Page 2 of Heart Strings

Later, it was also Connor who brought back my smile. He didn’t try to fill the silence with empty words. Instead, he just stayed with me, sharing stories about our childhood, reminiscing about the crazy stunts we pulled, and the dreams we once had.

It was a gentle reminder of the times we shared, a nudge to remember that life, despite its brutal turns, still had moments of joy.

“So, have you heard from Con lately?” Sophie asks, snapping me out of my thoughts as if she were reading them. Then she gives me that smirk again and I roll my eyes. She always thinks Connor and I are destined to be, or whatever.

But it’s not like that, not with Connor.

“Oh, stop it, and yes, I have. He just finished the last leg of his Australian tour and popped me a text,” I say, shaking my head.

“Really? That’s great! When’s he coming back?” she asks, her curiosity unmistakable.

I shrug, trying to appear nonchalant. “He mentioned he might swing by in a few weeks. You know Connor, always on the move.”

I know that look in her eye and I prepare myself for another one of her ‘you’re meant to be’ speeches as she leans in, her expression turning more serious.

“Gracie, I know you say there’s nothing romantic there, but the way you two connect... it’s not something you find every day.”

“Soph, he’s like a brother to me. We’ve known each other forever. It’s... comfortable, you know?” I say, sipping on my latte. “Besides, he has Ava, remember? He’s happy with her!”

She arches an eyebrow, her expression skeptical, yet playful. “Oh, Ava, right. The supermodel. But remember how these things go with rockstars.”

I can’t help but roll my eyes again. “Soph, seriously, they’re good together. Connor and I, we’re just... us. We’re comfortable, we’re easy. It’s always been that way.”

“But don’t you ever think—“

“No, I don’t, “ I cut her off, not wanting to venture down that road, even in conversation. “He’s my best friend, and that’s all there is to it. Let’s just drop it, okay?”

Sophie holds up her hands in mock surrender. “Alright, alright. I’ll back off. But you can’t blame me for seeing what’s so obvious to everyone else.”

I laugh, trying to lighten the mood. “Now you sound like one of those cheesy romance novels we have a surplus of,” I joke, immediately wiping that thought from my mind.

She gives me a knowing look, one that says she’s not entirely convinced, but she doesn’t push further. Instead, she changes the subject, talking about the new pastry chef she’s hired at the cafe, and I’m grateful for the diversion.

As Sophie chatters on, my mind drifts back to Ava and Connor. I remember the day he introduced her to me. She was stunning, obviously, but there was more to it. She had this way of lighting up the room, and the way Connor looked at her, I knew he was completely smitten.

I had felt a twinge of something then – not jealousy, but maybe a sense of realization that things were changing. Connor, the boy who used to steal my sandwiches and dared me to climb the tallest trees, was growing up, moving on in ways I hadn’t anticipated.

Yet I was still here at the same bookstore, never moving forward.

But through all the changes, our friendship remained a constant. Connor always came back to our small town, to our friendship. We’d spend hours talking about everything just like we used to. It was comfortable, familiar, and safe.

His text had been casual, but I could sense the weariness. The life of a touring rockstar isn’t as glamorous as it seems. I remember the late-night calls when the loneliness of the road got to him, the sound of his voice over the phone, a mix of exhaustion and exhilaration.

In those moments, I saw the real Connor, stripped of his stage persona, raw and vulnerable. And maybe that’s why our friendship has always been so solid – we’ve seen each other at our worst and best, and we’ve always been there, no questions asked.

I’m pulled back to the present as Sophie finishes her story and stands up to leave. “I should get back. The late afternoon crowd will be coming in soon,” she says, gathering her things.

“Remember the wine tasting evening on Friday!” I call as she walks out and she waves without turning back, but I know she’s smiling.

The moment the door closes behind her, the silence of the bookstore wraps around me again, heavy and somber. I let out a sigh, bending down to sort through a box of books that need shelving, trying to shake off the melancholy.

Just as I’m about to lift a stack, the bell above the door chimes again. I can’t help but smile, thinking Sophie’s back, probably having left her phone or keys. “Back so soo—“

But the words die on my lips as I straighten up. It’s not Sophie standing there.

Framed in the doorway, his long blonde hair tousled, a look in his blue eyes that has my heart leaping into my throat. Connor has never looked this sad, not even when he comforted me ten months ago.

Something’s wrong.

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