It wouldn’t be a confession, just raw honesty.
I sat, hunched slightly forward, and began to write, tentatively at first, then with surer strokes. Right then it was nothing but lines without melody, phrases that felt too close to the bone to be anything but real.
I paused, my heart thudding.
This wasn’t just a song. This was me, finally letting myself be seen.
I kept writing, pouring my feelings onto the paper, and when I finally stopped, I leaned back, my breath unsteady, and stared at the page.
I’ll tell you.Soon.
Not because I had to, but because I wanted to.
I hope it will be enough.
I knew something was wrong the moment I stepped into the studio.
The room was already full, but no one was warming up. I couldn’t hear any scales or idle harmonies drifting through the air. Instead, there was a low, buzzing murmur that cut off a fraction of a second too late.
Silence fell. Every head turned in my direction.
I paused inside the doorway, my bag still slung over my shoulder. “What?” My stomach tightened. “Why do I feel as if I’ve walked onto a crime scene?”
Finnley cleared his throat, trying—and failing—to look neutral. Oliver stared at the floor. Sebastian looked as if he wanted to vanish.
Max leaned against the wall with his arms folded, watching me.
I dropped my bag to the floor. “Okay,someonetell me what’s going on.”
Julian held up his phone. “Congratulations. You’ve gone public.”
I blinked. “What?”
He turned the phone around, and I peered at the screen. One glance was all I needed. It was a cropped image, in muted tones, the unmistakable line of my shoulder, the curve of my throat, the intimate angle that made my chest tighten painfully.
Cameron’s portrait of me in all its glory.
The room tilted.
“What?” I croaked.
“The college posted previews for the exhibition,” Finnley said quickly, as though he was trying to soften the blow. “Just a few pieces. Cameron’s was one of them.”
My mouth dried up. “You’ve all seen it.”
“Not all of it,” Sebastian murmured.
Julian snorted. “Speak for yourself.” I shot him a look, and he lifted both hands. “Hey. That’s not me being weird about it. This is me beingimpressed.”
I exhaled through my nose. “That’s not helping.”
It’s online. Cameron hadn’t saidanythingabout it being online.
Max finally straightened. “You want a minute?”
I shook my head. “No. I—” I swallowed. “No. Just… tell me what you think you saw.”
Beats of silence.