[𝟏] 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐨 | 𝐟𝐤&𝐜

Chapter 22: Haunted ★

Ronnie's POV:

After many months of writing lyrics all night, trying different chords, and finalizing my songs, my second album, Speak Now, was close to being finished. Despite writing many songs for the album, I knew I had to cut some of the songs that felt too personal to me, ones I knew I wouldn't be able to perform live.

I lay on my bed and glanced at my digital alarm clock, which read 12:07 A.M. I laughed at myself, as I had successfully stayed up again till midnight for music, a habit that Joel and Luke had told me to stop doing. But I couldn't help myself at times. When I wrote music, time flew, and before I knew it, hours passed.

Glancing up from my laptop, I looked at my desk, which still contained pictures of me and Tanner together. I placed my laptop aside, stood up, and walked towards my desk. I breathed in the fresh air from my open window, as I picked up one particular picture frame, containing the photo of me and Tanner when Fearless won Album of the Year. My mind instantly brought back a memory from the past, one I had forgotten about.

"And the Grammy for Album of the Year goes to..." The room was full of silence, awaiting the answer. I felt the glance of both my brothers, as they wished me good luck. All the work and passion I had put into this album had me hoping it would hold a place in history.

"Fearless!" the host announced, as my hands covered my face. My brothers stood up, ready to congratulate me on the award. I remained in shock, I never imagined my music making it this far.

I stood up, hugging both my brothers, and Luke kissed my forehead before sitting back down. The room was filled with applause as the chorus of my song, "You Belong With Me," began to play. I walked over to Tanner, who had also attended in my support. He came closer to hug me and congratulate me, and told me, "You did it," as he fixed his suit before placing both arms by his side.

I looked at him before correcting him, "No, we did it." He nodded with a slight smile, before gesturing for me to head up to the stage to accept my award.

I smiled sadly as I remembered how far I'd gotten, but who I'd lost along the way. I knew I made a mistake with Tanner, but he was better off without me. He was right. This whole time, I've been treating him like the second option, whether or not John was in the picture. I began to lose control of my breathing, with the mention of John. I began shaking, dropping the frame I held onto my floor. I prayed that neither Joel nor Luke heard it, as I didn't want them to know what happened.

What hurt the most about my situation with Tanner was that it was my fault. I had been fooled by John, thinking I truly loved him. He manipulated me into becoming confused with my feelings, enough to break up with Tanner. And he got what he wanted right after.

And I hated him for it. I wish I could forget that night. Pretend it never happened. But I couldn't. The horrible memory still was fresh in my mind, and I hoped it would go away. But the more I wished it away, the more it longed to stay.

I finally bent down to pick up the frame and placed it face-down on my desk. I returned to my bed and grabbed my laptop. I opened my email, sent Maddie the final version of what was to become my second album, and asked her for her feedback and opinions.

Satisfied with my productivity for that night, I hit send, closed my laptop, and placed it on my desk. I returned to my bed, lay down, and covered myself with my blankets. And staring up at my ceiling, I slowly fell asleep to the sounds of the peaceful silence of that midnight.

~~~

I woke up the next morning, feeling surprisingly refreshed. I got up out of bed and reached for my phone which was charging on my nightstand. I tapped the screen to reveal a notification from my inbox, revealing an email from Maddie. She was requesting a meeting, at our favorite coffee shop. Excitement and nerves filled my heart as I prepared. I knew that Maddie's guidance and expertise were crucial to my success, so I eagerly anticipated our discussion. I hoped she would find the song well-written, especially since the final tracklist featured songs entirely written by me since Tanner had left ever since our break-up.