Dolce Dissonance // 'Sweet Dissonance'

Chapter 38

File Source: APOLLO Home-Studio Recording

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"Trust that you betrayed, confusion that still lingers

Took everything I loved and crushed it in between your fingers

And I doubt you ever think about the damage that you did

But I hold onto every detail like my life depends on it

My undying love, now I hold it like a grudge

And I hear your voice every time that I think I'm not enough

And I try to be tough, but I wanna scream

How could anybody do the things you did so easily?

And I say I don't care, I say that I'm fine

But you know I can't let it go

I've tried, I've tried, I've tried for so long

It takes strength to forgive, but I don't feel strong"

________________________________

The stage lights slowly began to brighten as the final few bars of "What Was I Made For?" echoed across the stadium. A haze of mist hovered low on the stage floor, catching and filtering the growing light.

"Think I forgot how to be happy

Something I'm not, but something I can be

Something I wait for

Something I'm made for

Something I'm made for."

Nico stayed seated at the grand piano, even as the song came to a close. Typically, in the nights previous—he would make his final address at the standing mic centre stage, but Nico had one more song for the night. His hands were already shaking. He'd been putting off performing this particular song since the beginning of his tour, but there was a text message on his phone—a reply he never truly expected to receive—that made him decide to play it.

"I've got one more song for you tonight, Pittsburgh." Nico said into the microphone slung over the piano. Predictably, the crowd went wild which extracted a little chuckle from him as he stared out at the sea of faces. "But I'll need a little help with this one."

Again he needed to pause for the cheering to subside.

"Please welcome, my lovely sister, Hazel Levesque back to the stage!"

In the soft glow of a single spotlight, Hazel walked onto the stage. She looked radiant, her curly hair pulled into a bun with a small halo accessory sticking out the top. Hazel waved shyly with her free hand smiling at the crowd before taking her place next to the piano.

"Do you want to tell them or should I?" Nico teased the crowd.

Hazel made a show of thinking hard as there were shouts of ' tell us!' from the pit, before she acquiesced, "This song is one we both hold very dearly," She admits, "It's the first song Nico and I have officially written together, just the two of us. We hope you like it."

She smiled at him, lifting her violin under her chin. Nico wiped his sweaty hands on his dark jeans, brushing against the small sunflower charm that was attached to the chain hung loosely from his belt. The piano gleamed under the stage lights, and Nico rested his fingers lightly on the keys. This was the moment he had been dreading and anticipating all at once. The song. Their song.