How do you navigate a world that has always seemed just out of grasp?
Isabela has always known how to navigate life without sight. Growing up in a small town on California's coast, she relied on her instincts, her unbreakable connection to the sea...
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I hadn't seen Isabela in a week. A long, drawn-out, frustrating week. The kind that stretched forever despite the non-stop studio sessions, the exhausting push to finish tracks, and the suffocating pressure from George and the label. But we'd been texting every day, and those messages had become the one thing keeping me sane. Her words were more than just conversation—they were like oxygen, reminding me that there was life outside the grind.
Isabela. She had this way of lighting up my mind even when she wasn't physically there. I couldn't help but think back to our first date, how the sun reflected off her, how her smile had softened the edges of my world. And now, it was happening all over again.
I'd been counting the days until I could see her in person, and today was finally the day. She wanted to heal up completely and get a bit of a headstart with the administration of Colombia University, and how they can make her study environment more fitting to her. She was coming to the studio, healed up, looking radiant from what she told me—her stitches nearly completely gone. Annie, her golden retriever, would be by her side, of course, and I couldn't wait to see her interaction with the guys.
I glanced around the room before she arrived, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves twist in my gut. Luke, Grey, and Mick were all scattered across the studio, fiddling with equipment, tuning instruments, and cracking jokes.
"So, today's the big day, huh?" Luke grinned, adjusting the strap on his guitar.
"Yeah, man," I said, trying to keep my voice casual, but the flush creeping up my neck betrayed me.
Mick, lounging lazily on the beat-up leather couch in the corner, shot me a smirk. "You've been talking about this girl all the time. Is she really that amazing?"
I rolled my eyes but couldn't hide the grin spreading across my face. "You'll see. She's... different."
"Different, huh?" Grey, always the quiet one, finally chimed in from behind his drum set. "I've heard you say that about girls before, but this one seems to have gotten under your skin. Like really deep"
"She has," I admitted, leaning back against the wall and folding my arms. "I've never met anyone like her. She's smart, funny, and—well, she's been through a lot, but she doesn't let it slow her down. She's tough."
"Yeah, yeah," Mick teased, stretching out. "And she is hot!"
Luke groaned, throwing a crumpled piece of paper at him. "Dude, have some respect."
"Hey, this is as important as the character of a person." Mick laughed, dodging the paper missile.
I shook my head, chuckling. "She is. But it's not just that. There's something else—something deeper. I don't know how to explain it. You'll understand when you meet her."
"Sounds like you've got it bad," Grey mused, tapping a rhythm on his drumsticks.
"Maybe I do," I confessed, surprising even myself. The realization hit me harder than I expected. I really liked this girl. Maybe even more than I was willing to admit. And that thought made me feel... vulnerable.
