Page 105 of Shattered Melodies

Jimmy was quiet for a moment, his brow furrowed in thought. Then he straightened up, a determined look on his face. “Okay, first things first. We need to get ahead of this. If your dad’s threatening to go public, we need to control the narrative.”

I blinked at him, thrown by the sudden shift into business mode. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” Jimmy said, already pulling out his phone, “we need to plan a coming out party for Corey King. On our terms, not your dad’s.”

The idea sent a jolt of panic through me. “What? No. No way. I can’t… I’m not ready for that.”

Jimmy’s expression softened. “I know it’s scary, Liam. But think about it. If we do this on our terms, we can spin it however we want. We can make it a positive thing, not some sordid expose.”

I shook my head, feeling overwhelmed. “I don’t know, Jimmy. That’s a big step.”

“It is,” he agreed. “But it might be our best option. And hey, look at it this way. If we do this, your dad loses all his leverage. He can’t threaten you with exposure if you’ve already exposed yourself, right?”

I had to admit, there was a certain logic to that. But the thought of revealing my identity to the world made my stomach churn with anxiety.

“What about Caleb?” I asked, my voice small. “I need to tell him first. Before we do anything.”

Jimmy nodded, understanding in his eyes. “Of course. That’s step one. You need to be honest with him, Liam. He deserves to know the truth.”

I knew Jimmy was right. The thought of telling Caleb everything terrified me, but the alternative - him finding out from someone else - was unthinkable.

“Okay,” I said, taking a deep breath. “Okay.”

Jimmy smiled, reaching out to squeeze my shoulder. “That’s my boy. It’ll be okay, Liam. You’ll see.”

I managed a weak smile in return, grateful for his unwavering support. “Thanks, Jimmy. For everything. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Probably drink yourself into an early grave,” he teased, gesturing at the whiskey bottle. “Speaking of which, I think we’re done with this for tonight. How about some tea instead?”

I nodded, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over me. “Yeah, tea sounds good.”

As Jimmy busied himself with the kettle, I slumped into a chair at the kitchen table. My mind was still racing, but the edge of panic had dulled somewhat. Maybe Jimmy was right. Maybe taking control of the situation was the best way forward.

“Hey,” Jimmy said, setting a steaming mug of tea in front of me. “For what it’s worth, I’m proud of you, Liam. It takes guts to face your demons head-on like this.”

I wrapped my hands around the mug, letting the warmth seep into my skin. “I’m not sure I have much choice at this point. But thanks, I just hope I’m not about to blow up my entire life.”

Jimmy sat down across from me, his own mug of tea in hand. “Look, whatever happens, you’ve got people in your corner. Me, your fans and from what you’ve told me about Caleb, I think he’ll understand. Give him a chance, okay?”

I nodded, taking a sip of tea. It was hot and sweet, exactly how I liked it. “Yeah, okay. I’ll try.”

“So, tell me about this date with Caleb. Before everything went sideways.”

CHAPTER 30

Broken Strings

CALEB

Ipushed the mashed potatoes around on my plate, my mind a million miles away. Or more accurately, about ten miles down the road, at Liam’s place. I couldn’t shake the image of his face when we left the diner, pale and panicked. What the hell had spooked him so badly?

“Caleb?” My mom’s voice cut through my thoughts. “Honey, are you okay? You’ve barely touched your food.”

I blinked, looking up to find both my parents watching me with concern. “Yeah, sorry. Just thinking.”

Dad raised an eyebrow. “About Liam?”

I felt my cheeks heat up. Was I that transparent? “Maybe,” I mumbled, shoving a forkful of potatoes into my mouth to avoid elaborating.

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