Heart Strings|GirlxGirl

Shadows In The Light

After I dropped Freye home, she didn't say much during the ride. The entire drive, her face was set in a frustrated frown, and I felt the weight of guilt pressing down on me. I knew it was my fault-my jealousy had ruined the evening, and now I was left wallowing in my own self-pity.

Back at the studio, I couldn't shake the feeling of regret. My bandmates were starting to notice.

"What's wrong with you?" Rika asked, her voice tinged with concern.

"Yeah, you've been gloomy since this morning. And Freye-" Mino paused, glancing at Rae as if expecting her to continue.

Rae raised her eyebrows, looking at me like she'd figured something out. "She hasn't gotten here yet?" she asked, voice quieter.

I groaned at the mention of Freye's name, running a hand through my hair in frustration. "I think I messed up..." I muttered.

Rae and the others exchanged glances. "Did something happen between you two?" she asked, and I could feel the heat rise in my cheeks.

Before I could explain, the door to the studio opened, and Freye stepped in, greeting everyone except me. She didn't even glance my way.

Fuck, how did I mess this up so badly?

---

The rest of the session was painfully silent. Freye kept things professional, not speaking to me unless it was absolutely necessary. The tension between us was suffocating, and it had me spiraling even more. After hours of work, the session ended, and I waited until the others said their goodbyes and left.

I approached her, trying to find the right words. "What did I do wrong, Freye?" I asked, my voice soft, vulnerable.

She looked at me like I was an idiot, her expression a mixture of confusion and frustration, like 'how the hell do you not get it?'

I guess asking her made it worse. She brushed past me and started to walk away, but I couldn't just let it go. I grabbed her wrist gently, pulling her toward me, my heart hammering as I looked down into her eyes.

"Please, don't ignore me. I'm sorry," I whispered, my voice desperate.

She didn't say anything at first, just stared into my eyes, as if waiting for me to figure it out.

After a long, tense silence, she finally spoke. "How can I forgive you when you haven't even realized what you've done?" Her voice was steady, but there was a hurt edge to it.

I sighed, guilt crushing me. "I know what I did," I said, feeling the weight of it all.

She looked at me with wide eyes for a second before pulling away from me.

I missed the warmth of her touch almost instantly.

"I'm sorry I acted like that," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

She crossed her arms, waiting for more.

I took a deep breath, staring at the floor. "I was jealous," I muttered, not daring to look at her, my face flushed with embarrassment.

There was a long silence. I felt like I was waiting for her to either forgive me or walk away.

Then, to my surprise, she chuckled softly.

I lifted my gaze, confused, and she smiled at me, a light laugh escaping her lips. "You're so cute," she teased.

Please don't say that, I thought, biting my lip.

I blinked at her, still confused. "I forgive you, Axel," she said, laughing at the look on my face.

My eyes widened, and before I could stop myself, I pulled her into a tight hug. I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face.

She let out a little squeal, the sound muffled as I squeezed her. "You're squeezing me, baby," she blurted out, and I instantly let go, sheepish.

"Sorry," I muttered, rubbing the back of my head, and she let out a breath of relief, followed by a hearty laugh.

---

The Next Day

The band worked tirelessly on the album, finalizing the lyrics I had started. Freye stepped into the booth, lyric sheet in hand, and took a deep breath before starting to sing.

"Sex Money Feelings Die"

Late night,
Call you in the late night,
Trade love for one night,
Two pills and a red wine,
Talk offline, no, I don't mind,
The words that you don't say,
No love when you hold me,
No callin' the next day, it's a one-way, no.

And now the sun is up, I'm comin' down
(Nobody nowhere, I'm nobody nowhere)
We just blow it up, blow it out...

Sex, money, feelings, die,
Baby, don't you cry...
Ladies on my right...

The session continued as Freye sang the full track. When she finished, everyone was quiet for a moment, taking it all in.

"Perfect!" Rika exclaimed with a grin. Axel couldn't help but smile as well, pleased with the song. Rae and Mino looked at each other with satisfied expressions.

"I'm quite pleased with the song," Freye said, but her expression shifted. "But I don't think it should be on the album."

Axel froze. She knew she shouldn't be upset, but it stung. It felt like Freye was saying her song wasn't good enough for the album. As an artist, Axel took pride in her work, and hearing this, even if it was a professional decision, hurt her more than she wanted to admit.

"Why?" Rae asked, trying to keep the conversation calm.

"It doesn't really fit with my vision for the album," Freye explained, though she didn't look at Axel directly. "But I think it could work as a single, something to tease the fans."

Axel's heart sank. She knew it was petty, but she felt her frustration simmering. In truth, it was Freye's album, and if she didn't want the song on it, Axel had no right to be upset. But the embarrassment of having her work dismissed by Freye made her feel small.

Without another word, Axel stood up abruptly, shocking everyone in the room.

She couldn't bring herself to stay, not after that.