Page 132 of Dirty Developments

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I was too young to name it,

Too scared to let it grow.

So I called it nothing, buried it deep?—

But love has roots I didn’t know.

I glance over to her, locking my gaze on hers.

Her eyes—fuck, her eyes betray her.

She’s listening.

I don’t let myself look away.If she’s going to pretend this means nothing, she’s damn well going to do it knowing I see her doing it.

The words come easy now because they’re real.They’rehers.My voice is steady, but inside, I’m raw, exposed in a way I haven’t been in years.

You were the song I never finished,

The note that lingered in my chest.

You were the fire I let burn down,

And the spark I never let rest.

I don’t just sing this song.I pour myself into it.

My throat tightens, and I have to swallow hard.

I hit the next note, but my voice catches for a split second.A crack I can’t hide.

And I know she catches it.I see it in her expression.

Every note, every lyric—it’s not just a performance.It’s a confession, a prayer.

A last chance.

I watch Anna like my life depends on it.

Because maybe it does.

It reminds me of that day—the one where I sang her song for the whole school.But really, it was for her.My last goodbye.

If only I had known…

Her face stays still, unreadable.Arms crossed, chin high.But I see it—the tightness in her throat, the way her fingers dig into her arms.

I push harder, my voice roughening.

Did you know?

Did you see?

That every almost—still led me back to you and me?

Her breath catches.

And for a second—just a flicker—I let myself hope.