Falling Between the Notes (Nicholas Galitzine)

Chapter 70: A Song & A Scar

Jade's pov.

The melody was soft, low, a pulse beneath my skin. It wasn't finished. It barely had form, but it was something. Benito's fingers glided over the piano keys, eyes half-lidded, deep in the process of pulling a song out of the air. His music filled the empty spaces inside me, ones I hadn't realized were still raw.

But then—

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

The sharp vibration of my phone against the coffee table shattered the moment. My heart clenched when I saw the name on the screen. Nick. Again.

I had ignored the first two calls, my resolve set. But now, seeing his name light up my phone for the third time in a row, something inside me snapped.

Benito's playing slowed before stopping entirely. He exhaled through his nose, shaking his head. "Don't," he said, his voice low, knowing. "Nada bueno va a salir de esa llamada."

I ignored him.

I grabbed my phone, my hand unsteady but firm. "I need to."

Benito let out a quiet sigh and got up from the piano. He didn't leave. He didn't pace. Instead, he sat down beside me on the couch, closer than necessary, his arm stretched over the backrest. Watching.

I hit speaker.

A breath, heavy on the line. Then—

"The fuck is wrong with you?" Nick's voice came through, sharp, hoarse, furious. "You're really ignoring me now? After you had the nerve to tell Leslie to announce our breakup to the world like I meant nothing to you?"

I clenched my jaw. "You meant everything to me, Nick, and you ruined it. Don't act like I blindsided you—"

"You did!" His voice cracked with something desperate, something shattered. "Four days, Jade. Four fucking days and you're already running around Miami with—" He cut himself off, breathing hard. "You want to humiliate me? Fine. You fucking win."

I shut my eyes, grounding myself, because fuck, this was so much worse than I expected.

Nick wasn't just angry. He was spiraling.

But then—

"You think you're some untouchable superstar now?" His voice turned cruel, dripping venom. "Parading around like some fucking industry pass-around—"

"Nick." My voice came out sharp, cutting. A warning.

Beside me, Benito stiffened. I felt it more than saw it—the way his body tensed, the way his hand curled into a fist against his knee.

Nick kept going. "What, he's next? Gonna fuck your way through the Latin charts now, Jade? That the plan?"

My blood turned to fire. I felt Benito shift, like he was barely holding himself back.

"Jade," he said, low and quiet, but his voice was deadly. "Hang up. Now."

Nick must have heard him.

The line went dead silent for a second before Nick's breath came through the speaker, sharp and seething. "He's there?" A dark, bitter laugh. "Of course he is."

I didn't respond. I could barely think past the anger in my chest.

Nick, on the other hand, lost it.

"You're a fucking joke, Jade." His voice cracked. "You're so fucking weak. You always need someone else, don't you? You can't just be alone, you have to have some fucking replacement waiting for you—"