Between Strings and Sparks

Chapter 5 - "Silence Between Crashing Hearts"

The cell phone screen was still shining in your hand. The photo. The comments. The judgments that arrived too fast, too cruel.

You felt your stomach plummet.

Jack took two steps towards him, desperate.

- Aria... that shouldn't have happened. Damn, I should have locked the door, I should have—

- Jack, look at this - you raised your cell phone, your voice trembling. - This exploded in seconds.

His look was full of panic - not for him, but for you.

- I swear, I'll solve this. I'll talk to management, to the press, I'll—

- How to solve? - you cut, your voice finally rising. - What are you going to say? That doesn't mean anything? That I'm just someone you met in the hallway? What is a lie?

Jack blinked, surprised by his hardness.

- No. I would never say that. I would say that...

But he didn't finish the sentence.

Because he didn't know what to say.

And the pause hurt more than any word.

- See? - you murmured. - You don't know.

He ran his hands through his hair, frustrated.

- I don't know why this is new to me! I shouldn't be feeling all this so fast. That's not how I work. I don't... - He swallowed dryly. - I don't fall in love like that. But you... you messed everything up.

Your chest tightened hard - because part of you wanted to believe in that.

But another part knew that loving someone like Jack meant getting into a constant storm.

- I don't want to be a problem in your career - you said, the calmest but broken voice. - I don't want to be a source of gossip, of people attacking you, of a fan freaking out. I don't want to be that.

- You don't understand - Jack took a step forward, trying to take your hand, but you backed away. - I choose you. I can handle all the shit. I can stand haters, I can stand the press. I just want you to—

- And who can stand me, Jack? - you exploded. - Who can bear the weight of loving you while the whole world looks at me as if I were ruining your life? Who protects me from all this?

He froze.

Because he knew there was no answer.

The silence between you has become heavy.

Cruel.

The door opened again - Evan, impatient.

- Jack, I waited longer than I should have. Now. - The manager looked at you with an annoying tiredness. - I'm sorry this happened. But you'd better go home. This will only get worse if it stays around.

Jack turned around at the time, furious.

- You don't rule her.

- But I'm in charge of the band - Evan replied. - And if you don't enter this room now, I'll have the interview, photo shoot, everything canceled. And you know what that means.

Jack laughed without humor.

- Blackmail now? Really?

- It's not blackmail. It's crisis management.

Jack closed his hand into a fist, trembling.

You took a deep breath, trying to balance your own pain with his chaos.

- Go, Jack.

He turned to you so fast that it was almost a blow.

- I don't want to go without you. Not like that.

- But that's how it has to be - you murmured, finally letting the truth escape. - I can't. Not now.

His eyes shone - and it was anger mixed with sadness, fear and anything he would never admit to feeling.

- So you're leaving me?

His throat closed as if he had swallowed glass.

- It's not about leaving you. It's about protecting me.

Jack took a step back, as if you had pushed him.

- I thought... - his voice failed. - I thought we had something real.

- We could have - you said, your voice low, but firm. - But sometimes this is not enough when the whole world is watching.

And before he could say anything, Evan pulled Jack's arm, not hard, but insistently.

- Jack. Now.

He hesitated.

For you.

For the moment.

For what it could be.

But in the end...

He let Evan guide him away.

Jack's last look - broken, hurt, confused - was like a punch in the chest.

The door closed behind him.

And the silence that remained...

It was louder than any show.