Page 44 of Shattered Melodies

He grinned, his whole face lighting up with joy and relief. “Really? You mean it?”

I nodded, feeling a smile tug at my own lips. “I mean it. I’m not saying it’ll be easy, and I’m not saying everything’s magically fixed. But… I’m willing to try. Willing to see where this goes, if you are.”

He reached out, clasping my hand in his. “I am. I definitely am.”

As the sun began to set and the shadows grew long, Jake stood up to leave. He hesitated for a moment, looking down at me with a strange mix of emotions on his face.

“Take care of yourself, Caleb,” he said, his voice soft and sincere. “And if you ever need anything, anything at all you know where to find me.”

I nodded, feeling a lump rise in my throat. “Thanks, Jake. I appreciate that, more than you know.”

He gave me a small, crooked smile. And then he was gone, disappearing into the gathering dusk like a ghost from another life.

I sat there for a long time, watching the sun sink below the horizon and the stars wink to life in the darkening sky. I strummed my guitar absently, letting the music wash over me like a balm.

CHAPTER 13

A Town That Barely Changed

LIAM

There was someone pounding on my front door like they were trying to break it down. Groaning, I rolled over and squinted at the clock on my nightstand. Ten in the morning. Who the hell was bothering me at this ungodly hour?

I stumbled out of bed, pulling on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt that didn’t smell too bad. As I made my way downstairs, the knocking intensified, each thud reverberating through my skull like a jackhammer.

“Alright, alright, I’m coming!” I yelled, my voice still rough with sleep. “Keep your pants on.”

I yanked open the door, ready to give whoever it was a piece of my mind. But instead of some annoying salesperson or nosy neighbor, I found myself face to face with one of the renovators I’d hired to fix up the old house.

“Morning, Mr. Denison,” he said, a friendly smile on his face. “Sorry to bother you so early, but we need to talk about the plumbing.”

I blinked, my brain still fuzzy and slow. “The plumbing? What about it?”

“Well, we’re going to be working on it today, which means the water will be off for most of the day. I wanted to give you a heads up, in case you needed to shower or do any laundry or anything.”

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. Of course. Because why would anything in this damn house be simple or easy?

“Right. Thanks for letting me know. I’ll figure something out, I guess.”

The renovator nodded, his expression sympathetic. “I know it’s a pain, but it’s all part of the process. The good news is, the painters are already done with the exterior, and they’ll be back to do the inside as soon as we’re finished with the plumbing and electrical.”

I felt a flicker of surprise, followed by a surge of gratitude. “Wow, that was fast. I didn’t expect them to be done so soon.”

He shrugged, a modest smile tugging at his lips. “What can I say? We’re good at what we do.”

I chuckled, feeling some of the tension drain out of my shoulders. “Apparently. Well, thanks again for the update. I appreciate it.”

“No problem. Oh, and feel free to help yourself to some coffee if you want. We just got a new machine, and it’s pretty damn good, if I do say so myself.”

I raised an eyebrow, impressed. “You guys brought your own coffee maker?”

He grinned, a mischievous glint in his eye. “Hey, we take our caffeine seriously around here. Can’t work on an empty tank, you know?”

I laughed, shaking my head. “Fair enough. I’ll keep that in mind.”

He gave me a little salute, then turned and headed back towards the construction zone that used to be my living room. I watched him go, feeling a mix of amusement and exasperation.

This whole renovation thing was turning out to be a lot more complicated than I’d expected. When I’d bought the house, I’d known it needed work, but I hadn’t quite anticipated the sheer scale of the project.

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