Powerless (Chestnut Springs, #3)

by Elsie Silver

“It was the fall you got a spot with your company. Finally went pro. Got a role in The Nutcracker. I came to help you move into your new condo downtown. You were eighteen, and I was twenty-four.” “I remember.” Her voice is quiet, hollowed-out sounding. “We had fun setting everything up.” She nods. “We did.” “I had secured a spot on the Grizzlies. Clawed my way up off the farm team.” “I remember,” she repeats. “Everything was going so well for both of us. I was so happy for you. So excited to see you on stage. To have a friend from back home in the city with me.” Her eyes are shiny now. “But your dad found me leaving your place.” I swallow, staring down at my hands, arms limp at my sides before crossing them and slipping them beneath each other like a shield. “He threatened to pull strings with his friend who owns the team and have me cut from the roster if I ever crossed that line with you. He told me to stay far away from you. That he never wanted to see me in your presence alone again.”