TWO HEART ONE STAGE

lanche

ights cut through smoke. Heat rippled up from the street. Voices ro

orward, the mic slick in my hand. Maurice stood beside me, calm as water, guitar strap

with cracked windows and dreams scribbled on scraps of paper. Now, here w

there, watching. Or maybe not. Her curls wild, her red lips made to silence doubt and spark fire.

her than mine, cooler. It slipped into my verse like smoke into flame. We became one

ned, Maurice w

e, arms folded, watching him like she owned the air he breathed. And he-

t look-that unspoken ache in his eyes-was something we'

king claiming his throne. The crowd screamed. But I wasn't heari

nd him, one hand brushing his back. A silent flag. A claim staked in whispers. It made my

"He dragged Rosalie. He dragged me." Maurice shrugged. "Maybe don't start a fire in a room full of

t happen." He didn't blink. "I'm not your babysitter." That landed deep. Too deep. Ros

ht of it all bored him. "I'm tired, Marc. Tired of cleaning up your firestorms." And just li

hich was an answer. Rosalie tugged harder. Sophie stepped forward. "Don't," Maurice told her, voic

temple. Our war zone. Our haven. Now it felt like a grave. I opened a demo Maurice had saved

to be loud

per like st

songs you don'

ached. He'd been hurting too. And I hadn't seen it. My phone bu

ell had she done? I walked Belleville's streets before sunrise. The silence felt

rything unsaid. Maybe it was the kind of silence that comes before an explosion. Or maybe... ..

on the hood. Not a word passed between us. Just the creak of metal u

like landmines-we were afraid to step in the wrong direction. "You listened

to him, throat tightening. "Why didn't you say anything? Before things got... this bad." He s

eper than I expected. I clenched my fists on my knees. "She believed in m

face. One who no longer trusted me. Maybe one I no longer trusted either. Then h

crashed into each other-jealousy, betrayal, fear. A baby? Now? "Is that why you're

cause you were destroying e

t harder tha

aurice nodded. "Then don't." As I walked away, my phone buzzed agai

was wide open. Her purse was on the floo

it. One red heel near the bathroom. And

dropped. Rosalie was gone. And