Chapter 4 Lyrics Between The lines

Rain tapped against the windows like an impatient metronome as Zara read through her latest draft. The music room was quieter than usual, except for the occasional strum of Ethan's guitar as he played random chords, waiting for inspiration.

"I rewrote the second verse," she said, sliding her notebook across the table.

Ethan took it, scanning the lines. "This is intense," he murmured. "Are these about someone?"

Zara looked away. "Does it matter?"

He glanced up, something curious flickering in his eyes. "Only if the person matters to you."

Zara didn't answer. The truth was, the lines were about someone-but not in the way he thought. They were about how it felt to be seen. To be valued. And maybe, just maybe, they were a little bit about him.

They practiced for nearly an hour, layering her words over his melodies. Their rhythm was clumsy at first-he rushed, she hesitated. But as the minutes ticked by, something clicked. A harmony formed, like the music had been waiting for them to find it.

Halfway through the session, the door opened.

Kendra.

She didn't knock. She didn't smile. She just stood there, arms crossed, her presence icy.

"Didn't realize this was a duet thing," she said flatly.

Ethan paused, standing. "Kendra-"

"I just came to get my scarf," she interrupted, grabbing a red silk scarf from the piano bench. But she didn't leave.

Her eyes lingered on Zara. "You write poems, right? Just be careful who you write about. Some people read between the lines."

Zara froze. The message was clear.

Kendra left without another word. The silence that followed was sharp.

"She's... complicated," Ethan said finally.

Zara stood, grabbing her bag. "So am I."

He reached for her arm gently. "Don't let her ruin this."

"I won't," Zara said, but the lines between music and feelings were beginning to blur-and not just on the page.

That night, she added one more verse to her poem. This one, raw and uncertain.

When silence speaks louder than sound / And stars fall quietly to the ground / What if the music was never just notes? / What if the truth is the part no one quotes?

She didn't show it to Ethan.

Not yet.