Page 100 of Shattered Melodies

As we approached the entrance, I could feel the weight of curious stares. Small town gossip was about to go into overdrive, but I found I didn’t care. Let them talk.

Sarah’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head when she saw us walk in hand-in-hand. “Well, I’ll be,” she said, a slow grin spreading across her face. “Caleb Winchester and Liam Denison on a date. Never thought I’d see the day.”

I felt Liam tense beside me, but I squeezed his hand reassuringly. “Table for two, Sarah?” I asked, my tone making it clear this wasn’t up for discussion.

She caught the hint and nodded, leading us to a cozy booth by the window. “Enjoy, boys,” she said with a wink, handing us our menus.

As soon as she was gone, Liam let out a breath. “Well, that’s the whole town informed, I guess.”

I shrugged, reaching across the table to take his hand again. “Let ‘em talk. I’m just happy to be here with you.”

Liam’s eyes softened, a smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah, me too.”

We fell into easy conversation as we looked over the menu, debating the merits of various dishes and teasing each other about our choices. It felt good, natural, like we’d been doing this for years instead of decades apart.

When Sarah came back to take our order, I couldn’t help but notice the knowing gleam in her eye. “So, what’ll it be for the lovebirds?”

I felt my cheeks heat up, but Liam just grinned. “I’ll have the bacon cheeseburger, extra pickles,” he said. “And this guy will have the same, but hold the onions. He’s hoping for a goodnight kiss.”

Now I was definitely blushing. “Liam!” I hissed, but I couldn’t keep the smile off my face.

Sarah laughed, jotting down our order. “Coming right up. And don’t worry, Caleb. Your secret’s safe with me.”

As she walked away, I shook my head at Liam. “You’re trouble, you know that?”

He winked, his foot nudging mine under the table. “Yeah, but you like it.”

And damn if he wasn’t right. I couldn’t help the grin that spread across my face, even as I tried to play it cool.

But I couldn’t shake the image of Liam’s face when we passed the high school earlier. That haunted look, the way he’d seemed to retreat into himself it was gnawing at me.

The food arrived not long after that giving us some time think.

“That back there…” I started, then hesitated, not sure how to phrase it without sounding like an ass. “Does it happen often?”

Liam looked up from his plate, his fork pausing halfway to his mouth. For a moment, I thought he might brush it off, change the subject. But then he set the fork down, his eyes meeting mine with a seriousness that made my heart clench.

“Not lately, no,” he said, his voice quiet but steady. “It was hard, after what happened that night. I had nightmares for a couple of years. My therapist told me I was suffering from PTSD.”

PTSD. The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I’d known it was bad, known that night had fucked us both up in ways we were still dealing with. But hearing it laid out like that, so clinical and matter-of-fact… it made it real in a way I wasn’t prepared for.

“Jesus, Liam,” I breathed, feeling like the world’s biggest asshole. “I’m so sorry.”

The guilt was a living thing, clawing at my insides.

He reached across the table and took my hand, his fingers warm and solid against mine.

. “I’ve already made my peace with it. I’m not going to lie to you, it hurt. A lot. But we’re here now, creating new memories, yeah?” He said, his voice gentle but firm

I stared at our joined hands, feeling a lump form in my throat. “Yeah,” I managed to croak out. “New memories.”

Liam squeezed my hand, and when I looked up, there was a softness in his eyes that made my heart skip a beat. “Look, Caleb. As much as it was hard for me to process, what happened it wasn’t your fault, I know that now. It wasn’t anyone’s fault, except maybe those assholes who thought it was okay to out us like that.”

I nodded, but I couldn’t quite shake the feeling of responsibility. “I know. Logically, I know that. But I can’t help thinking if I’d been there when you woke up in the hospital, if I’d found a way to contact you after your parents shipped you off…”

“Then what?” Liam interrupted, his voice gentle but firm. “You think that would have magically fixed everything? That it would have erased the trauma, made the nightmares go away?”

I shrugged, feeling suddenly very small. “I don’t know. Maybe?”

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