007 \u2013 Warm And Steady\u00a0<\/p>\n
SERA\u00a0<\/p>\n
The door opened, and there he was. Johnson.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Time seemed to freeze for a second as we stared at each other. His dark hair was longer than I remembered, touching his collar, and he\u2019d grown a neat beard that made him look more mature. But his eyes were the same warm brown that used to look at me like I was something precious.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSera.\u201d My name came out of his mouth like a prayer. \u201cGod, I\u2019ve missed you so much. Did you finally remember you have an old friend who\u2019s been waiting for you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before I could answer, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me. The hug was tight, desperate, like he was afraid I might disappear again. I felt his chest rise and fall against mine, smelled the familiar scent of his cologne mixed with coffee.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For a moment, I let myself melt into the embrace. It had been so long since someone held me like I mattered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCome on, let me get that.\u201d He pulled back and reached for my suitcase, his fingers brushing mine as he took the handle. Even that small touch sent warmth up my arm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Johnson\u2019s apartment looked exactly like him\u2013organized but lived\u2013in, with stacks of music sheets on the coffee table and framed photos of artists he represented on the walls. A baby grand piano sat in the corner by the window, its black surface gleaming under the soft lighting.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou still have the Steinway,\u201d I said, running my fingers along its edge.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI kept hoping you\u2019d come back and play it again.\u201d His voice was quiet, almost shy. \u201cI never let anyone else touch it. It\u2019s been waiting for you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My throat felt tight. I turned away from the piano and sat on his leather couch, sinking into cushions that felt like heaven after the horrible day I\u2019d had.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Johnson disappeared into the kitchen and came back with two cups of tea. Earl Grey with a touch of honey, just how I used to like it. He remembered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSo,\u201d he said, settling into the chair across from me, his eyes never leaving my face. \u201cAre you ready to restart your career? Or are you just visiting an old friend?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wrapped my hands around the warm cup, feeling the heat seep into my bandaged palms. \u201cI want to come back, Johnson. I need to come back.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His face lit up like Christmas morning. \u201cReally? You mean it this time?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I nodded, my throat too tight to speak for a moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about your family? Five years ago, you called me out of nowhere and said you were getting married. I thought it was a joke at first.\u201d His expression grew serious. \u201cYou sounded so different on that phone call. Not like yourself at all.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Darius and Luna were probably with Vivienne right now, playing happy family while I sat here trying to figure out how to put my life back together.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
007 Warm And Steady\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
I let out a bitter laugh that didn\u2019t sound like me. \u201cMy family doesn\u2019t need me anymore.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Johnson leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. \u201cSera, what happened? You look like you haven\u2019t slept in weeks, and your hands-\u201d He gestured at my bandages. \u201cWhat did he do to you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe didn\u2019t do this.\u201d I held up my hands. \u201cI did it to myself, trying to save someone who was trying to destroy me, \u201cI ran my fingers through my hair and let out a heavy sigh, ignoring the urge to bite down on my lips out of\u00a0<\/p>\n
habit.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI might get divorced,\u201d I said, the words feeling strange in my mouth. \u201cBut I need to restart my career first if I want any chance of getting custody of Luna. My husband is a wealthy man with connections everywhere. I have nothing,\u201d My voice shook at the last word, a strange emptiness spreading through my chest as I realized just how true the word was.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I truly had nothing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
All I\u2019ve been for the past five years is a housewife, my name, my life, my existence has all been tied to Darius and\u00a0<\/p>\n
Luna.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Johnson\u2019s face went hard at the mention of Darius. He\u2019d never met my husband, but he\u2019d seen what five years of marriage to him had done to me. How I\u2019d gotten smaller and quieter each time we met at those little cafes outside the city.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I could see he wanted to ask more questions, probably wanted to tell me I should have left years ago. But he didn\u2019t push. He never did.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t worry,\u201d he said instead, his voice gentle but determined. \u201cI\u2019ll help you. We\u2019ll show the world what they\u2019ve been missing,\u201d He held my shoulder and a slow smile stretched his lips.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd believe me, the world has missed out on a lot,\u201d His grin widened into that perfect smile that no doubt made girls crazy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He stood up and started pacing, his mind already working. \u201cThe return of AJ will definitely shock a lot of people. Your last album is still selling, you know. People ask me about you all the time.\u201d 1\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a charity event at the New York Museum next week,\u201d Johnson continued, his excitement growing.\u201d High\u2013profile crowd, lots of media. The organizer owes me a favor. I could get you a spot to perform.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know if I\u2019m ready,\u201d I said, fear creeping into my voice. \u201cIt\u2019s been so long. What if I\u2019ve lost it? What if I\u2019m not good enough anymore?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Johnson stopped pacing and knelt in front of me, taking my bandaged hands in his. \u201cSera, you\u2019re the most talented person I\u2019ve ever worked with. Music is in your bones. You could never lose that,\u201d He affirmed with a serious look in his eyes. He meant every word, I knew he did.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His hands were warm and steady, nothing like the cold way Darius had grabbed me in the greenhouse. When Johnson touched me, I felt safe instead of afraid.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll go with you,\u201d I said, the words coming out stronger than I felt. \u201cTo the museum thing. I\u2019ll do it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
007\u2013Warm And Steady\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
His smile was so bright it almost hurt to look at. \u201cThat\u2019s my girl,\u201d He let go of my hand almost reluctantly, a familiar yet unfamiliar light appeared in his brown orbs. \u201cI\u2019m so happy to have you back, Sera, I truly am.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Later that night, I lay in Johnson\u2019s guest room staring at the ceiling. The bed was comfortable, but I couldn\u2019t sleep. My phone sat on the nightstand, dark and silent. (1)\u00a0<\/p>\n
Darius hadn\u2019t called. Maybe he hadn\u2019t even noticed I was gone yet. Maybe he was too busy taking care of Vivienne and making plans for their perfect future together.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Luna\u2026 it was almost her bedtime. She always wanted someone to read her a story and tuck her in. Was Darius doing that, or had he left her with Lucy again?\u00a0<\/p>\n
My chest ached thinking about my little girl going to sleep without her mom. Even if she hated me right now, even if she wanted Vivienne instead, she was still my baby.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I picked up my phone with shaking hands and dialed Darius\u2019s number.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It rang once. Twice. Three times.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finally, he answered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Souls Remember What Matters \u2014 Corey Gibson 7 007 \u2013 Warm And Steady\u00a0 SERA\u00a0 The door opened, and there he […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[59],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23453","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-day-i-signed-the-papers-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23453","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23453"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23453\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23453"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23453"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23453"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}