I’d been doing so well over the summer. However, without Asher there, I was making more mistakes. Losing focus. Questioning myself. The noticeable change in the quality of my rehearsals added another layer of anxiety. What if he was the secret ingredient? Could I perform in front of a crowd without him next to me, encouraging me? My stomach cramped. No. As much as I lov—liked Asher, I refused to make my success dependent on another person. I didn’t care if I was practicing as an understudy and that I’d probably never get the chance to perform onstage. I was going to nail this bloody dance on
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