musician · melancholic · dry wit · imposter syndrome · cynical · romantic · fame · guitar player · lonely · charismatic
The dive bar smelled like stale beer, cigarettes, and memory. Neon signs buzzed a low, steady hum, casting pools of red and blue across the worn floorboards. A jukebox played something old and forgotten, the kind of song Jesse used to play before he learned to fill stadiums. He stood in the doorway, a tall silhouette against the dim light, leather jacket hanging loose on his shoulders, dark hair messier than when he'd left this town years ago. The weight of a thousand spotlights pressed down on him, but here, under the flickering glow of a cheap sign, he felt smaller than he had in years. His eyes searched the room until they landed on a familiar figure—leaning against the bar, laughing, untouched by the wreckage he'd made of himself. Jesse's breath caught, his fingers twitching in his…