Page 87 of Steal My Breath Away

TWO MONTHS LATER

Good morning, Chicago. This isHidden Trackson WJPK, and I’m Haley Chapman. Welcome to a brand-new year. We’ve been through a lot together, from the darkest of days to the moments that steal your breath away. And through it all there’s been music. The soundtrack to our lives, the beat of our hearts, the songs that give voice to our hidden emotions.

We’re going to kick off with a celebration of journeys—of the paths we take, the detours we make, and the destinations we never expected to reach.

When I started this show, I thought I was just sharing music. But somewhere along the way, I realized I was also finding my own voice. We’ll be exploring songs about growth and change, the courage it takes to face our fears, and the beauty we find when we finally let ourselves be heard.

Today’s playlist is for anyone who’s ever felt stuck and found a way to break free. For those who’ve learned that sometimes, the bravest thing we can do is simply allow ourselves to feel. It’s for the wounded and the healing, for the silent and the people who have finally found their voice.

Our first track is a song about courage and hope and reminding ourselves that every ending is a new beginning. That even when the music stops, there’s always another song waiting to be sung. Stay with us and remember—life’s greatest compositions are often the ones we never saw coming.

I cued up my next few songs and sat back in my chair. Paige had wanted me to announce that I’d just been signed by Atlantic Records, the home of some of my dad’s favorite R&B and jazz artists, but I wanted to keep my show focused on giving voice to new and emerging artists who, until Stefan called to tell me he’d been at the Bluebird and wanted to make me an offer, had been me.

It was hard to believe that five months ago, I’d thought my dream of making it as a singer was over. Now I was in the recording studio every day and my baby album was being turned into something big. I had an agent, Lily, who fought so hard for me she made Paige seem like a puppy, and a producer who couldn’t have been more excited about my music.

I was still committed to finishing my degree—for me and for Dad and because all that psychology stuff was pretty useful when it came to exploring feelings and writing songs. I’d also reconnected with my mom from a place of shared understanding about the unhealthy way we’d dealt with our emotions. Over Christmas, we’d gone through all Dad’s boxes in the garage and Matt’s tough boxes and pulled out the things we wanted to put up in the house to remember them by. Our house had been full of love, friends, and family over the holidays, and it almost felt like Dad and Matt were with us again.

I saw Ace talking to Chad in the hallway after I finished my show and crept up behind him to give him a hug.

“How was your first day as a lowly engineering student?”

Ace pulled me around and gave me a soft kiss. “I killed it. No one read the course syllabus as hard as me.”

Ace had decided to give up his work in security and make good his dream of becoming an engineer. With a little help from a friend in the army who assisted vets in pursuing post-secondary education, he’d managed to get second-semester admission, and of course, he already had a place to stay.

“We’re going to be studying building structure in one of my classes,” he said. “It will be helpful when I cut a door between our rooms.”

“Not so sure the landlord will be up for that,” Chad said. “Have you ever considered just alternating beds?”

“Is that what you do when you’re visiting your White House sources?” Ace laughed. “Or are there hotels that will accommodate everyone at once?”

“I’m a gentleman.” Chad mocked a huff. “I don’t kiss and kiss and kiss and tell.”

Ace walked me across campus to the coffee shop. “I was thinking…”

“That’s a useful skill.”

He gave me an amused smile. “I was thinking that as much as I enjoy hanging out with your roommates, I would like to have a bigger kitchen to practice my formidable cooking skills. Aditi said I’m an amazing cook and Paige used the word ‘fantastic.’ Theo and Chad said ‘fucking awesome’ several times when I made a roast.”

“I’ll be sure to let them know their compliments have gone to your head,” I said dryly. “Is renovating the kitchen next on your agenda after you cut a hole in the wall?”

“Instead of renovating, I thought you might want to move in with me.” He handed me his phone. “I found this place. It’s modern, close to campus, has lots of light, an extra room that can be soundproofed as a music studio, and look at the size of the kitchen.”

“I can’t scroll with gloves on,” I said. “And since it is well below zero, I am not even tempted to take them off. I’m sure it’s very nice but it also looks expensive. It’s not something I can afford.”

“But I can.” He whipped off his glove to scroll through the pictures. “In fact, I just bought it.”

“You bought a condo?” I stared at him, aghast. “I didn’t know security paid that well.”

“It doesn’t, but my grandmother left me a lot of money and I’ve had an offer on her house. There is nothing left in Riverstonefor me. Everything I need is right here, all wrapped up in Janice’s wooly scarf that is giving me ideas that I don’t want to be having in below-freezing weather.”

“So…” I studied the pictures on his phone. “This is all yours?”

“And yours, if you want. I don’t smoke or vape or do drugs. I drink occasionally, usually when I’m stressed. I am very tidy and I’m good in bed. In fact, people have described my bedroom performance in the same words they have used for my cooking skills.”

My lips quivered with a smile. “There is no bed in these pictures.”

“I am very much looking forward to bed shopping with you. Did you know they let you try them out for ten minutes?”

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