Page 36 of Shattered Melodies

Jimmy sighed, but there was understanding in his eyes, a glimmer of support and compassion. “Okay, Liam. Okay. If this is what you need to do, then I’m behind you. One hundred percent.”

I felt a lump rise in my throat, a sudden, overwhelming rush of gratitude. “Thank you.”

He smiled, but it was a sad, wistful thing. “Just promise me one thing, okay? Promise me you’ll be careful out there. Promise me you’ll come back to us, when you’re ready.”

I nodded, blinking back the sudden sting of tears. “I promise, Jimmy. I’ll be careful, and I’ll come back. I just don’t know when that will be, exactly.”

He waved a hand, dismissing my concern. “Don’t worry about that. You take all the time you need, Liam. I’ll keep your appointments on hold, keep the vultures at bay. You just focus on you, on getting your head right and your heart whole again.”

I felt a smile tug at the corners of my mouth, a real one this time. “Thanks, man. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

He grinned, punching me lightly on the shoulder. “Crash and burn, probably. But hey, what are friends for?”

We both laughed, the tension in the room easing a little. But then Jimmy’s expression turned serious again, his brow furrowing with concern.

“Listen, Liam. I know you want to keep this whole thing on the down-low, and I get that. But are you sure you don’t want anyone to know where you’re going? Not even your folks?”

I felt a flare of anger at the mention of my parents, a hot, bitter taste in the back of my throat. “No, Jimmy. Especially not my parents. They can’t know about this, can’t know where I’m going or what I’m doing. They’d just try to stop me, try to drag me back into their little puppet show.”

Jimmy nodded, his expression grave. “I hear you, man. If you want me to, I can come with you soon. Not the whole time, maybe, but just to get you settled in, make sure you’re okay. Would that be alright?”

I felt a rush of warmth, a swell of affection for this man who had always had my back, even when I didn’t deserve it. “Yeah, Jimmy. That would be great, actually. I could use a friendly face, someone to help me get my bearings.”

He grinned, clapping me on the shoulder. “Then it’s settled. Operation ‘Get Liam’s Groove Back’ is officially a go.”

I snorted, shaking my head. “You did not just say that.”

“Oh, but I did. And you know what? I’m gonna keep saying it, until it’s true. Until you’re back to your old self, back to the Liam who could light up a room just by walking into it.”

My phone rang, the sound loud and jarring in the quiet of the room.

I glanced at the screen, feeling my stomach drop when I saw my mother’s name flashing up at me. Jimmy raised an eyebrow, his expression knowing.

“You should answer that,” he said softly, his voice gentle but firm. “You can’t avoid them forever, Liam. Sooner or later, you’re going to have to face the music.”

I sighed, feeling the weight of the world settling on my shoulders. He was right, of course. I couldn’t run from my problems forever, couldn’t hide from the people who loved me, even if they didn’t always understand me.

“Hi, Mom.”

There was a beat of silence, a moment of tense, loaded stillness. And then, like a dam bursting, my mother’s voice exploded through the phone, loud and furious and dripping with accusation.

“Liam, what the hell is going on? What’s this nonsense I hear about you leaving, about you abandoning your responsibilities and running off to God knows where?”

I felt my hackles rise, felt the familiar flare of anger and frustration burning in my gut. “It’s not nonsense, Mom. It’s my life, my choice. And I didn’t consult you because I knew you’d just try to stop me, try to talk me out of it.”

She scoffed, the sound sharp and bitter. “Of course we would try to stop you, Liam. You’re throwing away everything we’ve worked for, everything we’ve sacrificed to give you a good life. And for what? Some childish fantasy, some ridiculous notion of ‘finding yourself’?”

I gritted my teeth, my grip tightening on the phone until my knuckles turned white. “It’s not a fantasy, Mom. It’s my dream, my passion. And I’m not a child anymore, I’m a grown man. I can make my own decisions, my own choices.”

“Choices?” She let out a harsh, humorless laugh. “What choices, Liam? The choice to abandon your family, your future? The choice to throw away everything we’ve built, everything we’ve dreamed of for you?”

I felt something snap inside me, felt the last, fraying thread of my patience give way. “Dreams, Mom? They’re your dreams, not mine. They always have been. And I’m done living my life for you, done being your puppet on a string.”

I heard her gasp, heard the shock and the hurt in her voice. “Liam, how can you say that? We love you, we just want what’s best…”

But I cut her off, my voice rising to a shout. “No, Mom. You want what’s best for you, for the family name and the company and all the bullshit that comes with it. But what about what’s best for me? What about my happiness, my sanity?”

There was a long, heavy silence. And then, finally, my mother spoke again, her voice quiet and trembling. “I just… I don’t understand, Liam. I don’t understand how you can do this to us, how you can be so selfish…”

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