Page 2 of The Broken Keys

For drinking. For doing drugs. Having sex with meaningless strangers. For self-destructive spirals that used to define my coping mechanisms. Shit, I have a laundry list of things that could cause her pain.

“Yeah, I got into meditation and Pilates. It’s helped a lot with my anxiety.” She scans my kitchen. “This place is really beautiful, Callum.”

“Thanks. I kinda like it, if I do say so myself.” I flip the sandwich, golden brown and perfect, then turn to open a can of tomato soup.

The mundane task gives my hands something to do while I try not to stare. I never thought I’d see her standing in my own space. At least not for the last five years. Still, I hoped and dreamed every day that this would happen.

“Tell me about Paris.” I stir the soup. “What’s it been like? How’s the fashion world treating you?”

It’s a casual request that lands with the weight of a brickwall. Her expression tightens, and sadness flickers behind her eyes. It’s the same kind I used to see when I’d come home from tour to find her smaller than when I left.

“It’s been...educational.” She nods as if that answer will suffice.

“That’s a careful way to put it.”

“Careful is what I do now. You know the media has never liked me.” She picks at the fabric of my hoodie. “I had a good mentor, though. He’s someone who understands the industry, the pressure, and how to navigate powerful people who think they own you or want to push you around.”

“Jaxon Crowne is your mentor, right? I think that’s what Guns told me.”

“He was, but not anymore. What about you? This new label thing Bren mentioned. That’s exciting. What’s it been now? Two years?”

“Yeah.” I wanna ask more about Paris, but I drop the subject. “Grub’s ready.”

“Good. I haven’t eaten since breakfast.”

“Fuck, I’d be crawling if that were me.” The sandwich hits the plate with a soft thud, and I ladle soup into a bowl beside it. “Our new label is doing great. We’ve all found our role within the organization.”

“Even Bren?”

“Yeah. Turns out he’s a networking god. He’s bringing a lot of up-and-coming talent to the table.”

“He is charming, so I’m not surprised.” She pauses as she slips into a chair at the table. “What made you decide to start your own label? How did you get it started? Tell me everything.”

“It was fairly simple once I found someone to back us.” I shake my head a little. “I don’t think I would’ve made it out alive if I didn’t find some hope in the future.”

She remains quiet. We both know going down that line of communication would lead to nothing but defenses going up,and I refuse to let my past get in the way of this moment with her.

I don’t mention that the angel investor is Jaxon Crowne. That piece of information stays untouched for now. I’ll tell her when the time’s right. This night is about her, not me.

But I’m indebted to Jaxon in ways that run deeper than money, and I need her to understand that. Besides, he mentored her, so she shouldn’t have a problem with him backing the band and me.

I have to believe she’ll keep it to herself because if Leon ever finds out, it won’t be pretty.

“Leon.” She says his name as if she knew I was thinking about him. “I haven’t thought about him or heard anything about him in a long time.”

“And you won’t hear it again if I have anything to say about it.” I place the plate down before her. “Eat. You look like you haven’t had a proper meal in days.”

She takes a tentative bite. “It’s good. Really good.”

“Don’t sound so surprised.” I sit across from her. “I’ve had to survive on my own for a while now. My ma is set up in a house close to here. I had to cut her loose.”

We both laugh because Livianna knows my ma is the only family I have left. I’d never leave her side. She left because she couldn’t stand watching me slowly die.

Livianna and I talk for hours after that. It’s like slipping into a rhythm I thought I’d forgotten. She curls up on the opposite end of my couch, her legs tucked under her, looking tiny in my hoodie but more relaxed than when she first arrived.

“So, you and Bren work out now.” Her old teasing grin plays at the corners of her mouth. “That must be painful.”

“You have no idea. He’s got me doing these insane circuit training sessions. Says I need to channel my aggression somewhere productive.”