Melody of a Second Chance

Chapter Eight - An Awkward Reunion

Hailey's Pov:
As I was staying at Zander and Luke's house for the past two days, I became aware of the fact that both of them were really worried about me. Especially after I told them how Sebastian had treated me, let's just say that my ex-boyfriend should seriously consider himself lucky to be alive.

I also started to think about finding a new place to live and not burdening them anymore, since I had the money to get an apartment in New York City. As much as I enjoyed spending time with Zander and Luke, I think I needed some space from everyone. Plus, my manager expected me to produce another album soon since this is supposedly the perfect time to make one after coming back from tour.

I was already getting back on my feet and trying to find somewhere to live, but my manager didn't care how much time I needed to recover. I was expected to write new music immediately, but I was completely stuck. The spark inside me was gone, and I couldn't think of even a single song to write.

This was something I'd experienced before, of course, but this time it felt more serious. It's like everything I once knew about myself had been ripped away from me, and I'd become a complete stranger in my own life. Writing songs used to come so easily to me, but now I couldn't even think of one lyric.

Jake was supposed to take me back to Rosemeadow today, and I hadn't gotten around to informing Zander and Luke of it yet. I was feeling a bit uneasy about it, given the fact that he was my ex. But I couldn't deny how much I had missed him and how special this day could be for us. Maybe this was our chance to be friends?

The gift Jake had delivered to me yesterday was sweet and unexpected, even if I couldn't consume any of the ice cream due to my manager's rules. I had still appreciated the stuffed animal, though, and it was unbelievable to think that he had gotten me a present. But Zander and Luke had concerns of their own, such as the fact that Jake, who had broken my heart five years ago, had given me a gift after hearing about my recent breakup.

"I don't know, isn't it weird?" Zander asked, inspecting the stuffed animal that Jake had given me as if it was a murder weapon. "He hasn't spoken to you in five years, then shows up at our door to give you a gift? How does he even know that you're here?"

"It's a nice gesture, but it's a little strange," Luke echoed in agreement, eyeing the stuffed animal with a sense of suspicion.

"I think he's just desperate," Zander shrugged, putting the stuffed animal down.

I watched the couple debate the matter with a growing sense of discomfort, realizing that they had no idea about our recent conversations. They would find out soon enough, though I wasn't sure how they would react to this news. They were definitely suspicious and seemed unwilling to give Jake the benefit of the doubt in this situation.

"You look amazing today!" Luke said, looking at me, "not that you don't look amazing everyday, are you looking at apartments today?"

I smiled lightly at the unexpected compliment,
feeling slightly uneasy about the sudden change in subject. "Thank you. I'm actually going to be hanging out...with a friend today."

As I said those words, I felt my heart skipping a beat. It was already an odd situation that I was keeping my friendship with Jake a secret from them, but it seemed odd to refer to him as just a "friend" when the past was still fresh and had left scars. But I couldn't very well just come out and say that I was spending the day with my ex-boyfriend.

Luke and Zander raised their eyebrows in surprise at my answer, with looks of shock and concern on their faces. "Oh, with who?" Luke asked curiously.

I hesitated for a moment, trying to decide how to best answer their question. I didn't want to cause any trouble, but I couldn't exactly keep up a lie to them either. "With Jake," I replied nervously, bracing myself for their reactions.

"With Jake?" They both replied in unison, obviously shocked and skeptical about my answer. Neither one of them seemed to believe that this would prove to be anything but a disaster, given what had happened in our past.

"You're going on a date with Jake? Right after you just broke up with Sebastian?" Zander asked while crossing his arms, not too fond of my decision.

"It's not a date," I defended quickly, feeling defensive about their assumptions. "He's just taking me back to Rosemeadow, that's all. We're just going to spend the day there for nostalgic purposes. Nothing romantic at all, it's solely platonic."

Luke sighed while he rubbed Zander's back, "even though I have mixed feelings about this, you're an adult and it's your decision."

"I appreciate that," I replied calmly, feeling slightly relieved now that I no longer had to defend myself to them. It was my decision, and if I wanted to spend the day with Jake, then that was what I was going to do. Luke's attitude towards the situation was much more reasonable than Zander's, and I was grateful for that sense of support and understanding.

"So how long do you plan to spend the day with Jake?" Zander asked cautiously, still not entirely convinced that it was a good idea for me to be alone with my ex.

"I'm not entirely sure," I replied nervously, feeling the pressure to come up with a satisfactory answer for him. "Not too long, I suppose. Maybe just a few hours or so."

"Call us if you need anything," Zander said. "Or if he gets creepy, or rude, or anything, just call us."

I giggled at Zander's comment, "you know Jake, he's not going to do any of that!"

"But if he does," Luke replied with an equally serious-but-humorous tone. "Call one of us and we will come get you immediately. Got it?"

I smiled and rolled my eyes at the pair's overprotective nature, but I was also grateful for their concerns and willingness to look out for my safety. As I heard a car pull into the driveway, I realized that Jake was here, and I was about to spend the day with him for the first time in five years.

"Well, I guess I better go." I waved goodbye to the couple as I stepped out of the house. Jake's car was idling in the driveway, and I saw him waiting for me inside. I felt nervous and anxious about spending the day with him, but I was also eager to have some time away from all the drama in my life lately. I hoped that this day would be a positive one, and that we would both find some much-needed closure.

As I reached the car, I felt a mix of nerves and excitement, like I was about to perform one of my concerts too. I had spent years on stage that I had grown familiar with the anxious feeling, but this was a different type of nervousness, one that originated from our past and the prospect of rekindling things between us. I climbed into the car and closed the door, I noticed that he'd gotten a completely different car, it almost felt out of place.

The interior of the car was still quiet as I settled into the passenger's seat, and I couldn't help but feel somewhat uncomfortable and awkward. It had been five years since we last shared a car together, and so many things had happened between us since then. It was like we were strangers now, and I wasn't sure what to expect from this day.

"Hey," Jake said quietly with a smile as he started driving towards Rosemeadow.

"Hi," I replied softly, returning Jake's smile with a hint of nervousness. The tension between us was palpable, and I was feeling an overwhelming sense of awkwardness and uncertainty. It was so much easier to talk on the phone, but I should've expected that.

As he started driving toward Rosemeadow, I couldn't help but notice how the silence fell between us. Neither of us spoke for what seemed like an eternity. The tension was thick in the air, and I was feeling increasingly nervous. What had I gotten myself into?

Authors note: dw Hailey's just being silly rn