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Once inside, door shut, Adrian spun on his heels to face Eric. “All right, play me a song.” He pointed at his grandfather’s old piano. “One of yours. One I mightrecognise.”
The fading light outlined the hesitation crossing Eric’s features. Slowly, he nodded. Another moment passed as he studied Adrian’s face with a serious, heavy gaze. Then he abruptly turned and sat down on the piano stool, fingers settling on the keys.
The first notes rose clear in the air—fast-paced, with a hint of melancholia. Familiar. Bloodyfamiliar.
Adrian stumbled back, bumped into the sofa, and sat down. Fuck. That was…
It was the song that had echoed through just about every mountain bar on a continuous loop last summer. The teenagers—they’d played it in the gondola, and it was Eric,Ericwho’d supplied Adrian with the lyrics because of fucking course he had. ‘Your insecurities in a neon dream.’What was the title again? Something cocktail. Charade? No, camouflage.Cocktail Camouflage.
Performed by Max Fina. Co-written with Eric Isak, apparently.
God, Adrian was such an idiot.Talking about Eric getting a foot in the door when Eric was already camped out in the ballroom, holding court. Adrian had even joked about the possibility of some label person hearing Eric play the grand piano after dinner, how it could be Eric’s lucky break—but there’d been a part of Adrian that actually felt like he was helping, giving Eric a bit of a platform, however small. Oh, and those daily lines Adrian had asked for, Christ. Teasing Eric about writing songs for Adrian. Asif.
Because Eric… All he’d done was humour Adrian, hadn’t he?
So.
This was heartbreak, then.
It sucked. Twisted through Adrian’s gut like a stray bullet.Keep fucking breathing.
Eric’s fingers stilled, the final notes fading. Showtime, baby. Except Adrian couldn’t. He just fucking couldn’t pretend that it didn’t matter, that it was all fine and dandy and didn’t hurt at all when it did, itdid. Nothing to lose but his dignity, and what was that good for anyway?
“That was the first international number-one hit I co-wrote,” Eric said into the silence. His head was bent, attention on the keys. “There’ve been a couple others since, and a few more in the top ten, both before and after.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Adrian barely recognised his own voice. It sounded like he’d dragged it through gravel, and the words felt like that too, scraping along the back of his throat.
Eric turned on the piano stool, his sheepish smile twisting into a wince. “I kind of liked being just me.”
Oh, screw him.
“Yeah,” Adrian said sharply. “That’s nice for you. Only I never had the same luxury of choice, now did I?” Fuck. “Also, you lied to me.”
“I didn’tlie,” Eric started. He adjusted course when Adrian shot him a dark, unimpressed look. “I mean… I omitted some facts.”
Adrian crossed his arms and waited. Fortunately, he didn’t have to wait long.
“Fine, yeah.” Eric sighed. “I kind of lied to you.”
“Yeah, you did.”
Empty air stretched between them, gaping like the abyss in Adrian’s chest.
When Eric raised his eyes, it was to hold Adrian’s gaze, voice slow. “When I arrived here, I needed a fresh start, kind of. A mental break.” The words started to come faster now. “It felt nice how I was so much more than just a songwriter here. How it wasn’t such a big piece of me, you know? It made it all feel a little lighter. Like, I was the piano player, the server, someone people talked to about how their day went and what the snow was like and whether I’d ever seen the ghost that’s meant to roam the hallways. My world feels so muchbiggerhere.”
Right. So for Eric, it had been a nice little escape—fun and temporary. Too bad Adrian hadn’t received the memo. He tilted his head back, blinking, the crisscrossing ceiling beams swimming in front of his eyes.
“I’m…” Eric cleared his throat. “I was someoneyoutalked to. Someone you trusted with your hopes and fears. And maybe you wouldn’t have if you’d thought I wasn’t going to stick around.”
Was this meant to comfort Adrian? He gave a tiny shake of his head and stayed silent, refusing to look at Eric.
“Why is this such a big deal?” Eric asked quietly.
The fucking nerve.
“Because I thought you were real. I thoughtthiswas real.” Adrian gestured between them, and God, it seemed so stupid now. “But turns out you’re just completely out of my league.”
“No one’s out of your league.” Eric sounded like he actually believed that when he was probably… Fuck, how much money did hehave? Lucas’s quips about marrying rich made a lot more sense now. Funny how Adrian wasn’t laughing.
