Vivid Lies Read Online Free Page B

wore on stage. I put the boots that were my downfall back on and take the jacket with me out the back door.  
    It's a little after midnight when I pull into our underground garage. I park in our designated spot and shut off the car.  
    "Fuck!" I smack the steering wheel.  
    Tonight was my night to prove to someone that I'm good at something. I was supposed to be awesome here. Not one half of Brooklyn and London. I was supposed to earn my spot on the stage.
    Instead, I made a fool of myself. I'll be lucky if they let me up there again anytime soon.  
    I should have practiced more. Probably should have taken dance classes as a kid or something. Ran away to join the circus. Who knows what kind of training Candy has?  
    I grab my bag and get out of the car, slamming the door behind me. The garage is cool and empty. My heels echo as I walk across the cement.  
    I'm passing the dumpsters when I notice the pole. Walking over to it, I see it's steel and probably needs painting. There used to be a sign attached to the top at some point.  
    I drop my bag and unzip my boots, kicking them to the side. I clench my jaw and rush the pole, locking my ankles at the top as I spin and drop backwards. Upside down, I hold my breath and wait to fall like I just did at the club.  
    My body holds and slowly rotates as planned. My back arches and I grab the bottom. I slowly drop one leg back down to the ground, then the other. Perfect .
    I do it again. And again.  
    London and I fought too hard to get where we are now. I may be a stripper, but it's what I want. This is my version of freedom and I'll be damned if I'll let that go. I think about my sister who gave it all up, too. Together we need to make it or it will all be for nothing. He wins if I give in.  
    I can't give in. I keep trying for London. I keep trying for me.  
    My hands are raw and I start to shiver from the cold but I don't stop. I don't know how long I do the move that I failed on stage, but I keep going until my ankles bruise.  
    Clapping echoes as I stand back up from another move. A shadowed figure comes toward me and into the dim light from the exit sign.  
    "I knew you could do it," Kane says, stopping a few in front of me.  
    "You scared the shit out of me," I hiss with my hand over my racing heart.  
    "Good. You shouldn't be down here alone this late."
    "I didn't think anyone was around. I just wanted to try something."
    Kane runs his hand over the pole as he looks down at me. I pick up the jacket and put my boots back on.  
    "Are you okay?" he asks. "Did it hurt?"
    "You saw?" My face heats with embarrassment.  
    He just nods and grabs my bags from the ground.  
    "I'm fine. Just need some more practice."
    Silently, we leave the garage and get on the elevator together. In the light of the lobby, I see water dripping down Kane's jacket and his hair is wet.  
    "Why are you wet?" I ask.  
    "It's coming down pretty hard out there," he says, running his hand through his wet hair.  
    To prove his point, a crack of thunder sounds and the lights flicker.  
    "Shit." I rush to the elevator and hit the button. When the doors don't immediately open, I turn for the stairs.  
    "Brooklyn? Are you okay?"  
    "My sister. She's terrified of storms," I say as I run up the stairs.  
    London has been scared of storms since we were in middle school. Back home, a fierce thunderstorm rolled in one night. The thunder and lightning shook the whole house. We waited all night, huddled under the stairs for our dad to get home.  
    He wrapped his car around a tree that night on his way home from the bar. It was a long night of fear and worry. London freaks out with every storm since then.  
    I run up the four flights, praying my boots won't let me down again tonight. When I get to our door I turn the knob, but it's locked.
    "London, open the door," I shout as I smack the door harder. "Fuck."
    "Here."  
    Keys are forced into my hand and I look up at Kane in relief. He hands me my