stop them. I stood up, my hands clenched into fists. I was looki

ir of pure arrogance. "Things change, Avery. We h

shaking with a fury I hadn' t k

ion cold and unyielding. "Don' t make

ason with the boy I thought I knew. "This is our future. Our reputation. The contacts

g one, the one who could smooth over any conflict. He placed a hand on my arm, his touch now feeling like a brand. "Look, Avery

m, and all I could think about was the years of shared laughter, the whispered secrets in between musical phrases, the feeling that we were invincible together. We

me into a corner, and I had surrendered. In that moment, watching them move on to discussing logistics, their voices a low, conspirator

ss continuo part, I started writing. A new piece. It was a lament, a furious, heartbroken melody for a solo cello. It was everything I couldn't say out loud. The notes were dark and complex,

e house. My mother had let him in, and he found me in the small sunroom I used as my practic

s quiet for a long moment. His eyes, usually so sharp and

g. "That is... extraordinary. The depth, the p

ation I had received in weeks. For a moment, I felt a flicker of my old s

shattered the

ing my sheet music, the one I had been composing

d cheerful. "I think it really showcases a new direction for me as an art

tes, my frantic scribbles in the margins, my soul poured

word was a c

"Oh, Avery. I was just showing Mom and Dad my new compositi

d, my eyes locked on the papers in he

Avery, please. Don' t do this. Chloe has been wo

e, bordering on hysteria. "Thos

ou' ve been so stressed lately. Maybe you saw me working

h pity, as if I were losing my mind. They believed her. Of course, they believed her. She was their perfe

ould only make me look more unhinged. I had to stand there and watch her take credit for my pain,