Maybe it took fumbling too many second chances, burning too many bridges, and waking up alone one too many times, but he was done running in circles.
He was done mistaking pride for purpose and letting his ego lead where his heart should’ve been.
He was ready to be a man now. Not for the headlines or the fans, not even forher, but for himself.
Maybe by finishing the song he started as a boy in love, he was becoming the kind of man who didn’t just make noise to distract from the silence. He was ready to make music that healed something because he finally had something worth saying.
And a heart strong enough to say it.
End Of The Fire
It had beena few days since the fight with Zay, and Love hadn’t stepped foot back at the studio since. She left everything in Tara’s capable hands. Tara was efficient, organized, and relentless when she needed to be. Love trusted her with it all without hesitation. When her phone buzzed with questions from Malcolm or the stylists she’d grown familiar with, she let it go to voicemail.
She’d spent her days drifting from room to room, sweeping, rearranging throw pillows, wiping already-clean countertops. The hardwood floors gleamed from how many times she’d mopped them. She’d even found herself sitting cross-legged inthe hallway one night with a can of paint, touching up the baseboards just to quiet her mind.
Why do you care so much?she asked herself, over and over, while brushing smooth strokes along the trim.
Why does he still matter after all this time?
Because, it had never been just teenage love. It was all the dreams she built on his promises, the part of her that never really stopped building, even when he vanished.
The next thing she knew, she found herself standing at her bathroom’s sink, staring at her reflection in the mirror with tears that gathered but never fell.
“Ma?”
She jumped and turned to her right. Yana stood in the doorway with her arms folded and a worry line creasing her forehead.
“You good? You been cleaning the whole house for the past few days.”
Love quickly wiped the tears that pooled in her eyes and stood up straight. “I’m fine, baby. Just restless, I guess.”
Yana cocked her head to one side, not impressed. She didn’t look convinced, but she didn’t push it further either.
“Okay,” she replied. “Just checking on you.”
She smiled, then shook her head and placed her earbuds back in. She turned and walked away from the bathroom’s doorframe.
Love smiled and trotted behind her, turning the light off as she exited the space.
“What you thinking about eating for lunch?” she asked her daughter, who was already down the hallway and couldn’t hear her past the music in her ears. She was just about to yell louder after her when a knock sounded at the door.
Love watched Yana step into her bedroom and shut the door behind her. She turned the opposite way, down the stairs, andwalked to the front door. She saw a figure of a woman who she instantly recognized through the distorted glass of her front door and opened it. Tara breezed in with her arms full. She held a large, iced coffee that balanced precariously on a bouquet of gas station flowers and a snack box tied with a bow.
“Can you grab this for me?” she asked Love, who had already extended her arms to help.
“Wow.” Tara whistled, looking around at the spotless living room as she placed the iced coffee in Love’s hand. “Let me find out you deep cleaned your feelings again. Should I be worried?”
Love’s laugh was sharp but real. “Maybe.”
“Mm-hmm. Well, I brought you some goodies. Caffeine, snacks, and a few books to balance out your actual drama.” Tara handed over the flowers and box like she bestowed royal gifts.
Love chuckled and motioned to follow her to the kitchen. They entered the room and sat on the bar chairs at the island counter. Tara leaned forward and grinned from ear to ear.
“So—quick update,” she began, resting her hands under her chin. “Deuce is still being Deuce. Joking, clowning, keeping people from mutiny. Malcolm’s annoyed but not mad. He said you earned that outburst, so don’t worry about coming in yet.”
Love let out a long, shaky breath. She was still embarrassed that the entire crew witnessed that lover’s quarrel. She didn’t feel too good knowing that a private part of her past was broadcast in front of strangers, although it would premiere in front of the entire world sooner than she initially believed she was ready for.
“Good, that’s . . . great.” She hesitated, pausing between words. “Anything . . . um, else?”
