Page 97 of Shattered Melodies

Finally, reluctantly, I pulled away. “We should probably stop before someone walks in and gets the wrong idea.”

Caleb raised an eyebrow. “And what idea would that be?”

I rolled my eyes, ignoring the way my heart was racing. “You know what I mean. We’re supposed to be taking things slow, remember?”

He nodded, his expression turning serious. “I know. And we will. I just… I’ve missed this, you know? Missed you.”

I swallowed hard, fighting against the surge of emotion his words triggered. “Yeah…”

We stood there for a moment, just looking at each other. The air between us felt charged, heavy with unspoken words and long-buried feelings.

Finally, desperate to break the tension, I blurted out, “So, uh, you a fan of Corey King?”

Caleb blinked, thrown by the sudden change of subject. Then, to my surprise, a faint blush colored his cheeks.

“Oh, uh, yeah,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I mean, I know of him. Listen to his stuff every now and then.”

I felt a flutter of anxiety in my stomach. This was dangerous territory. I didn’t want to give away my secret identity, but knowing that Caleb listened to my music it meant more than I wanted to admit.

“Oh yeah?” I said, trying to keep my voice casual. “What do you think of his stuff?”

Caleb’s eyes lit up, and I could see the excitement bubbling up in him. “It’s incredible, man. The way he writes, it’s like he’s speaking directly to my soul, you know? There’s this one song, ‘Echoes of You’… fuck, it wrecks me every time I hear it.”

I felt my breath catch in my throat. ‘Echoes of You’ was one of the most personal songs I’d ever written. It was about Caleb, about us, about all the regrets and what-ifs that had haunted me for years.

“Yeah,” I managed to choke out. “It’s a good song.”

Before I could protest, he was grabbing my hand and pulling me towards the barn doors. I let him lead me, my mind still reeling from the revelation that Caleb was a fan of my music. Of me.

“Hey,” I said as we stepped out into the sunlight. “What were you doing in the barn anyway? Looking for me?”

Caleb nodded, a sheepish grin on his face. “Yeah, actually. I, uh… I wanted to ask you something.”

I raised an eyebrow, curious despite myself. “Oh yeah? What’s that?”

He took a deep breath, like he was steeling himself for something. “I was wondering if you wanted to go out for lunch. In town, at The Grove.”

I hesitated, not sure how to respond. On one hand, I wanted to go. Wanted to spend time with Caleb, to try and rebuild what we’d lost. But on the other, I knew this town. Knew how cruel and unforgiving it could be. I didn’t want a repeat of what happened before, didn’t want Caleb to see how broken I still was.

The trauma was still there, lurking just beneath the surface. What if I had a panic attack in the middle of the diner? What if someone said something, and I lost it again?

I must have been silent for too long, because Caleb’s face fell. “It’s okay if you don’t want to,” he said quickly. “I get it, really. We can do something else.”

“No!” I said, surprising myself with the vehemence in my voice. “We can go.”

Caleb’s eyes widened, hope flickering across his face. “You sure? You seemed hesitant there for a minute.”

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to meet his gaze. “I’m sure. I promised I’d try, right?”

A slow smile spread across Caleb’s face, pride shining in his eyes. “Okay. If you’re sure. But if at any point you want to leave, just say the word and we’re out of there, no questions asked.”

I nodded, feeling a rush of gratitude for his understanding.

I was done running. Done hiding from my past, from my feelings. If I wanted to move forward, to build something real with Caleb, I had to face my demons head-on.

The drive into town was quiet, but not uncomfortably so. Caleb had the radio on low, some country station playing soft, twangy ballads. I leaned my head against the window, watching the familiar landscape roll by.

Caleb’s truck rumbled down the familiar streets of Oakwood Grove, the sound of gravel crunching under the tires a steady rhythm in the background. I stared out the window, my stomach a knot of anxiety as we passed by places I hadn’t seen in years.

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