Page 100 of This Side of Beautiful

“I fought inthe dark, made a home in the fight. Built myown fire, now I carry the light. They laugh atthe scars, they don’t see the war. But I’m standing here, I’m worth fighting for. Took allthe pain, wrote it into my veins. Turned the hurtinto notes, now I’m changing the game.

“They triedto break my soul. But I’m still standing here.They tried to take my name. But my voice isclear. They tried to break my soul. But I’mstronger than fear. They tried to take my name. ButI’m still standing here.”

Cedrick’s fingers flowed over the keys with an urgency I’d never heard from him before. Each note bled like a confession, raw and unfiltered, as if he were wrestling with something unspoken, emptying his own battles into the music. This wasn’t the polished precision he usually brought to The Hollow Bones. It was something deeper, more untamed. Every chord trembled with vulnerability, like my release had unlocked something in him.

Together, we weren’t just making music. We were unraveling, shedding the weight we carried in silence.

The lyrics spilled out in a cadence that felt somewhere between singing and speaking, like truth wrapped in poetry. Some lines hit like a whispered prayer; others cut like declarations, raw and unrelenting. The tears came, but I didn’t stop. This wasn’t for anyone else. This was for the girl buried beneath the wreckage of her past, the dreams she once abandoned, the voice she’d been forced to silence.

As I allowed it to flow, Cedrick’s playing pulled me forward, bridging the space between pain and healing, daring me to confront truths I’d never had the courage to face.

“Fame’s a mirror, it shows all your flaws. But Ibuilt my own crown from the things I lost. Theywrote me off, but I wrote my song. And thisis for the girl who’s been strong all along. Don’t let the world tell you what you can’t do. Even roses find roots in the hardest oftruths.”

The last note hung in the air, trembling. My chest heaved as I pulled the headphones off and let them dangle around my neck. Cedrick’s piano carried a final, lingering note before the silence returned. He looked up at me, his expression softer than I’d ever seen it. He didn’t say a word, just stood and walked over, squeezing my shoulder lightly. His nod said everything. Respect. Understanding.

As he walked out, my gaze followed him until something caught my attention. Landon stood in the doorway, arms crossed, his expression stern before it softened into something warm and loving.

He remained in the doorway, giving me the space to process this fragile moment, his presence both grounding and freeing. My fingers tightened around the mic stand as I turned back to the quiet room. My heart felt lighter, the weight less suffocating. I adjusted the mic again. There was more I needed to let out.

And this time, I wasn’t afraid to.

Chapter Thirty-Four

landon

June 15

I stared in the mirrorof my dressing room. The guys were joking and teasing each other behind me, the usual antics to get rid of nervous energy before a show. If they’d noticed that Cedrick and I were distant, they didn’t say. We hadn’t addressed our conversation on Janae’s balcony or the cathartic cleansing in Del’s studio yesterday, subconsciously deciding to be cordial and respectful for the band’s sake.

I stared at my attire for the show. My Alexander McQueen harness black shirt and black pants had been designed and tailored at Janae’s request. The Hollow Bones were all wearing variations of red and black. Janae would rock a white suit with a custom red-and-black hat. This was a big night for her. She’d been restless since we arrived in town, and nothing I did soothed her.

Or maybe therewassomething I could do. Cedrick’s words reverberated through my mind.

I removed my hat and ran my hands over my cornrows, then inhaled and started taking out one braid.

I caught Cedrick’s widened eyes in the mirror, and he stepped closer. “You need help?”

I nodded.

He started on the other side. “We better hurry.”

Santiago rubbed his hands together. “I’ve been dying to touch this dude’s hair.”

The room went silent, and we all looked at him with raised brows.

“Come on, don’t act like I’m the only one. He has pretty hair,” Santiago reasoned.

We all shook our heads in laughter, and I smiled at the reflection as Cedrick and Santiago started undoing my braids. “Someone needs to take a shot of this. I don’t know when I’ll go on stage without my hat again.”

Cedrick frowned. “Fuck no. Don’t want my alpha male card taken away.”

“Oh, that happened. Already posted to our IG.” Brian laughed from behind us.

“Charles, get him,” Cedrick demanded.

“Why? I’m not in the picture.” Charles started blowing his trumpet.

A rapid knock on the door interrupted our teasing camaraderie.

---