Finding Us (Christian Interracial Romance)

The Voice Silences

Jeremy

The sun shines bright over Los Angeles as I step out of the car, taking a deep breath of the crisp afternoon air. I've always loved this city. The energy, the people, the constant pulse of life—it's like you can feel the heartbeat of dreams in the air. I glance up at the sign above the Maple Grove Diner, a classic breakfast spot, and the smell of coffee and syrup drifts through the open door.

My dad walks beside me, a proud smile on his face. He's been my rock through the ups and downs of this crazy ride. Today, I can't help but feel like we're on top of the world. Amaya Moon's "Fading Into You" music video dropped two weeks ago, and the buzz hasn't stopped since. It's surreal seeing her hard work paying off, and I'm just grateful to be a part of it. Amaya's a force—her dedication, her passion, it reminds me of... Cecilia. She hasn't responded my text yet.

But I push that thought away as we step into the restaurant. Today's about celebrating. I greet the hostess with a smile, and she leads us to a booth by the window. The place is buzzing with chatter and I can already smell the bacon sizzling from the kitchen.

Dad takes a seat across from me, flipping open the menu even though he's probably had everything here at least ten times. "You know," he says, glancing up with a smirk, "I'm starting to think I'll need an autograph soon, too. You're blowing up, kid."

I chuckle, rubbing the back of my neck. "Come on, Dad. You know it's Amaya's show. I'm just lucky to be along for the ride."

He narrows his hazel eyes, but there's pride shining through. "Yeah, but you believed in her. And from what I've seen, you two make a hell of a team. You should be proud, Jeremy."

I smile, leaning back in my seat. It's nice to hear, especially from him. Before I can respond, though, a girl—maybe in her teens—hesitantly approaches our table, clutching a notepad and a pen in her hands. Her eyes are wide, like she's trying to work up the nerve to say something.

"Excuse me," she starts, voice wavering. "You're... Jeremy Miller, right? From Amaya Moon's video?"

I grin and nod, motioning for her to come closer. "That's me. What's your name?"

"Sophie," she replies, barely able to contain her excitement. "I—I've watched the video. You were amazing! Could you, um, sign this?"

I take the notepad from her, scribbling my name and a quick message. "Thanks for watching, Sophie. I appreciate the support."

Her smile stretches so wide I'm afraid her face might split. "Thank you! And congrats on the music video! It's all over social media!"

"Thank you, Sophie. It means a lot." I hand her the notepad, and she scurries off, glancing back once more with that look of disbelief I've seen a hundred times. It never gets old.

Dad raises his eyebrows as she walks away. "You really take your time with them, don't you?"

I shrug. "They're the reason I get to do what I love. Least I can do is give them a moment, you know?"

He gives a small, approving nod, but I catch the subtle way his smile fades, just a little. I guess it's a dad thing—wanting to keep an eye on me, making sure I don't get swallowed up by all this. I get it. But right now, everything feels like it's falling into place.

"Excuse me," a young woman says, standing by our table. She's clutching her phone, eyes wide with excitement. Her friend stands behind her, equally thrilled. "Are you Jeremy Miller?"

I offer her a smile. "Yeah, that's me," I reply, already reaching for the pen in my jacket pocket. I'm used to this by now. "How are you?"

"Oh my gosh, I knew it!" She gushes. "I loved you in The Murder Diaries, but you were so scary! And the Fading Into You music video with Amaya Moon—that was amazing! You were so... different!"