Page 14 of Shattered Melodies

“I know,” my mom said softly. “But maybe we need to trust him more. To listen to what he wants.”

I lay there, frozen, hardly daring to breathe. Was this real? Were they actually considering my side of things?

But then my dad’s voice hardened again. “No. No, we can’t let him throw everything away on a pipe dream. We have to stay firm on this.”

I felt my heart sink, any hope of understanding evaporating like mist in the sun. I wanted to march downstairs and scream at my parents until I was blue in the face. To make them understand that music wasn’t just some hobby or phase for me - it was my life, my everything. But I knew it would be like talking to a brick wall. They’d never listen, never even try to see things from my perspective.

So I just lay there, staring at the ceiling and trying to ignore the way their voices kept rising, the way the tension in the house seemed to thicken with every passing second.

And through it all, there was only one thing on my mind. One person, really. It was crazy, the way I couldn’t stop thinking about him. The way his smile made my heart do backflips, the way his laugh seemed to chase away all the darkness and make everything feel okay again.

I’d never felt this way about anyone before. It was exhilarating and terrifying all at once, like standing on the edge of a cliff and not knowing whether to jump or run away. But the more time we spent together, the harder it was to ignore the truth. I was falling for him, hard and fast and completely. And I had no idea what to do about it.

As I lay there, torn between frustration with my parents and the confusing whirlwind of feelings for Caleb, I realized something. No matter what happened, no matter how hard things got, I couldn’t give up on my music. It was the one thing that made me feel truly alive, truly myself. And whether my parents understood or not, whether these feelings for Caleb led anywhere or not, I had to stay true to that part of myself.

CHAPTER 4

Feeling Confused

CALEB

Sitting on the porch of our ranch house, I strummed away on my guitar, the familiar weight of it in my lap a small comfort. The sun was setting, painting the sky in vibrant oranges and pinks, the scent of hay and horses drifting on the warm evening breeze. Usually, the music helped me sort through whatever was bugging me, but lately, it felt like nothing could untangle the knot of feelings in my chest.

And the reason for that knot? Liam.

My fingers stumbled over a chord as his face flashed in my mind. I could almost hear his laugh, see the way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled. The memory sent a shiver down my spine, a mix of excitement and nervousness that I was still trying to understand.

Ever since we started hanging out and invited him to our band, I couldn’t get him out of my head. The way his fingers danced over the piano keys, elegant and sure, creating melodies that seemed to reach right into my soul. The way his eyes lit up when he talked about music, a passion that matched my own and made my heart race.

But it wasn’t just the physical stuff. I mean, don’t get me wrong, Liam was cute as hell. His messy blonde hair that always fell into his eyes, the dimple that appeared in his left cheek when he grinned… it all did things to me, man. Things I’d never felt before.

My stomach twisted as I thought about our last practice session. We’d been working on a particularly tricky section of our new song, and Liam had been struggling with the timing. Without thinking, I’d moved behind him, placing my hands over his to guide him through the rhythm. The moment my skin touched his, it was like electricity shot through me. I could feel the warmth of his body, smell the faint scent of his shampoo. For a second, he’d leaned back into me, and I swear my heart nearly stopped.

I shook my head, trying to clear the memory. This was more than just physical attraction. Liam was kind and smart and funny, and when we were together, everything just felt right. Like puzzle pieces clicking into place.

The thing was, I’d never really thought about whether I liked guys before. I mean, I’d had crushes on girls in the past, but what I felt for Liam was different. Stronger, deeper, more intense. It scared me a little, if I was being honest.

What would my parents think? They’d always been supportive of me, but this was uncharted territory. In our small town, news traveled fast, and not everyone was as open-minded as I’d like to believe.

My fingers tightened on the guitar neck, a surge of protectiveness washing over me. I didn’t care what anyone else thought, not really. But I cared about Liam. The last thing I wanted was for him to face more stress or pressure because of me.

And even if I did like him that way, there was no guarantee he felt the same. Plus, there was all this other stuff getting in the way. His parents, for one.

I wanted to help him, to be there for him, but I didn’t know how. I was just a kid myself, trying to figure out my own life. But I cared about Liam, more than I’d ever cared about anyone. And I hated seeing him hurting.

The sound of a car engine broke through my thoughts. I looked up to see Jake Thompson’s truck rumbling down the road, country music blaring from the speakers. Jake caught my eye as he passed, his expression unreadable. A chill ran down my spine as I remembered the way he’d been hassling Liam at school. If Jake ever found out about my feelings then everything is going to hell as quickly as this started.

I pushed the thought away, focusing instead on our upcoming gig. It was a big deal for us, playing at the local fair. A chance to really show what we could do. But with all the drama going on, I was worried we weren’t as prepared as we should be.

So one day, after a particularly intense practice session, I decided to bite the bullet and just ask Liam what was up. The music room was stuffy, the late afternoon sun streaming through the windows and making everything feel too warm, too close.

“Yo, Liam,” I said, trying to sound casual as we packed up our gear. My heart was pounding so hard I was sure he could hear it. “You good, man? You seem kinda, I don’t know, off lately.”

He looked up at me, and I could see the conflict in his eyes. The dark circles underneath spoke of sleepless nights, and there was a tension in his shoulders that made me want to reach out and comfort him. “Yeah, I’m just dealing with some stuff, I guess.”

I nodded, taking a step closer. The scent of his cologne mixed with the faint musk of sweat from our practice session, making my head spin a little. “I get that. But you know you can talk to me, right? About anything.”

He hesitated for a second, like he was debating whether to open up or not. But then he sighed, his shoulders slumping. “It’s my parents, man. They don’t get it. They think music is a waste of time, that I should be focusing on school and getting into a good college. But it’s not that simple, you know?”

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