Thank you all for your reviews! :) I'm so sorry for the posting and re-posting of the last two chapters. The site was acting up on me! Its finally working now, though, so hopefully this gets posted correctly!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own OCs and storylines…

She Will Be Loved

Chapter 40: Dancing

By Love Ink

Juice sat on the cement steps just inside the crematory, watching Angela like a hawk as she worked, focused on any signs she might be in pain. It'd been three days since the accident, and she'd insisted on going back to work. Her arms were still scratched to all hell, a bandage on her forehead, scrapes all over her face; it looked like she'd gotten into a cat fight with a literal cat, which was why Skeeter had her working in the crematory and the workroom instead of meeting with clients. She didn't seem to care much, though; she'd become a little withdrawn and quiet after being released from the hospital. Hadn't mentioned what happened between her and the Mayan or explained what their status was. Juice knew she hadn't been talking to him, though. Had seen her check the called ID on her phone before hanging up or just ignoring it. He wasn't sure what the deal was between them, but it was clearly making her miserable. Juice wished he could help her, make her smile. Clearing his throat, he caught her attention. "You can dance," he stated, watching her slide a body into the big oven.

Angela checked the different displays. "Hmm?" she asked, distractedly.

"Saw you at the rally. Dancing like you were on some competition with that asshole," he explained, studying her body language. She tensed at the mention of the Mayan, which he took as a good sign since it meant she was still mad at him. "You're pretty good."

A small smile pulled at the corners of her lips. "I had to take a class in high school as an elective," she reminisced. "E took it too 'cause he wanted to spend time with me."

"No shit? Surprised his friends didn't laugh him outta there."

"Nah, half of them ended up joinin' after they saw how close we got. How handsy they could get in the name of dancing. Stupid, horny teenage boys," she muttered on a smirk. "Plus, a man who can dance is sexy as hell. There's nothing lame about it."

Juice nodded slowly, trying to take it all in. "Well...I can dance."

She gave him a doubtful look as she leaned against the table. "Sure you can," she said sarcastically.

"What? I can! I'm Puerto Rican! I can shake my hips with the rest of them," he insisted, standing up from his seat.

"Juice, I've known you for almost five years, and I've never seen you dance," she said with a roll of her eyes.

Juice shrugged his shoulders. "Doesn't mean I can't."

"Okay. Prove it," she challenged, her dark eyes holding a bit of mischief in them as she looked him over.

Juice could see the hint of a smile playing at the corners of her lips and triumphed in its appearance. He wanted that smile to grow, and if dancing like a fool in front of her got her to smile, he had no problem doing just that. "There's no music. I can't dance without music."

Angela gave him a flat look, turning on a nearby radio and finding the Latin station. Thankfully, there was a song playing and not a commercial. She nodded to him, "Go ahead, Puerto Rico."

"I gotta dance by myself?"

She nodded again slowly. "I don't dance with just anyone."

Juice took in a deep breath, trying to find the beat and feeling ridiculous as he started moving his feet to the music, slowly working in his hips and feeling like a total idiot as he looked down at his feet. He looked up to find Angela's dark eyes watching him curiously, an amused smile on her face. "How am I doing?"

"Better than a white boy," she said on a smirk.

He started getting his arms into it, trying to mimic what he'd seen in movies and on shows. That got her laughing, so he started exaggerating them even more; he loved her laugh. "Like that?"

"Stop! Stop! Stop!" she exclaimed waving at him. "C'mere, goof. I'll teach you how to dance. Starts in the hips."

Her hands settled on his hips, gripping them gently as she helped him find the rhythm. He tried to keep cool to keep from getting hard at the feel of her hands on him. Once he found the beat, she took one of his hands in her own and then moved the other to the small of her back. "Follow my lead," she instructed.

"Aren't I supposed to lead?" he shot back.

"Do you know how to lead?"

"No."

"Then follow my lead," she said, kicking gently at one of his ankles to make him step back. She instructed him through the moves, smiling the whole way through as she did so.

He took advantage and spun her out, pulling her in closer when he spun her back in. Her arm moved around his shoulders, holding him closer as they moved together. She lifted her head a bit, her dark eyes meeting his as their dancing slowed. His face was just inches from hers, her lips so close to his, he could taste the mint on her breath. And then the sound of a Harley filled the air.

She pulled away from him as if she'd been burned, a dark blush rising to her cheeks. "You're actually really good at that," she said on a slight smile.

"Y-yeah. Thanks," he said, feeling the electricity still crackling in the room. He wanted to take her hands again, pull her in close, and just kiss her already, but she'd pulled away first, and he wasn't about to force anything on her.

"Mmm-hmm," she said quickly, turning back towards the cremator.

Kozik popped his head into the small room. "Ready for lunch, kid?" he asked, nodding a greeting at Juice.

"Shit! Yeah! Sorry, forgot we were doin' that today," she said, moving by Juice and towards the door. "Let me tell Skeet to keep an eye on the oven, and we'll go."

Juice followed behind her slowly, feeling a little disheartened. He'd also forgotten Angela and Kozik were going to lunch together. Kozik had arranged it so Juice could spend some time at Teller Morrow and the clubhouse, being an actual prospect instead of just shadowing her everywhere. He knew it'd be good for him to spend time with the guys, but he also wouldn't mind spending the day with her again; he'd take all the uninterrupted time he could get.

"How's she doin'?" Kozik asked, going to sit on his Harley.

"Good, I think. I mean, she's still sad, but I think she's feeling better," he replied, scratching at the back of his neck. "Dunno where she's at with the Mayan. She won't talk about it, but she hasn't answered any of his calls."

The blonde nodded slowly. "Huh."

"Sure she's excited to do somethin' different than hanging with me."

Kozik smirked, shrugging a shoulder. "Don't worry about her. Focus on doin' prospect shit now. You got some brownie points for lettin' Jax punch you in the face and savin' her life, but you're gonna have to do more for the club if you want that top rocker."

"R-right," he said, ducking his head a bit. "I um...should get to TM then."

"Go 'head," he replied, gesturing for him to get on his bike.

Juice got on slowly, watching the office door in hopes he'd get to say goodbye to her. "I um...tell her I'll see her later, okay?"

Kozik nodded in a condescending manner. "I'll be sure to give her your love." Juice froze a bit at the last word, which only made the blonde laugh. "Just kiddin'. Don't worry so much, Juicer. We'll see you later."

Kozik chuckled at the look on Angela's face as she watched Juice work on a car. They'd had a good lunch together, though she'd managed to hedge around talking about the Mayan. Even when he'd asked her outright, she dodged and maneuvered around the question like a practiced champ. He hated that. Hated how broken her spirit seemed to be after that night. If she went back to the Mayan, it'd destroy her. After their lunch, he'd brought her back to TM, so he could work and hang out with her at the same time. Kill two birds with one stone. It wasn't working well though, she was much more focused on Juice than she was on their conversation. She was staring at the mohawked man like he was a piece of meat, her lip caught between her teeth as she clutched a wrench tight in her hand, the same wrench he'd asked her for five minutes before.

He waved a hand in front of her face. "Ground control to Major Tom! You in there, Angie-pie?"

Angela jumped a little bit, blinking at him as a blush burned at her cheeks. "Shit. Um. Yeah, sorry. Here's your wrench."

"The fuck you lookin' at?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.

She shrugged a little, looking down at her feet. "Nothin'. Just spaced out a bit. Got a lot of stuff on my mind."

Kozik smirked, leaning against the car next to her. "Oh yeah? Stuff like Juicer over there?"

Angela's blush deepened; she was caught and she knew it. "No, of course not. We're just friends."

"Uh-huh. Sure. That why you were lookin' at him like he's a big juicy steak?"

"Shut up," she said, elbowing his side. "Its not like that."

Kozik shook his head as he looked between them, raising an eyebrow. He'd watched the two dance around each other ever since she'd set foot in Charming. He wished they'd stop dancing and do something about it because it was getting a little annoying. If Juice stepped up to the plate, maybe it'd end shit with the Mayan once and for all. "Whatever you say, Angie-pie, but that face doesn't lie," he said on a chuckle. "He likes you too, kid. Dunno what the hold up is. Seems pretty fuckin' stupid to deny yourselves 'specially with the Mayan outta the way."

"He's not entirely out of the way," she muttered quietly. "Me 'n' Juice are just friends. Told you that."

"The way you're lookin' at him? Way he looks at you? That's all bullshit. One of you needs to grow some balls and make a fuckin' move already. And you should be done with the Mayan. Dunno why that's even a discussion."

Angela rolled her eyes, smacking his arm. "Shut up. Don't you have work to do?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Distract me 'cause you know I'm right. I know this game," he said, going back to his engine.

Angela rolled her eyes at Kozik, waiting until he had his head under the hood of the car to sneak another glance at Juice. He looked so damn sexy in his TM workshirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, grease streaked on his forearms. His nose was wrinkled in concentration as he worked on tightening some bolt. She felt her cheeks warm as the sudden urge to go over there and kiss that stupid wrinkle took hold. Shaking her head, she scoffed at herself. What the hell was she thinking? Juice was her best friend. Nothing more. She still had to sort out her shit with Esai before she even considered starting anything with Juice. She'd taken the coward's way out with E. Telling Lino to tell him she wanted a break. A week without contact to sort through all the shit in her brain. Esai hadn't been doing a great job of it. He called and texted, but she refused to answer. It was stupid and cowardly, but she honestly didn't know what she was going to do. Her thoughts were made even more complicated by the goofy man with head tattoos standing just a few feet away.

As if he felt her gaze, Juice lifted his head, a slow smile breaking across his face and lighting up his light brown eyes when he spotted her. Her heart sputtered in her chest. What the hell was wrong with her? She gave him a little wave, feeling stupid as she did so.

He ambled over to her, that huge smile still on his face. "Angel! Didn't see you there! Been here long?"

"Oh um...no, not long," she said, thankful he hadn't caught her lustful staring. "Looked like you were workin' hard. Didn't want to bug you."

He rolled his eyes at her. "Please, like you could bug me. C'mere, I'll show you what I'm working on."

Angela followed him over and stood beside him as he started gesturing towards the metal in front of them. She didn't understand a damn thing he was saying about the engine. All she could focus on was how close he was to her, how she could feel the heat radiating from his chest on her arm. He smelled like motor oil, Old Spice, and sweat mixed with a little weed, something that would've disgusted most women, but Angela found herself strangely attracted to. She wanted to lean into him more, cut him off with a kiss, let his grease covered hands roam all over her body. The thought alone left her mouth feeling dry, a familiar fire warming her belly. She had to think of something else, or he was going to catch on, and she was going to really embarrass herself and possibly ruin their friendship.

Juice could smell Angela's shampoo as he stood beside her. The smell of jasmine and just a small hint of coconut, the mix of it was intoxicating and made it incredibly hard to focus. He'd been so happy to see her, he couldn't keep from smiling. He didn't know how to stop. She'd obviously changed out of her work clothes before going to lunch with Kozik since now she was wearing a simple pair of jeans, a tank, and a hoodie. His hoodie, he realized. He loved the way it looked on her. She had it zipped halfway up, enough to show off the low v-neck of her shirt and just a hint of cleavage. There was some make up on her face, her eyeliner was just a little smudged, and her hair had frizzed a bit out of its braid, probably because she's worn a helmet while with Kozik. He loved the imperfection of it all. Loved that she didn't seem to care one way or the other. She was absolutely beautiful.

She snuck a glance up at him, their eyes meeting briefly. A small smile turned up the corners of her mouth, her dark eyes sparkling up at him. God, he wanted to lean in and kiss her. Just a quick kiss to the upturned corner of her lips and taste that smile of hers. He blushed as he looked away; thoughts like that embarrassed him more than the sexual ones. He hated how often he thought of lying in bed with her and just cuddling, of holding her hand, or even just putting his arm around her waist or a hand on her lower back. It was ridiculous. He wasn't a relationship type guy. Never had been. So why had he always fantasized about having one with Angela? She was already his best friend, part of his family, why wasn't that enough for him? Why did he want more?

"This is some complicated stuff," she stated, an impressed look on her face. "Where'd you learn it all?"

"Oh um...just shit I picked up here and there. Hacked my way into an online class and learned a lot of it there. Little different when its in front of you, but I figured it out," he explained on a shrug.

"Smarty pants," she said, elbowing his side gently.

"Yeah. Real genius right here," he said sarcastically.

She scowled at him. "Don't doubt yourself, its unattractive."

Juice raised an eyebrow at her. "That mean you think I'm attractive?"

He could tell his question had caught her off guard when the blush on her cheeks deepened, and she looked away. "Most girls do, don't they?"

"Not askin' most girls. I'm askin' you," he pointed out, stepping closer to her.

Angela rolled her eyes. "Of course I do, goofy. I have eyes."

Juice couldn't help but grin; he'd never really thought about Angela thinking he was attractive. Seeing him in that kind of light. Could it be a hint that she had deeper feelings for him than he'd previously thought? "Well, you're not so bad yourself, Angel," he told her. Her blush darkened even more, her fingers going to her ring nervously. God, she was pretty, he thought. Telling her she wasn't bad was an understatement; she was beautiful. He wanted to kiss her so badly. Hold her and kiss her until she couldn't breathe. He cleared his throat, tearing his eyes from her and looking back at the engine. "So I um...I'm supposed to be goin' on another run next week."

"Yeah? They're slowly lettin' you off babysittin' duty, huh?" she asked, looking just a bit disappointed.

Juice frowned; he hadn't thought too much about it. He'd been excited to be included, and now, he was a little worried about what would happen to her. "No...I mean, I'm sure you'll still have protection. If not, then I'm not gonna go."

She chuckled, shaking her head. "Go, Juice. I'll be fine here. I'll go hang out with Lino and Ness or something."

Her being with Lino meant she'd be getting in close with the Mayans, and he definitely did not want that to happen. "No! Don't do that. Don't..." he trailed off, not knowing how to tell her to stay away from Oakland. Away from the Mayans. Away from Esai. "Just...I'll see if I can get out of it."

"Go, goof. I'll be fine," she assured him with a small smile.

"Hey kid!" Happy called as he headed across the lot. "Up for a game of pool? Tig 'n' Jax want to play. Need a second."

Angela grinned and nodded enthusiastically. "Oh fuck yeah," she said excitedly. "I'm gonna go kick some ass. See you later, goofy."

"Yeah, see ya," he murmured, frowning as he watched her walk away. He stopped what he was doing and headed over to Kozik. "Koz, if I'm goin' on the run..."

"Don't worry, I'm stayin' behind for this one. Already got the 'okay' from Clay," he said, grunting as he tightened a screw. He straightened up, grabbing a beer off his toolbox. "This dance the two of you are doin'...its seriously fucked up. One of you is gonna wind up hurt. You better hope its you, 'cause if you hurt her, I'll personally see to it you don't get that top rocker."

" 'm not gonna hurt her. Ever," he replied on a frown. "She's not into me, Koz. We're just friends. That's it."

Kozik didn't look so sure, but he didn't comment on it. "Whatever, man. If you want to be thickheaded, I ain't pushing anything. I'm gonna go watch them play. You finish this shit."

Juice watched him leave, wondering if deep down, Koz was right. Were they just dancing around each other now? Both of them too blind and too afraid to give in? She certainly hadn't given him any clues or hints she was into him that he could think of. Sure, she'd called him attractive, but she told Koz the same thing all the time. No, she wasn't into him. She couldn't be.

Let me know what you think! :)

~ Love Ink