My Musical Muse

Why slow

Lena stepped out of the cab, Her heart hammered against her ribs as the memory of the betrayal burned fresh, making her blood run cold with a sudden, deep-seated hatred for every male artist in the industry. They were all the same,

She murmured…

A block behind the cab, Adrian’s car slowed with his hands gripping the steering wheel as he stared at the house where Lena entered, his eyes tracking Lena until she disappeared inside. He let out a sharp breath and nodded slowly to himself as if making a silent vow, and slammed his foot on the gas,driving away into the darkness.

Inside, Lena burst through the front door. Maya was standing in the living room, a phone pressed to her ear, laughing softly. The moment she saw Lena’s face, the laughter died. Lena didn't give her a chance to speak. She marched straight toward her bedroom.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Maya dropped the phone to her side, stepping quickly to block the hallway. "Come on, girl, what is it with you always coming back angry?"

Lena didn't argue. She yanked the folder from under her arm and pushed it at Maya’s chest. "I quit!"

The papers exploded from the folder, scattering across the floor, Maya gasped as her eyes darting from the mess on the floor back to Lena.

This was the third time Lena had claimed she was resigning since Maya had finally convinced her to stop wasting her life selling coffee and actually use her voice. Lena was a brilliant songwriter, a rare talent, but a dark shadow from her past kept her from ever fully stepping into the light. It was Adams. Her ex-boyfriend, who had stolen her first masterpiece, promised to pull her up once he made it, and then let the glitz of fame swallow him whole, leaving her behind in the dust.

That was when she decided to listen to Maya after quitting her cafe job and getting a job offer as a song writer to the famous singer Adrian…

"I am done with music! I am done singing, and I am done writing my songs!" Lena screamed, her voice cracking with raw emotion. "Just leave me the hell alone!"

She violently slammed her bedroom door behind her as Maya stood frozen in the hallway, looking down at the scattered lyrics, a heavy weight sinking into her chest. "What is all this, man... why?" she whispered to the empty space, her mind racing with questions as she began to gather the sheets.

***

Back at the estate, Adrian stormed through the front entrance. His hair was disheveled, his shirt missing half of its buttons. He tried to brush past Ethan like a ghost, but Ethan moved fast, his hand clamping firmly onto Adrian’s shoulder, forcing him to a halt.

"Hold on, dude. Come on, what the hell is going on with you, man?"

Before Adrian could answer, a soft voice cut through the tension from the top of the stairs. "Hey, baby..."

Vivian stepped down the steps, a flawless smile on her lips. Adrian’s eyes locked onto her. He didn't say a word. The air in his chest left him in one heavy exhale,he scooped her up into his arms, ignoring her startled gasp, and carried her up the stairs. He threw open his bedroom door and kicked it shut with a resounding thud.

Ethan stood at the bottom of the stairs, shaking his head in disgust before sinking heavily into a nearby armchair.

He barely had time to close his eyes before the bedroom door upstairs flew open again. Vivian rushed down the steps, tears streaming down her face, her makeup smudged. She paused at the bottom, her eyes wild with humiliation as she looked at Ethan, then turned toward the front door. Ethan stood up, catching her by the wrist.

"What’s wrong, Viv?"

"He broke up with me!" she sobbed, her voice trembling with a mixture of anger and grief. "What did I even do?"

Ethan looked up the stairs, his expression hardening. He slowly let go of her wrist offering no words of comfort. Vivian let out a bitter hiss as she yanked the door open and ran out into the night.

Ethan didn't hesitate. He marched up the stairs and pushed Adrian’s bedroom door open without knocking. The room was dark, but a faint sound filled the air. It was the digital playback of a vocal track of Lena's voice, sweet and aching, pouring from the studio monitor on his desk. The moment Adrian heard Ethan's footsteps, his finger pushed to the stop button,

Ethan forced a tight smile. "You know, if you love that girl, why don't you just tell her?"

Adrian turned, his face twisting into a mocking, bitter grin. "I don’t love her, Ethan. And I never will. I hate her." He forced a sharp, fake smile that didn't reach his dark eyes. "I’m going to make her regret every single thing she did today."

Standing up, he grabbed a fresh shirt from his closet, dressing on the move as he passed Ethan. He flew down the stairs, pulling his trousers up as he tore out the front door, threw himself into his car, and roared back out into the streets.

****

"Hey... Adams," Maya said, her voice dropping as she opened the front door of the apartment. She stared at the man standing on the porch, her eyes narrowing. "Why are you here? I mean, what are you doing here?" She stepped onto the threshold, blocking the view inside. "You know Lena is going to lose her mind if she sees you here."

Adams stood perfectly still, the shadows of the porch cutting across his face. His eyes were dark, devoid of the usual arrogance that fame had given him. "Please, Maya. Just let me see her. Just for a moment." He looked down, his voice dropping to a desperate plea. "Please."

Maya looked back over her shoulder toward the quiet hallway, then turned back to him, letting out a long, exhausted sigh. "You know what? Just go try your luck. Whatever."

She stepped past him and walked down the steps, leaving the door open. Adams stood there for a beat, his heart pounding against his ribs, before stepping into the quiet apartment. He looked up the staircase toward Lena’s room.. He reached her door and pushed it open, very slowly.

Lena gasped, trembling as she violently yanked a white towel around her body. She had just stepped out of the bathroom, her skin glistening, water dripping from the ends of her hair.

The moment her eyes adjusted and she recognized him, her shock turned into absolute ice. "What are you doing here? Who allowed you into my house?"

Adams didn't answer right away. He stared at her, his eyes taking in the sight of her, before he slowly dropped to both knees. From behind his back, he brought forward a bunch of fresh flowers he had been hiding, holding them up..

Lena froze, her breath caught in her throat as she stared down at him.

"I’m sorry, Lena. I’m so sorry for everything," Adams whispered, his voice thick with regret. "I got carried away by the fame. You know how it is... that first track, the one that made me blow up... it got to my head. It took over who I was." He paused, looking up to meet her gaze.

Lena stood perfectly still. The initial rage in her chest began to calm at the shock of seeing him on his knees.

"Lena, I've always loved you," he said, taking a deep breath. "I want us to do this together now. I want to sing that song with you. I want us to grow together... if you could just give me a second chance."

Lena’s lips parted, but no sound came out. The silence stretched between them, thick and suffocating.

Adams slowly stood up. He closed the distance between them, his hand rising tentatively to brush a wet strand of hair away from her cheek. He leaned down, pressing a soft peck to her temple. Lena didn't pull back. Her body felt numb and paralyzed by the sudden rush of the past. Adams moved lower, his lips finding hers, tasting of old memories and familiar warmth.

The kiss started slow, but as Lena's hands tentatively found his shoulders, the intensity flared. The familiar scent of him washed over her. He reached down, his arms locking around her waist as he lifted her effortlessly, carrying her over to the bed and laying her down onto the mattress.

Adams slid down between her thighs, his fingers tracing the smooth skin of her laps, his touch slow and deliberate. With a gentle and steady pull, he untie the knot of the towel, sliding the towel away from her body.

Lena let out a soft, low moan, her eyes open as his hands moved over her,but somthing felt off instantly which is the rhythm of his touch was hesitant and almost cautious compared to the raw, consuming fire she had just survived hours before.

"Why so slow?" she murmured with her voice breathless,as Adam’s eyes snapped wide open instantly, his hands freezing against her skin…