Rhythm of Heartbreak (COMPLETED)

Chapter 24

Adam Logan.

She took a moment to study his face as if waiting for any kind of connection, confirming her doubts. She wanted to make sure, the curiosity was killing her. Jess decided to investigate by whatever means possible, she took the photo out of the frame and securely placed it in her handbag, she promised to return it once she got what she needed.

She sighed deeply. She made a final sweep of the documents she needed for her mother, good thing Kris was super organized, she didn't have to turn her bedroom upside down to find what she was looking for.

She moved away from the bedroom and traced her steps back to the living room, Jess was about to leave the house when she saw another picture just above the shelves, it was the only photo on the rack so she wondered how she had missed it the first time she entered the house, she was momentarily stunned and unsure if she was seeing it right, it was her in the photo. She remembered that picture clearly; it was the day she took the lead in their musical school play. She recalled feeling devastated that day, she stood there at the corner of the backstage witnessing the slow motion of affection from each of the parents as they went their way to support their child, their voices echoed in the air, filling words of encouragement and good luck.

She remembered biting her lips hard in order not to cry as she tried to scan the room one more time silently praying that the one person that meant so much to her would come running to her aid. But there was no one.

She touched her picture gently. "If you were there but pretended you weren't and made me believe that I have no value in your life whatsoever, then you suck as a mother..." she whispered.

She checked her watch and noticed it was already late in the afternoon, today was the last day of the boot camp and the culmination activity would happen later that night, as part of the committee's program they prepared some awards for the outstanding musicians who stood out during the activities as well as a live presentation on the winners for the song writing contest.

Jess was torn to see if she should show up or not, she's not really in her best self recently and the last thing on her mind is to celebrate while her mother was lying in the hospital bed highly dependent on the machines that were keeping her her alive.

"I want to do this with you, share the stage with you..." she remembered Shaun's words as he tried to convince her to attend the ceremony. The emotion in his eyes was fathoms deep, yet they carried the warmth and life of the sunlit surface. He was pleading. His eyes had a thousand hues of blue and she wondered if Shaun was aware of how expressive his eyes could be, they displayed fire and passion at the same time.  

She groaned. She has been thinking of Shaun a lot lately and she can't help but feel guilty. She still has an unfinished conversation with Rick, getting shoved back and forth in the hospital didn't give her time to think about the night they shared a kiss. Jess suddenly blushed. More like she asked for that kiss, "truth or dare".

So, what exactly do I want? She asked herself. She pursed her lips trying to rationalize her mind, it's not like both Rick and Shaun confessed to anything right? So, she's not leading them on, or is she? Or maybe they are the ones leading her on. So where does her heart cling more to, is it Rick or Shaun?

Is there something more than what Rick is showing her though? The attentiveness, his warmth, his gentle touch, the depth of his voice, and his kiss. Even in her drunken state, the touch of their lips ignited her passionate desires, it made her feel pure and vulnerable. She whimpered; her thoughts should not have trailed to that imagery of Rick. She massaged her temple as she tried to clear her mind. There's no point in getting into this emotional rollercoaster even for Shaun, his intentions were unclear to her, he might be using her to get even with Rick, but she's not sure.