Page 226 of Before We Were

I pluck at a string, the note ringing sharp and clear as truth. "Sometimes it feels like it's in my blood, though. Like poison running through my veins."

"You know what you have to do? Rewrite the narrative," Nick says simply, his tone leaving no room for argument. "You don't need to live in his shadow. Father or not, you need to trust your gut and follow your own heart, even if it leads you down paths he'd never understand."

I look up at him, caught off guard by the quiet strength in his voice. "You're full of advice today."

Nick's smirk returns, a flash of light in darkness. "I call it as I see it. And lately, I've noticed you seem… different. Lighter, even. Like you're finally letting yourself breathe."

I can't help but smile, thoughts drifting to Nora like a compass finding true north.

"Maybe I've got more reasons to smile than I used to."

Nick chuckles, shaking his head like he's reading a book he's seen before. "When it's real love, you know."

"How?" I ask, curiosity warring with lingering skepticism.

His grin spreads slow as sunset, too knowing for my comfort. "Because you'll suddenly start believing in destiny. And on bad days, hope will see you through it."

I raise an eyebrow, seizing my chance. "Is that how you feel about Kat?"

The question catches him like a hook, but he doesn't try to hide the smile that creeps across his face like dawn breaking.

"Shut up and finish your sound check, will you?"

I laugh, shaking my head as my fingers find their place on the strings. "You should consider taking your own advice when it comes to her, you know?"

Nick shrugs, but there's a glint in his eyes. "Wise ass." He steps closer, his tone shifting to something more serious. "If and when you start to figure out what you might want to do with music, I've got a good friend in Spain who runs a studio. You could always go for a summer to write, play, and get a tan."

The idea floats in my mind. It feels so far removed from the chaos of my life here that it's almost impossible to grasp. But maybe that's exactly the point.

"Think about it," Nick adds, clapping me on the shoulder. "Sometimes getting away isn't about running—it's about finding your way back to who you were always meant to be."

I nod, letting his words settle into the spaces between my thoughts.

A summer away.

Just music.

No ghosts, no shadows, no expectations.

It sounds like an escape, but maybe it's the beginning of something I've been too afraid to dream about.

CHAPTER66

NAME

NORA

I'm stillon the phone with Camilla when I hear footsteps in the kitchen.

"So, are you and Marcus coming tonight?" I twirl a strand of hair around my finger, the familiar nervous habit grounding me.

"Are you kidding?" Camilla's laugh crackles through the line, warm and bright. "Of course we are. There's no way we'd miss it. Let's just hope it's our first drama-free event of the summer."

"That we can both pray for." I step into the kitchen, my breath catching at the sight of Jake. "I'll see you there."

I hang up and pause, taking in Jake's presence by the counter. Steam rises from the mug in his hand, but his eyes are distant, lost in thought. The air between us feels thick with unspoken words, weeks of tension crystallized in this single moment. It's the first time we've been alone since the Fourth of July blow-up, and my heart pounds against my ribs like it's trying to escape.

"Hey," I say softly, the word barely more than a whisper.

---