Page 27 of Redeeming Melodies

"Just an observation from someone who's been there. Look, I know you've got no reason to trust me. But whatever brought you here? Maybe it's worth exploring why you stayed."

"I haven't decided if I'm staying."

"Yet here you are, having coffee with the enemy." He stood up, straightening his jacket. "For what it's worth, I think Vanessa's interview was a hit job. And if you ever want to tell your side of the story - not for headlines, but for truth - you know where to find me."

I watched him head for the door, questions burning in my throat. "Riley?"

He turned back.

"Why'd you really come back to Oakwood Grove?"

A soft smile crossed his face. "Same reason you might end up staying. Sometimes you need to go back to go forward."He nodded at my phone, which hadn't stopped buzzing. "Think about it."

I watched Riley gather his things, trying to reconcile this version of him with the shark I'd known on the circuit. The guy who'd hounded me through three states for a quote about my marriage was sitting here talking about small-town newspapers and redemption like some kind of reformed preacher.

"Wait," I heard myself say before he could leave. "That story about Tommy. The school one."

He paused, shoulders tensing. "Yeah?"

"You really lost sleep over it?"

"Hell yeah, I did." He sank back into his chair, running a hand through his hair. "Know what Tommy said to me that day? Before his teacher pulled him inside?"

My throat tightened. "What?"

"He asked why the grown-ups wouldn't let his dad be happy anymore." Riley's voice carried raw honesty that hit me in the gut. "Kid was protecting you, even then. And there I was, making it worse for a fucking headline."

Jesus. I remembered that day - Tommy coming home quiet, refusing to talk about school. Now I knew why.

"You know what's funny?" I found myself saying, the words spilling out before I could stop them. "Everyone thinks the pressure comes from racing. The speed, the risk, all that shit. But it's not. It's this." I gestured at my still-buzzing phone. "The constant performance. The perfect sound bites. Being whatever everyone needs you to be until you forget who you actually are."

Riley nodded slowly. "Like wearing a mask so long you can't remember your real face."

"Exactly." The accuracy of his words startled me. "How'd you-"

"Because I wore one too. Different mask, same shit." He smiled wryly. "The ruthless reporter who'd do anything for astory. The guy who didn't care who he hurt as long as he got the scoop. After a while, you start believing your own press."

That hit close to home. How many times had I played the confident champion, the devoted husband, the perfect father - all while feeling like I was drowning?

"You know what scared me most about coming back here?" Riley continued, his voice quieter. "Facing people who knew me before the mask. People who remembered who I used to be and could call bullshit on who I'd become."

I thought about Tommy's face when I told him I was quitting racing. The pure belief in his eyes, untainted by press releases or public images. "Yeah," I managed. "I get that."

"But here's the thing about small towns," Riley said, gesturing around us. "They've got long memories, sure, but they've also got big hearts. People here? They don't care about headlines or reputations. They care about who you are right now, who you're trying to become."

"Is that why you stayed?" I asked. "To become someone different?"

"No." Riley's answer came quickly. "To become myself again.” He paused, studying me. "Sound familiar?"

Too familiar.

"Look," Riley said, standing again. "I'm not saying Oakwood Grove is some magical fix-it place. But it's quiet here. Real. Maybe that's what we both needed - a place where we could drop the act and remember who we are under all the bullshit."

I nodded, not trusting my voice. The morning sun slanted through the coffee shop windows, painting everything in honest light that felt both exposing and somehow comforting.

"And Elliot?" Riley's voice had lost all its old sharp edges. "For what it's worth, I think you're already braver than I was. You took a sacrifice while you’re at the top of your game to bethere for your kid. That's not the act of a man who's lost himself completely."

I stared into my coffee, the words hitting harder than I expected. "Thanks, Riley, but-"

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