Trip the Light Fantastic
Nicole Bea
Publication date: May 4th 2021
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Nothing heals a broken heart like an enticing new dance partner.
Eighteen-year-old freshman Chelsea DesRosiers is ready to reinvent herself. After an abysmal breakup with her cheating ex, Chelsea vows to step out of her comfort zone.
The answer? Swing dance classes. Maybe not the best idea for someone with two left feet, but the overwhelmed Chelsea soon finds herself in the arms of swoon-worthy campus dance president, Lux Colford. The attraction rises as the two spend their extra evenings practicing their moves until an old flame of Lux’s shows up.
Can Chelsea risk her heart again? Will Lux prove worthy of her trust, or will finding her inner strength mean walking away?
—
I try to unwrap my fingers from his, but before I have a chance, he pulls me into a delicate kiss. It only lasts for a second, but it’s sweet and sensitive and tells me that Lux is feeling something very deep, something that he’s willing to share in public. At least, I think that’s what it means. Maybe it’s hormones or emotions or overwhelmed brains and hearts, but I choose, at least for the moment, to believe it means what he said earlier. That he’s attracted to me.
“Go inside, Chelsea,” he murmurs, gently letting me go. “Before you make me lose my mind.”
A little giggle rises in my throat, and before I can overthink anything, I take off into the foyer. I only look back once I’m inside, and Lux gives me a small wave from under the trees before he turns and disappears into the shadows.
I rush up to my room, trying to hide the massive grin on my face from the few other students I walk past, keeping my eyes down until I’ve securely locked the door to 2C behind me. Immersed in the glow of the fake stars, I lean back against the door with a deep sigh, sliding my back down the smooth surface until I’m sitting on the floor. It’s late, but I’m never going to be able to sleep now. I know because all that’s rushing through my head is the kiss and the dancing and the million different ways I felt this evening that I never knew were even possible. It’s washing over me like a Patrick’s Cove wave, and I can’t help but laugh to myself as my phone dings in the faded light.
NICOLE BEA is a short story author and novelist who primarily focuses on contemporary teen fiction. An avid storyteller since childhood, she has honed her skills through a variety of educational programs including management, sociology, legal studies, and cultural diversity in the workplace, most recently engaging in coursework about communication for technologists. In addition to writing for young adults, Nicole is also a technical writer for a global manufacturer of CPAP masks, machines, and other products that manage sleep-disordered breathing.
When she isn't busy updating her manuscript portfolio or catching up on her To Be Read pile, Nicole can usually be found gardening, horseback riding, or pursuing her new hobby of learning to cook. She and her husband share their home in Eastern Canada with a collection of multi-colored cats and a lifetime's worth of books.
