Chapter 6 - chapter 6

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📘 Chapter Six: The Silence After

Monday morning.

Iris walked into the studio with her heart in knots and her shoulders straight. She wore a sleek fitted top, high-waisted jeans, and heels taller than usual. Every step was calculated. Fierce. Focused.

But inside, she was a storm.

She hadn't slept since the kiss.

Ethan hadn't spoken to her since. Not in rehearsal, not in passing, not even by text. It was like he'd drawn a line in the sand and dared her to cross it again.

And maybe she would.

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Practice Floor – 9:17 AM

Maya watched from the corner of the studio, arms folded, chewing slowly on a piece of gum. She wasn't stupid. She saw the shift. The tension. The way Ethan avoided looking at Iris. The way Iris kept watching him anyway.

Something had changed.

After the morning drills, Maya pulled Iris aside. Her voice was casual, but her eyes were sharp.

"You're rising fast," she said. "Not just your walk. Your presence. The room shifts when you enter now."

"Thank you," Iris said, guarded.

"But here's the thing," Maya added, leaning in. "It's not just talent. It's tension. The kind that bends rules until they snap. You and Ethan—what's going on?"

Iris blinked. "Nothing."

Maya smiled like a wolf. "Right."

She let the silence stretch, then added:

"Just remember… in this world, spotlights burn just as fast as they shine."

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Upstairs – Ethan's Office

He sat at his desk staring at the Showcase lineup. He hadn't changed Iris's position—she was still opening the show—but part of him wanted to pull her out entirely. To protect her.

From him.

But it was too late for that. She wasn't his student anymore.

She was in his blood.

The knock on his door startled him.

It was Maya.

She didn't wait for permission before walking in. "We need to talk."

He rubbed his temples. "Let me guess. You're going to warn me."

She tossed a folder on his desk. "Too late for warnings. But you should know—people are noticing."

He didn't open the folder. "There's nothing to notice."

"Ethan," she said, softly this time. "I know what it's like to carry guilt so deep it keeps you from breathing. But this girl isn't your past. She's your future… if you don't screw it up."

He looked up, jaw clenched.

"You're saying I should be with her?"

"I'm saying if you're already halfway there, lying to yourself will only make it worse."

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Iris's Dorm – That Night

Iris stood in front of the mirror, practicing alone. Not her walk—her control. She needed it. Because the more she saw him, the more she remembered the feeling of his lips on hers.

Her phone buzzed.

A text.

Ethan:

> "Meet me. Studio Two. Midnight."

She stared at it.

No emoji. No explanation.

But her heart said go.

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Studio Two – 11:59 PM

She walked in. The room was dark, but the soft glow of runway lights lit a path to the center, where Ethan stood in a black shirt, sleeves rolled, hands in his pockets.

"I shouldn't have kissed you," he said.

"I know."

"I haven't stopped thinking about it," he said.

"I know that too."

Silence.

Then Iris stepped forward. "So why am I here?"

He exhaled slowly. "Because I don't know how to do this the right way. But I do know that if I don't see you again tonight—like this—I'll regret it."

He stepped forward, stopping just in front of her.

"No rules," she whispered. "Just tonight?"

He looked down at her. "One night… that I'll remember forever."

And he kissed her again.

But this time—there was no hesitation.

Only heat.

Only surrender.

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