#Chapter 28: May I Have This Dance?

Without thought, I placed my hand in Nicholas’s waiting one, and let him tug me away from Julian’s arms and into his own. He was good at leading, even more so than Julian. Watching him, trusting his guidance, I didn’t need to count my steps anymore. I simply followed him as we danced around the ballroom. Despite our closeness, he didn’t utter one word. In fact, he seemed mostly irritable, glaring at the rest of the world while pointedly avoiding looking at me. I felt guilty and unsure. Why would he choose to dance with me if he didn’t want to? “We could end our dance early,” I offered. His grip on me tightened. “No.” Okay. I wracked my brain for something to get him to speak to me. Or, at the very least, look at me. Then I remembered, this was the perfect time to mention Elva’s fears. Here, I had his ear away from the other girls. “Elva has been a bit upset,” I said. Finally, his gaze snapped to me. “What? Why?” “Lena disapproved of Elva waving at you the other da