Love Notes

It's Part of You

The music room was dimly lit, casting a warm glow over the scattered sheet music and instruments lying around. Emma and Leo sat across from each other, the quiet lingering after a tense silence. It felt heavy, like a thick fog that had settled over them, pressing down on every word that hadn't yet been spoken. Leo was the first to break it.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice low and raw with sincerity. He swallowed, his hands resting over the piano keys as if for comfort. "I didn't mean to get so defensive."

Emma looked up, her own emotions still tangled and unresolved. The light from the small lamp caught on her cheeks, revealing the glimmer of recent tears. She sniffled, giving him a small, reassuring smile. "It's okay," she murmured, voice barely louder than a whisper. "I didn't mean to push."

Leo's eyes softened, and he looked at her with an intensity that both unsettled and comforted her. "I just... I get protective of my music," he said, his voice barely a murmur, like he was afraid that admitting it aloud would somehow break the spell of what they had.

She nodded, setting her drumsticks aside as if to make herself more open, more present. "I know. Maybe it's because it's a part of you," she said, understanding flashing in her eyes.

He sighed, a sound that seemed to come from somewhere deep within. For a moment, his gaze dropped to the piano keys beneath his hands, and he ran his fingers over them absentmindedly. Finally, his voice, quiet yet steady, broke the silence.

"And... what if I don't want to keep it a secret anymore?" Leo's words lingered in the air, heavy with meaning. He didn't have to elaborate; Emma knew he wasn't just talking about his music. He was talking about them.

Her heart skipped a beat. It was like a crescendo in a song—those few seconds of rising tension before everything bursts forth, demanding to be heard. She swallowed, then, with a glint of hope in her eyes, she said, "What if we play a piece that says it all? One that shows everyone what we have?"

Leo looked at her, his face a mix of excitement and anxiety. She could see the gears turning in his mind, the what-ifs and maybes swirling around as he considered it. "Like what?" he asked, a flicker of curiosity warming his gaze.

Emma paused, thinking. Then, suddenly, her face lit up. "How about All of Me?"

Leo's eyes widened, caught off guard by her suggestion. "All of Me? Seriously?"

"Why not?" Emma grinned, her voice a little bolder. "It's a beautiful song, and... well, it feels right. I mean, if we're gonna play something that speaks for us, it might as well be that."

He sat back, considering it, the weight of the decision pressing down on him. But Emma could see something else in his expression: the same thrill that was lighting her up. "Alright," he finally agreed, his voice a little unsteady. "But we need to practice. A lot."

They looked at each other, both nervous and excited, as if they were about to take a giant leap into the unknown together. And for the first time, it didn't feel scary—it felt exhilarating.

The hours that followed passed in a whirlwind of music, laughter, and notes that slipped through the air like whispered confessions. They spent that evening working out their arrangement of All of Me, pausing and adjusting, each addition giving the piece more of their shared energy, their unspoken feelings. Emma quickly found herself lost in the melody, the lyrics resonating with the tender, budding connection between them.

Leo's fingers glided over the piano keys as he played, and Emma's eyes followed his every movement, feeling the warmth of the song grow with every pass. He wasn't just playing a piece; he was showing her parts of himself, the ones he usually kept hidden beneath his quiet, reserved exterior. And with each phrase, Emma felt herself leaning into the music, allowing it to speak for her as well.