Swapping a Broken Heart for a New Start novel Chapter 818

Audrey Williams could tell right away that Walter was lying through his teeth, but she didn’t seem to mind at all. “It’s fine. If you don’t know how, I can teach you,” she said brightly. “I’m a fantastic dancer! There aren’t many girls in Mayfield who can outshine me on the dance floor.”

As she spoke, she dove right in, barking out instructions and guiding Walter through the steps.

Of course, Walter wasn’t actually clueless when it came to dancing.

But he’d already claimed ignorance, and now it was too late to backtrack. Left with no other option, he followed her lead, listening to her as she counted out the rhythm.

And that’s when things went downhill. The more he tried to follow her tempo, the more muddled his own steps became.

He kept stepping on Audrey’s toes, or else nearly tripping over his own feet.

Finally, Walter couldn’t take it anymore. He pulled Audrey closer to bring them to a stop and asked, “Are you sure you know how to teach? Your steps are all wrong!”

This, she claimed, was the pride of Mayfield’s young ladies?

Audrey just grinned, impossibly sweet. “No way! I’m definitely right!”

Walter stared at her, exasperated. “How are you right? Just now, on the fourth beat, it was supposed to be the left foot—what did you tell me to do?”

Audrey paused, thinking it over, then blinked those big eyes and said, “No, I’m pretty sure it’s the right foot. That’s how I always do it.”

“Left foot,” Walter insisted.

“No, right foot!”

They went back and forth, Audrey refusing to give in, dragging Walter along to try again and prove her point in practice.

Before long, the dance had devolved into a hilarious mess.

Audrey nearly stumbled a few times, forcing Walter to hold her tightly so she wouldn’t fall.

That’s when he finally caught on. He looked down at her, suspicious. “You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”

Audrey gazed up at him with a perfectly innocent expression. “No, I’m really trying to teach you…”

Then she scrunched up her nose, her energy seeming to drain away all at once as she slumped against him.

“What’s wrong?” Walter’s tone turned urgent, arms tightening around her as if afraid she might collapse if he let go.

Audrey’s voice turned small and pitiful. “Walter, I… I’m a little out of breath. Can you take me to sit down for a bit?”

Walter knew about her health issues.

The second she said that, he didn’t dare hesitate. He guided her carefully toward the lounge area, worry plain on his face. “Do you want me to get Camila to take a look at you?”

Audrey shook her head quickly. “No, no, I’m just a bit tired. I just need to sit for a minute. If you’d let me lean on you, that’d be perfect.”

She didn’t wait for his reply—she hooked her arm around his, making herself comfortable.

Walter didn’t think much of it.

He also didn’t notice the gleam of mischief flashing in Audrey’s beautiful eyes, sly as a fox who’d just raided the henhouse.

“True. At least I figured it out early enough. I used to be a little resentful, but Camila Davis is a perfect match for him now. I’m over it.”

“Not that anyone else ever had a shot. Mr. Williams never let anyone close.”

“Wasn’t Cynthia Lee just telling everyone she was going to get engaged to Mr. Williams? He didn’t even look her way tonight!”

“There was never any real engagement, was there? Who knows who started that rumor—probably her.”

“Honestly, that makes sense. With Mr. Williams’ personality, if there was an engagement, he’d announce it himself. He’s never been the secretive type.”

“To me, it’s clear. He only has eyes for Ms. Davis. The rest are just playing the fool.”

“She even tried to ask him to dance—right in front of his girlfriend! And he turned her down flat. I felt secondhand embarrassment just watching it.”

“To be honest, that move was pretty shameless. And she calls herself the most popular girl in Mayfield?”

“That title’s self-appointed anyway. If anyone’s the real leading lady, it’s Ms. Williams.”

Their voices were kept low, but each word stabbed right into Cynthia’s heart.

By the time they finished, she was shaking with rage.

It was all Camila Davis’s fault.

If it weren’t for her, Cynthia would never have suffered this kind of humiliation.