Page 39 of Hidden Truths

She dumps out the contents of the mug into the sink and places it in the dishwasher.

“I have a better idea,” she says, grabbing my hand and pulling me along with her.

“Where are we going?”

“The basement.”

“You want to use the gym? I already worked out this morning.” Although I could go for an entirely different type of workout right now.

“Not the gym,” she says, pulling me down the stairs. I freeze in place.

“You want to go to the recording studio?” Those are the only two things down here, and I can’t figure out why she’d need to use the studio. I’ve heard her sing.

Oh no. What if she thinks she can sing?

“I’m not going to sing.”

“I said that out loud?”

Harlow laughs. “No, but the panic on your face wasn’t hard to read.”

“Sorry,” I mumble.

“You know what your dad told me the other day?” she asks, continuing to pull me along.

“I didn’t do whatever it was.”

She laughs again and what I wouldn’t give to hear that sound on repeat forever.

Harlow stops in front of the door to the small recording studio and turns to me. “He told me that you play guitar and used to write poetry.”

“Guitar is Kai’s thing and writing is Belle’s,” I say, backing away. She stops me with a look and a tug on my hand.

“Kai doesn’t own all guitars and Belle isn’t the only person alive that can write a song, Cal.”

“What do you want from me?” I whisper.

“I want to sit with you as you write or sing or play off the feelings you have right now. The ones you’re pushing down because you’re putting everyone else’s first.”

I gape at her. “Uh . . .”

“Let’s go,” she says, pulling me into the room and shutting the door. She leaves me standing there as she takes a seat on the couch.

“I don’t know what to do,” I admit, pulling on my neck anxiously.

“Whatever feels right. Yell into the mic. Strum on the guitar. Write down how mad you were at me last night in that notebook over there,” she gestures to a notebook that wasn’t in here before.

“You don’t have to stay in here,” I tell her, watching as she puts headphones on and pulls up a book on her phone.

“Yes, I do. You’ll just nap on the couch if I don’t.” She turns away from me and leaves me in shock to look around the room and figure out what to do.

fifteen

HARLOW

I wake with a start.The leather cushion is stuck to my cheek. I peel my skin away and look over my shoulder. Cal is sitting on a stool, guitar in hand and a notebook filled with his scribbles in front of him. His brow is pinched in concentration. I smile. He looks sexy as hell right now.

Which is why I turn back around and grab my phone. My headphones are still on, keeping me from hearing what he’s working on. I pick it up to pick a new song and see a text from Jo.

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