Page 21 of Shattered Melodies

Dimly, I was aware of Caleb trying to speak up, trying to defend us. But his words were lost in the chaos, drowned out by the jeers and taunts of our classmates and the furious shouts of my parents. Everything felt like it was closing in on me. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think.

“It’s not what you think!” Caleb was saying, his voice shaking but determined. “Please, just listen?—”

“Shut up, freak!” someone shouted from the crowd. Laughter and more jeers followed.

I glanced at my parents, their faces twisted with anger and disappointment. My dad’s eyes were blazing. “Liam, get over here right now!” he demanded, his voice trembling with fury.

Mom looked like she was about to cry. “How could you do this to us, Liam?” she sobbed. “What will people think?”

I could feel the walls closing in. The whispers, the laughter, the stares—it was overwhelming. My heart was pounding, and I felt like I was going to be sick. I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t stand there and watch everything fall apart. Without thinking, I turned and ran out of the gym, tears streaming down my face.

“Liam, wait!” Caleb’s voice was desperate, but I couldn’t stop. I had to get away.

Outside, the night air was cold and biting, a stark contrast to the warmth of the gym. My vision was blurred by tears as I ran aimlessly, not caring where I was going. The sound of my heart pounding in my ears drowned out everything else.

“Liam! Liam, please!” I heard Caleb’s voice faintly behind me, but I couldn’t turn back.

I kept running, my thoughts a chaotic whirl. How did everything go so wrong? Why did it have to happen tonight? Caleb and I had just wanted one night to be ourselves, to be happy. Was that too much to ask?

Suddenly, I heard the screech of tires. I turned just in time to see the headlights of a car bearing down on me. There was no time to react. The impact was brutal, sending me flying through the air before I crashed to the ground, pain exploding through my body.

Everything went dark for a moment. When I opened my eyes, I was lying on the asphalt, my body broken and bleeding. The world around me was a blur of flashing lights and muffled sounds. I could hear the distant wail of sirens, but it felt like they were coming from another world.

“Liam! Oh my God, Liam!” Caleb’s voice was frantic. He was kneeling beside me, his face pale and streaked with tears. “Please, hold on. Help is coming, okay? Just hold on.”

I tried to speak, to tell him I was sorry, that I loved him, but the words wouldn’t come. The pain was too much. As the darkness closed in, my thoughts drifted to Caleb. I wondered if I would ever see him again, if we would ever have a chance to be together without fear or shame.

“Stay with me, Liam,” Caleb pleaded, his voice breaking. “Please, stay with me.”

CHAPTER 6

Shattered Melodies

CALEB

My hands were shaking so bad I could barely grip the steering wheel. My heart was racing like it wanted to break out of my chest, and my stomach was tied up in knots tighter than a sailor’s handiwork.

I couldn’t stop replaying what happened in my head, like some kind of sick, twisted highlight reel. The prom, the music, the feeling of Liam in my arms as we danced under the twinkling lights. And then the photos. Jake’s smug, leering face as he held them up for everyone to see. The gasps, the whispers, the laughter.

And Liam, God, the look on his face. The hurt, the betrayal, the utter devastation. It was burned into my brain, seared into my heart like a brand.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block out the memories. But they just kept coming, relentless and merciless.

I slammed my fist against the steering wheel, feeling the sting of tears in my eyes. “Damn it, Liam,” I whispered, my voice cracking. “Why did you run away from me?”

But I knew why. Because I had let him down and I failed to protect him in which I swore to do. I had failed him, in every possible way. I took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to steady myself. I had to go in there. Had to see him, had to tell him how sorry I was, how much I loved him.

I had to make this right.

I got out of the car, my legs feeling like rubber as I walked towards the entrance. The automatic doors slid open with a whoosh, and the smell of antiseptic and sickness hit me like a wave.

I made my way to the front desk, where a tired-looking nurse was tapping away at a computer. She looked up as I approached, her eyes wary.

“Can I help you?” she asked, her voice flat and disinterested.

I swallowed hard, trying to find my voice. “I’m here to see Liam Denison,” I said, my words coming out in a rush. “I need to see him, please.”

The nurse frowned, glancing down at her screen. “I’m sorry, but only family members are allowed to visit patients in the ICU.”

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