Let Me Go

Chapter Eleven

~ Caelen ~

Sat in the small studio which was held in the west side of the academy with Peter, Matthew and Ryland staring at me wasn't exactly how I planned to spend the next day, but it didn't seem like I had any other choice. Because that morning, my mind had given me a gift.

A song that I would eventually sing to Briar to win her heart back.

I don't know why it happened, at 3 in the morning, while the apartment was fucking freezing cold! But it did, and the most loved up song I could think of came pouring into words on the page. So when I cheered at the finishing line, Matthew rushed in to check on me, before realising we had a hit on our hands.

And at the moment, they were trying to convince me to sell it to my dad so he could have one of his clients use it, while I refused to do so.

"Come on man, Matty's right, this could be the difference between you singing to Briar or taking her on a romantic, expensive date!" Ryland exclaimed, a smile across his face until I shook my head. "Dude, we all want to see you get back with her, think of the perks-"

"I'm not saying that I don't want to do just that, but I refuse to do it with this song!" I hissed, snatching the paper back from Matthew's hands and folding it neatly into my pocket. "This is Briar's song, and I won't have it publicly announced, not even after I've sang it to her. It's hers for a reason, not some famous singer's who probably won't even understand the meaning of it!"

While Matthew and Ryland once again groaned, Peter seemed to stand there with a concentrated gaze set upon his face. He was figuring something out, not necessarily to help me, but to fix this argument, maybe.

"Caelen, just answer this for me" Peter sighed, sitting opposite me as Ryland and Matthew did the same. Fuck, I felt like a child being told off! "If you do give this song to Briar, you know, sing it and give the romantic hoo-hah to her, will she really appreciate it? Will she give the song all the praise it deserves? Or will she merely shrug it off and forget about it the next day?"

"Briar's not like that, she wouldn't do that!" I argued, feeling myself heat up as they all gave me the one gaze I was too familiar with. Sympathy. "She knows how hard I work on my songs! S-she knows how insecure I am with that talent-"

"Listen, I love Briar as much as the next guy, but think about this arrangement you have going on" Ryland mentioned, making my heart sink slightly. "She's giving you this big chance with three strikes to get her back, while she focuses on her career, throwing you off course and allowing Taylor's tour to reach the top. Maybe, just maybe, she's not giving you a chance. Have you ever thought that she might just be using you? Another method to break you further?!-"

"No, NO, NO! SHE WOULDN'T DO THAT!!" I screamed, tears rushing from my eyes as I stood up. "S-she c-couldn't d-do that!"

But the truth was, I didn't know. I didn't know what Briar was capable of anymore. Because while she claimed me to be a monster (which I'm not disputing), she had certainly turned herself into one according to others. Maybe Ryland was right, maybe this was all one big act to finally throw me out of her life just as I tried to do with her.

"Caelen, I hate to tell you this, but you don't know Briar anymore" Matthew's soothing voice broke through my cloud of thought, making me pathetically sob in front of them all. "All you are to her, is a stranger who broke her at one point-"

"And all you are to me, is a bunch of so-called friends trying to force my head back into the game, trying to get money from me!" I hissed, grabbing the song from my pocket and beginning to rip it to shreds. I couldn't really remember the words in my foggy state, but if Briar and I became close enough, I knew they'd find a way back to me. "That song is personal. And I suggest you three stay the fuck out of my way"

With that, I pushed passed them all, storming back to my room to lock myself in. Briar may have been sweet and innocent at our little meeting, but they were all right. We didn't know eachother anymore.

I could just be another piece in her game.