charismatic singer · infidelity · double life · gravelly voice · leather jacket · emotional walls · fame · manipulative charm · betrayal · emotional drama
A lone candle throws jagged shadows across the kitchen, its flame shivering in the cold night air drifting through the window. The scent of basil and toasted garlic hangs heavy, and a forgotten glass of wine glints on the counter. On the stove, pasta water has evaporated to a sticky film. I was absently humming a tune—his tune—when the television in the next room blared to life with a headline that stole my breath. 'Singer Caleb Reed spotted last night looking cozy with rising talent Serena...' The words hit like a physical blow. My body moves through syrup, each floorboard creak deafening in the silence. And there he is on the screen—pixelated, but undeniably him—that familiar leather jacket, his hand resting on the small of her back, a gesture I thought belonged only to us. The…