Page 43 of Symphony for Lies

I blinked, caught off guard.That was… random.

“He might have a thing for you, but if he doesn’t have the guts to make the first move, he’s not worth your time.”

“We’re just friends.”

She scoffed, “Please. Everyone knows he’s in love with you. And yet, he still hasn’t done anything after all this time? He’ll stay hopeless. You deserve someone who’ll fight for you.”

“I don’t want him! Honestly, I don’t want anyone,” I shot back.

“We’ll see about that.”

I leaned into her warmth, wrapping my arms around her.“I just want to stay with you. I don’t need a relationship.”

Grandma’s arms tightened around me. “Love will find you anyway, Amelia.”

I said nothing because I knew she was wrong.

When we arrived home, my grandmother went straight to bed while I sat at my desk, my mind spinning with thoughts.

I couldn’t understand Zane.

And even more so, I couldn’t understand my own reaction to him. My hand still tingled, like his lips had left a mark on my skin.

I took a shower, but it was still there.

It was confusing.

“It was just a peck. What the hell is wrong with me?” For the hundredth time, I rubbed the back of my hand against the sleeve of my sweater.

Annoyed, I grabbed a pen and a sheet of paper, trying to distract myself.

I wrote down the melody Tristan had played, and my mind drifted to the past. To the days when Mr. Watson was still teaching us. Back then, we used it often, writing secret messages on music sheets.

The notes in Tristan’s sequence formed a beautiful phrase.

Be happy and live free.

My lips pressed into a thin line, and I almost instinctively compared it to the melody from the pavilion.

The realization left a bitter taste in my mouth.

“I should be ashamed of myself,” I murmured softly, running my fingers over the message.

Maybe… maybe it was just the stress of the past few days messing with my head.

With a deep sigh, I got up and collapsed onto my bed.

And I didn’t dream for the first time in what felt like forever.

Chapter 12

The weekend was peaceful.

I spent most of it with my grandmother, and I managed to meet up with my friends to take my mind off the stress of the past few weeks. It mostly worked. That is until the main topic of conversation turned to the men in my life. Which was totally unnecessary.

When the new week started, things became hectic again. Even though the number of poisoning cases had declined, mainly because pet owners were being more cautious, some incidents still couldn’t be prevented. The police were doing their best, but they hadn’t been able to catch a suspect.

Jacob’s funeral took place on that Friday, and a huge crowd had gathered to say goodbye. It was heart-wrenching, especially when his mother gave him her final farewell.