Between Us

Chapter 50

A little at peace for getting the answers I wanted, but still a little restless at the truth that I'd gotten. Leo was a rotten person. More rotten than all of them combined. Was he the one that drugged me? I had reason to believe he was. And that he was targeting me.

But why, diary? He's not even responding to my text messages. Is he mad at me for the other day?

I lifted my pen away from the page, tapping the end of it against my chin. "Writer's block?" someone teased.

Caden sat on one of the wooden stools, elbow resting lazily against the top of his guitar as he watched me from under his lashes.

"You have no idea." I pointed toward the others who were scanning the music sheets and muttering about some changes here and there. "Aren't you practising?"

"We were. Until our audience got lost in her own little world."

I stuck my tongue out at him. I missed this. Missed just being his friend. The hostility was mainly on my part, since I was jealous of him and Leilani and then Trixie. After coming to terms with what I did yesterday—that I would keep my feelings hidden—it was easier to be myself again. "My bad. Go ahead, I'm listening."

"Hurry up," he ordered the others. "Our judge is waiting."

Harry grinned. "Ready to hear the new piece?"

"New?" I asked.

"He wrote it in two days. All thanks to his inspiration."

I looked at him just as Caden turned to scowl at Harry. "Oh, I get it. Am I the muse?" I teased, fully knowing his answer would be no. I laughed, leaning back into the couch when he turned a straight face on me.

"Maybe."

The smile was wiped off my face, but I had no time to contemplate whether it was a joke or not when Trixie cut in. "You lot ready?"

It wasn't long before they began. This wasn't the upbeat song he had written last time and the one they played for me earlier today. This was slower.

Poetic.

Romantic, even.

Romantic? I thought. No, that didn't seem right. How could I be the inspiration for this? I gulped as Caden joined in to sing with Trixie. I busied myself with watching his shoes. Not because they weren't nice—black lace-up combat boots always looked good, especially on him—but because I didn't want to know if he was looking at Trixie with hearts in his eyes.

I was only the inspiration for him to start writing songs again. Not the meaning behind it.

Why does it hurt to be in love with someone? I wrote, gathering inspiration from their song. Then I stared at those words, glaring up at me in dark, black letters before my pen scribbled down more words. Am I that unloveable that the guy that I like won't even look at me? Am I only good enough to be a plaything? I hesitated before I let my hand write the one sentence I hadn't realised I was holding back. I love Caden so much it hurts, I finished. Those words, as much as they made my breath stutter and my heart tighten, it was the truth.

Harry cleared his throat. "She's not saying anything."

"Does that mean we were crap?" whispered Tristan.

"Guess your song stank big time."

The voices came all at once and I blinked, turning my attention away from my diary. Only to see that every single one of them was staring at me. "You guys are done already?"

Tristan laughed, the sound a little squeaky. "The girl wasn't even paying attention!"

"I-I was," I said in defence. "Your song even managed to unblock my writer's block."