Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 102929 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102929 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 515(@200wpm)___ 412(@250wpm)___ 343(@300wpm)
Everything unsaid.
Everything that mattered was all the chorus.
It was only a matter of time until the melody we were playing turned into be back in ten, then seven years of silence...
And still, we performed it so perfectly, our memories bleeding into every last note.
Kraven
I played the piano for her.
Isla.
I played it for the guests.
For myself.
For my demons.
For the little boy abandoned by his mother.
For the seven years I could never get to shut up, regardless of how much trouble I got into.
For the version of me I see when I’m with Kitty.
For the memories.
The trauma.
The tears.
The fights.
For the music that completed me.
The notes that consumed me.
For the nights when all I had was my piano.
When I tasted tears.
Fear.
Unhappiness.
I played for all of that and more.
Last, I played for her.
My mom.
Because if it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be playing at all, and that was the hardest note to hit.
It carried the sharpest key.
Except there was no harmony.
Not for me.
* * *
I never experienced that unless I was playing through a wall for my black cat.
Chapter
Forty-One
Isla
Every decision you make reflects your evaluation of who you are.
– Marianne Williamson
* * *
Two weeks later.
* * *
“She’ll be here, Julius. I know she will.”
“Isla,” he stressed in an edgy tone. “It’s your birthday, and she was supposed to be here hours ago to make dinner. A dinner she insisted on, might I add.”
“Julius, relax…” Kraven intercepted. “She doesn’t know any better.”
“Don’t do that,” I snapped. “Don’t talk about me like I’m not in the room.”
“You’re going off on me?” Kraven asked, looking offended. “I’m just defending you.”
“I don’t need your defending.”
Julius abruptly stood, getting off the couch. “I told you this was a bad idea from day one, but you didn’t listen to me.” In a stern expression, he glanced down at me. “You insisted on allowing her for your birthday. I kept my mouth shut because it’s your day, and now look, we’re fighting over her yet again.”
“Julius, I know it’s been hard, but I haven’t let her in the house. I’ve barely even spoken to her. What was I supposed to do when she—”
“You tell her no! It’s really that simple!”
“She’s your mom. I—”
“She’s my nothing!”
“Julius,” Kraven announced, grabbing his arm. “Chill. It’s her birthday.”
I abruptly stood too, facing them both. “I’m not fighting with you guys about this. I know she’ll be here. She promised me, okay?”
“Words come cheap when it comes to Melody.” Julius stepped back, walking to the bay window. He pulled the curtain, looking outside. “I warned you, Isla,” he simply stated. “But you refuse to see reason.”
“She hasn’t even been around that much.”
Kraven chimed in, “Only because we put a stop to it.”
“Great,” I remarked. “We’re back to two against one again.”
Kraven shrugged. “We’re just trying to protect you. Why is that so hard to understand?”
I shook my head. “You don’t need to protect me from her. She’s your mom.”
“You’ll learn,” Julius bit out. “The first lesson is always the hardest.”
My eyes went wide, suddenly defensive of her. “She’s respected all your wishes, and the only reason she’s coming tonight is because it’s my birthday. You know how she feels about them.”
Julius reminded. “It’s ten at night. What time are we expected to eat?”
“Maybe something's wrong. I mean, she’s not answering her phone, and that’s not like her.”
Julius nodded. “That’s the definition of her.”
“She’s never not answered me.”
“You’ve only known her a minute,” Julius scoffed. “But I knew it wouldn’t take long for her to show you her true colors.”
“Well, I’m not giving up on her so easily. I think there’s something wrong.”
“Isla—”
“Julius, just let her be. It’s her birthday, alright?”
He reluctantly let it go, but not before he added, “How about we at least sing you ‘Happy Birthday,’ and you can open up our gifts?”
“No,” I softly spoke. “We can wait for her.”
It was my big one-eight. I’d been looking forward to becoming a legal adult for as long as I could remember. Now the day was finally here, and we were in the living room, waiting for Melody. My emotions were all over the place. I refused to believe she was standing me up.
The clock on the wall ticked, though.
Tick, tock.
Tick, tock.
Tick, tock…
Every second that flew by mirrored the beating of my heart, pounding its way out of my chest. The candles burning around us tested my patience, too. Julius pretended he was scrolling his phone while Kraven did the same, each on opposite ends of the couch, me in the middle like always.
The living room felt smaller than usual, the walls caving in on me, starting to feel like a damn fool. Balloons were scattered around, and a cake was waiting in the fridge. All of it was just making a mockery of the evening that I had so much hope for.
Julius’s jaw clenched every time I saw him glancing at the door from the corner of my eye. I kept picturing her coming through the door with flowers, a gift, and a huge apology for being late. I pretended as if this wasn’t the first time I trusted and relied on someone to show up for me.