MADDIE (Voice Note):
Hey, gorgeous! How are you? I heard your concert was amazing! I wish I could’ve been there… I miss hearing you play. But I’m so proud of you, Seb.
Also… I wanted to say sorry for the other day. I totally dumped all my problems on you and even asked you to get involved between me and Remi, which I had no right to do. I know you’ve become friends with him, though how you managed that, I’ll never know, considering how prickly he is, but I get it now. It wasn’t fair to drag you into it.
I won’t lie, I’m still reeling and angry… but you know me, I’m not giving up. Now that I’ve calmed down, I’ve started planning how to win him back. I’m sure Remi just had a moment of weakness because of the distance. I can fix this.
But enough about me. How’s everything over there? How’s the conservatory? When’s your next performance? Did you find a room yet? And no pressure,you’re always welcome to stay with me, as long as you need.
Okay, okay, I’ll stop now. This message is already five minutes long. Love you, Seb. Can’t wait to see you again.
The message cuts off.
And while there’s some relief in hearing her sound more like herself again, brighter, more composed, it only makes the knot in my stomach tighten.
Oh, Maddie… What are you going to do when you realize things with Remi reallyareover?
She still thinks this is just a phase. That the distance made him waver. That she can win him back with enough charm, enough effort. But she doesn’t know what happened.
Not really.
Everything in me is screaming that what Remi and I shared wasn’t some impulsive mistake. It was real. Undeniably, terrifyingly real.
He let me in, completely. He showed me the most vulnerable, tender parts of himself. And maybe, just maybe, for the first time… he saw himself in a new light too. Saw what he could want. What hecouldbe if he stopped running from it.
I saw it in his eyes. Felt it in the way he touched me, like he couldn’t quite believe I was real. And I knew, without a shred of doubt, that everything he couldn’t say out loud… he told me with his body. And I heard every word. Loud. Clear. Unforgettable.
What happened between us wasn’t just sex.
Yes, it wasblistering.
But it was also something deeper. Raw. Honest.
A moment of total surrender.
Of discovery.
Of finally beingseen.
And as much as I hate the thought of Maddie getting hurt, I can’t pretend it didn’t happen. I won’t.
I’m still fumbling for the right words, still trying to figure out how I’m going to face her, when the train begins to slow. Stratford’s not far now. I turn to the window and let my eyes follow the gentle curve of the Avon as it winds through the countryside. Villages dot the rolling fields like patches in a worn quilt. Sheep lounge beneath broad trees, white and still in the morning sun.
Even though I’ve made this journey countless times, the view still gets me.
This place holds more than just my childhood; it holds pieces of who I used to be. The pressure, the expectation, the endless cycle of practice and perfection… but also the rare moments of freedom, of laughter, of rebellion.
And for those, I have Maddie and Anne to thank.
Their friendship made everything bearable. When home felt like a pressure cooker, music, grades, discipline, they were the breath of air I desperately needed. Sneaking out. Late-nightwalks. Silly inside jokes whispered between rehearsals. They gave me space to breathe. To be young.
Even if only for a few stolen hours.
And now… I’m coming back different. Not the obedient boy they remember. Not the careful son who kept everything hidden behind a quiet smile.
This time, I’m coming back as myself.
The train pulls into the station, and I haul my bright pink suitcase down from the rack. A few passengers glance my way, amused, but I don’t care. She’s part of my charm.
