in?"

Josie laughed.
"Of course, come on in Izzy. Let me help you with that."

A few hours later, after dinner, Josie couldn't help but ask.
"Not that I'm not glad you're here but what are you doing in Seattle?" She asked. "What about your injury and how did you find me?"

Izzy let out a sigh.
"Well to answer you, I called up Mia to send me your address and I took out my cast just yesterday, it's much better now."

"Except for the limp."

"Except for the unnoticeable limp." Izzy corrected with a smile.

"If you call that unnoticeable, you're ignorant."

"You sound like my mum," Izzy said. "Anyway, Kelsie didn't let me leave without a bandage and a reminder to change it every day."

"I'm glad."

"And I'm here because I realized how bad I messed up."

Josie frowned.
"You, mess up? I highly doubt that."

"I did. Pretty bad actually and it took me a broken ankle to realize everything that was wrong with the way I was living my life."

"You're career-driven, there's nothing wrong with that."

"There is when you don't find the time to spare for the people in your life," Izzy said. "After Andre left, I was pretty shaken up and I drowned myself in my work and my dance which was what caused the injury in the first place.

"So, this is about Andre."

"It's about what he said to me in the letter and how right he was." She said. "I messed things up with him Jo and I want to tell him how sorry I am. Maybe try and fix things between us."

Josie sighed.
"I don't want to get between the two of you because if I did, I wouldn't know who to support because you're both my best friends. But I'll tell you to do anything you would do without me in play, just know that things have been really hard for Andre this past month."

Izzy swallowed; her heart clenching harder than it had been when she made up her mind to come to Seattle to see Andre.

"I'll go see him tomorrow." Izzy said.

Josie nodded not saying a word about Andre trying to get over her and about him being almost there.

"Just don't get your hopes up. I'd hate to see you more heartbroken than you are."

Izzy nodded and hugged her friend before they both went to bed.

Izzy laid awake in Josie's guest bedroom, facing the window on her right where the white curtains danced with the night breeze. Even though she had planned this trip a few weeks ago and was so sure about it then, being in the same city as Andre sent her heart racing and made her unsure of her decision to see him and try and hopefully win him back.

Andre had been the best thing that has ever happened to her and she was too blind to see it before but now that she had a different perspective of things, she knew just how terrible of a girlfriend she had been. Not just because she hadn't been there for the one important night in his career but because she hadn't taken the time to understand just how important it was to him. She hadn't been there prior to that night and she hadn't seen it as a problem because she had been too wrapped up in her own career whereas he had always taken the time away from work to talk to her, to be with her, to set up romantic dates which she was always too busy to attend.

Izzy shut her eyes before the tears had the chance to escape. Her heart felt like it was going to implode in pain, guilt, and her feelings for Andre. Her feelings for Andre, she thought that had gone away when she drowned herself in her work but she had just been postponing the feeling of sadness that came with her broken heart at his departure and losing him. She had delayed the inevitable for just a while and it was all coming back and her entire body was drowning in the feeling and she hated it. A part of her knew she deserved it because she was the only reason he left, she caused it all and she hated herself for that.

Izzy buried her head into the pillow and her entire body shook as she cried into the muffling sound of her pain.