Page 32 of Busted String

“Don’t call again.” She ended the call.

Jace sat there, the phone still pressed to his ear, feeling a wave of emotions crash over him. He had always believed that, despite their differences, his mother still loved him. But now, his lifestyle as a musician, late nights,and the wild parties had driven a wedge between them he couldn’t bridge. The rejection stung deeply, and he felt a hollow ache in his chest.

He had thought his mother would understand; that she would see past the surface and recognize the passion and dedication he poured into his music. Instead, he felt more hated than ever, as if his choices had erased any love she’d once had for him. The pain of her words echoed in his mind, leaving him feeling lost and extremely upset.

“Jace, what happened?”

“I don’t know.” Jace threw himself on his stomach, not wanting to face Nico.

“Hey, something is wrong. Tell me.” Nico lay beside Jace, feeling the warmth of Jace’s body against his. He gently ran his fingers through his hair. “Didn’t they want to talk to you?”

“My mother and nope. She’s done with me,” Jace said.

Jace reflected on his life and choices. He realized that while his mother’s rejection hurt deeply, it didn’t diminish his passion for music or his commitment to living authentically. He resolved to stay true to himself, knowing he couldn’t change who he was to meet someone else’s expectations.

“Give me your phone.”

“Why?”

“I’m deleting your mom’s cell number and blocking her, too. This is bullshit.”

“Everything about my family is. My sister told me to call her. So, I did. I thought she wanted to talk to me.”

“Did your sister tell you the truth?”

“Erin told me my mother left my father. She told Erin to tell me to call her at my aunt’s house.”

“When’s the last time you talked to her?”

“When I left. A couple of years ago. My aunt said she went back to him.” He handed Nico his phone.

Jace watched as Nico tapped on his phone screen, erasing his mother’s phone number. It hurt him deeply that she continued to ignore his attempts to communicate. Nico acted as his personal guardian, ensuring that he would be spared any future harm, and Jace found he didn’t mind.

Nico gently rolled Jace over to face him, wrapping his arms around him in a comforting embrace that lasted for quite some time. Jace felt energy coming to him from Nico. Crazy as it sounded, when Nico cuddled him like this, he regained his strength.

“Your parents don’t define who you are.”

“I felt your energy flowing into my body.”

“Do you feel stronger?”

“Yep.”

“Good. Now get up and let’s take a bath together.”

Nico got up, picked up Jace, and carried him to the bathroom. He helped Jace undress, then he ran the water.

“I feel like shit,” Jace said.

“I know. Think about us and how together we’re going to make glorious music. And of course, with Mark and Sammie too. We’re finally together, Jace.”

“I wish they had bubbles,” Jace said.

Nico looked under the sink and found some leftover bubble gel. He poured a few drops into the running water, then put his hand in and tested the temperature.

“There are your bubbles.”

“You’re the best.”

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