Love like music

The first note

Chapter 2** The first note

. Micah finally decided to leave the house, stepping out to reality. The dim glow of the bar's neon sign flickered against the wet pavement as Micah Tyler pushed open the heavy oak door. The scent of whiskey and old wood greeted him, familiar and heavy. He spotted his friend, Jake already seated in their usual corner booth, two glasses of bourbon waiting.

. "Took you long enough", Jake said, sliding one glass towards him as Micah dropped into the seat.

Micah offered a half-hearted smirk, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "Traffic" he lied. Truth was he'd almost turned around twice.

These days, leaving his apartment felt like stepping into a world moving too fast,too loud,too alive when all he needed was silence.

Jake studied him, his expression softening.

"You look like hell man".

Micah exhaled, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. "Fell like it too".

. A beat of silence passed between them before Jake leaned forward. "It's been a year and six months,Micah you can't keep doing this to yourself.

Micah jaw tightened. A year and six months, almost two years since she walked out,since the future he'd built in his head crumbled like ash.

He'd buried himself in work,in late night staring at the ceiling,in the hallow echo of an empty apartment.

"I'm fine",he muttered but the words tasted bitter.

Jake scoffed."Yeah very convincing".He took a sip of his drink before leveling Micah with a look "You're existing, there's a difference".

Micah opened his mouth to argue,but the words died before they left his tongue.

What was there to say? That he still woke up reaching out to someone who wasn't there?

That every song he heard on the radio felt like a knife twisting in his ribs?

Jake sighed. "Look i get it. Heart break sucks, but you can't let it drawn you, man, you got to leave again".

Before Micah could respond, the low hum of conversations in the bar quieted. The small stage at the lit up, and a voice announced the performers of the night. A three piece band took their places, and then she stepped forward, a woman with dark, cascading curls and a voice that could stop time.

Lucia Mendez.

The moment she sang the first note, Micah's breath caught. Her was rich, aching, a melody woven with sorrow and strength. It wrapped around him, pulling him under, drowning him in something he hadn't felt in months.

He didn't realize he was staring until Jake nudged him hard. "Dude, you okay?"

Micah blinked, shaking as if waking from a dream.

"Yeah of course I'm fine", he murmured, but his chest was tight, his pulse erratic.

Jake smirked. "You sure about that?"

Micah didn't respond. He couldn't.

Because for the first time in almost two years, the numbness had cracked, and he wasn't sure he was ready for what came next