Melody's Muse ✓

26. Brahms - Rhapsody No. 1 in b minor, Op. 79.

Melody

I squint at the rays of sun shining through my windows, directly into my eyes. I was so tired by the time I got home last night that I forgot to close my curtains. Rolling over on the soft bed, I glance at my phone, 11am. I'm definitely going to miss being able to sleep in when I go back.

When I go back. I can't believe I told Cole I wanted to stay. Moreover, I can't believe I almost told him that it was partly because I wanted to stay here with him. I shake my head, trying to push the thoughts away. Things have to go back to the way they were - no matter how much it pains me to acknowledge that. I have no choice.

There's suddenly urgent knocking on my door. "Ms. Aria? Are you awake?" I hear Mr. Carter quickly call. 

That's odd, I rarely hear Mr. Carter speak without using his usual calm and polite tone towards me. He actually sounds nervous. I get an uneasy feeling in my stomach when I realize something must be wrong.

I scramble to hop out of bed and open the door. His brows are knitted together in concern, leaving worried creases in his forehead. He's holding his tablet. 

"What's wrong?" I immediately ask.

"Your mother just called and told me about this." He warily hands me his tablet. "Was...this on purpose?" 

It's open on the main page of a website, one of the biggest music and entertainment news outlets in North America, Entertainment Monthly. They've been notoriously harassing me for years now. My eyes widen at the trending story.

EXCLUSIVE: The Return of Melody Aria.

My mouth drops open. Below the headline is the picture I took of Cole and myself by the hot tub last night. A preview of the article includes a quote from my interview with Cole. There are thousands of likes and shares.

My hands tremble and the room suddenly starts spinning. I quickly hand the tablet back to Mr. Carter before I drop it. My heart races and I find myself getting lightheaded as I take rapid short breaths, desperately trying to calm myself down. Nothing helps, I start to see black spots in my vision and everything grows blurry. Mr. Carter says something, but it feels as if my head is  underwater and I hear nothing but muffled noises.

The last thing I remember is crashing into Mr. Carter's chest before everything goes black.

-----

The blurry living room ceiling slowly comes into focus. I'm laying under a soft blanket on the sofa, and Mr. Carter is holding a warm towel to my forehead. He breathes a sigh of relief when he notices me waking up. I stare at him blankly for a moment. "That...wasn't a bad dream, right?"

"Unfortunately not, Ms. Aria," he says and gently rests his hand on my shoulder. "I presume this means it was done without your consent?"

I nod and gingerly reach for my phone. My stomach is in knots and threatening to be sick. I hold my breath, hovering my thumb over the search bar. Do I even want to know?

Melody Aria

I scroll through the news tab, and it's more or less what I expected. Tons of articles about the same interview and photo. Each one has its own ridiculous interpretation.

Melody Aria is back, where has she been?

Everything you need to know about Melody Aria.

Melody Aria's New Mystery Man

The text blurs as my eyes begin to water. How could Cole do this to me? I trusted him and he sold me out. Hot tears stream down my cheeks, dotting the blanket with damp droplets. I have the desperate urge to play. Do what I do best, express my feelings through piano. I stand up and glance at the corner of the living room. My heart sinks when I see the empty spot. The horrible realization hits me, the piano is gone.