It's Like Music In My Ears

CHAPTER 9: THE RECKONING

The sun barely peeked over the horizon when I met Jace at the school entrance, the morning chill nipping at our skin. We exchanged a nod, silent but understanding—today was the day. We’d spent the previous night going over the plan until it was airtight. No slip-ups. No distractions. This was my last shot at fixing everything I’d messed up.

“Ready?” Jace asked, his tone serious for once.

“Yeah,” I replied, though my stomach was doing somersaults. The thought of facing Melody after everything made my heart race, but I knew I had to do this.

We entered the school, blending into the crowd of students hustling to their lockers, chatting about the day’s upcoming classes. It was almost like any other day, except today was different. Today, I had to make amends.

Jace and I split up, each moving toward our designated spots. The plan was simple but effective—keep Kacy and Adelle occupied long enough for me to get Melody alone. Jace, ever the strategist, had come up with a foolproof way to distract them.

I watched from a distance as Jace approached Kacy and Adelle, a mischievous grin on his face. He started talking to them, gesturing wildly as if sharing the juiciest gossip. They took the bait, laughing and leaning in closer to hear more. I couldn’t hear what he was saying, but whatever it was, it worked. They were hooked.

This was my cue.

Taking a deep breath, I slipped away from the crowd, searching for Melody. I found her by the music room, her back turned as she rummaged through her bag. My heart pounded in my chest, each beat echoing in my ears. This was it.

“Melody,” I called softly.

She turned, her expression neutral, but her eyes told a different story. There was pain there, a deep hurt that I’d caused. My stomach twisted with guilt.

“Can we talk?” I asked, my voice trembling despite my efforts to stay calm.

She hesitated but nodded, leading us to a secluded corner of the school, away from prying eyes. The silence between us was heavy, filled with the weight of unspoken words.

“I—” I began, but the words caught in my throat. I remembered what Amber had told me: be patient, be honest. So I took a deep breath and started again. “I’ve come to understand your pain. I was a jerk for what I did, Melody. I was selfish, and I’m sorry.”

I barely finished my sentence before she slapped me, hard. The sting spread across my cheek, but it wasn’t just physical pain I felt—it was the realization of how deeply I’d hurt her.

“Does it hurt?” she asked, her voice trembling.

“Yes,” I admitted, my hand instinctively moving to the spot where her hand had struck.

“Multiply that by a thousand and think of it coming from someone you thought would never try to hurt you,” she said, her voice breaking as tears welled up in her eyes. “That’s how I felt.”

It was like a dam broke inside her. Melody started to weep, her body shaking with the force of her sobs. Without thinking, I wrapped my arms around her, holding her as she cried. Her pain was tangible, and it tore me apart knowing I was the cause of it.

“I’m so sorry, Melody,” I whispered, my own voice thick with emotion. “I love you. I never wanted to hurt you.”

For a moment, it felt like time had stopped, like we were the only two people in the world. But then she pulled away, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. Her eyes, once full of emotion, were now cold, distant.

“You fucked up,” she said, her voice flat. “Meet you in the competition.”

With that, she turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, stunned and hollow. I’d managed to talk to her, but it hadn’t made a difference. The damage was done, and now I had to live with the consequences.