Chapter 33: Melody of Truth

KARA

It was the following Monday at school. All I’ve been hearing is talk about how Jason Kade had been punched.

I couldn’t go two feet without hearing his name. I guess I don’t really blame them. Even ~I~ was surprised that my brother was able to land a hit, let alone the first.

The weekend had been rough. I felt so guilty after my brother had punched him, but Charlie dragged me away. We went home before I could do anything.

I haven’t seen Jason since.

Jess walked up to me. “Are you okay, Kara?” I shrugged, not knowing how to reply. I’d been so overwhelmed; it felt like my emotions simply turned off. I felt like a robot.

“I will be.” I gave her a small smile. Jess and I began walking toward the auditorium. Today was the school’s talent show. Layla had left earlier to go find seats.

The hallway was packed. My eyes wandered around, jaw dropping when I saw Jason’s face. There was a bluish-purple bruise on his cheekbone, and it circled around his left eye.

I didn’t think that Charlie hit him hard, but apparently he was angrier than I thought.

Jason looked so calm. I could even see his lips forming into a small smirk. A few of his friends came up to him and playfully punched him.

My gaze landed on Sarah, and my stomach dropped when she went up to hug Jason.

To my surprise, and everyone else’s, he pushed her away. The look on her face was priceless. It went from shocked to all red and angry. She looked around at everyone to see who was watching.

When she spotted me in the crowd, she locked eyes with me. I could see the steam leaving her ears.

Sarah then gave me a smirk and left through the crowd, leaving me with a question mark over my head. What the fuck was that?

I couldn’t lie. It did make me happy seeing Jason push away Sarah. But it only made me more curious. They were clearly together at the party, and now they weren’t?

“All right, guys, get to the auditorium.” A few teachers herded us toward the end of the hall. The students all around me began to push and shove their way to the auditorium. Someone stepped on my foot.

Jess and I entered the auditorium. Layla and Milo were sitting near the front, waving us over. I grimaced as we walked toward them.

I hated that we were sitting so close to the stage. Sarah was a contestant. The last thing I needed was a front-row seat to her show.

“Hey,” Layla and Milo both greeted us. “I heard there are interesting acts this year.” She wiggled her eyebrows at us.

Since she’s part of the dance team, she knew who the lineup was. They organized the order of the acts.

After a few minutes of getting everyone to be quiet, the lights dimmed and the stage lit up. Our principal walked to the center of it, stopping once the microphone was in front of him.

Mr. Jones began to explain to us about the different acts we had today, and how we had to remain quiet. Once he was done, he introduced the first act, who was a girl who was going to sing.

We watched act after act, and clapped and cheered, with Jess making side comments every two minutes. There were singers, dancers, and jugglers, which I didn’t pay attention to.

“And one of our last contestants,” our principal’s voice echoed through the auditorium. “He’s been playing piano since he was a small boy. Welcome to the stage, Jason Kade!”

The crowd immediately began cheering widely. Jess stared at me in shock, then gave me a questioning stare.

Whereas Layla had a smirk on her face. She knew he was going to perform. I frowned at her. Why hadn’t she told me?

“He plays the piano?” Jess whispered to us, making me stiffen. I knew he did, from that one time he played for me when I went to his house. I didn’t think he’d try out for the talent show.

I studied Jason as he walked up to the microphone. The crew members rolled the piano onto the stage to set it up.

Jason was wearing a blue button-up, and his hair was a styled mess. He somehow made it look flawless—not to mention the bruised eye.

“I’m going to be playing a piano instrumental. I know what you guys must be thinking: shocker, Jason Kade plays the piano,” he joked, and the crowd laughed.

“But I dedicate this performance to Kara Acosta.” His eyes locked with mine. My heart nearly dropped out of my ass.

Jess nudged me, and I broke eye contact with him to glance at her. She raised her eyebrow. I shrugged in return. I had ~no~ idea what was going on.

After walking a few steps, Jason sat down on the piano bench, sitting straight and poised. After he had adjusted, the silence was cut by the smooth keys singing through the air.

Gasps were audible from every side of the auditorium. No one knew what to expect—it was a pleasant surprise. Everyone had underestimated him.

It was a beautiful song, and I stared at him in awe as the beautiful melody carried itself throughout the whole room.

“Jason can ~actually~ play?” Layla whisper-yelled at us. We were all wide-eyed and very impressed. Jason seemed entranced as his fingers danced across the keyboard, and I watched in awe.

The melody continued as Jason put everything he had into playing the song. After he hit the last few keys, he sat at the piano for a few seconds while everyone cheered.

Mr. Jones looked dazed as he walked back onto the stage.

“Can we please have another round of applause for Jason Kade? You surprised us all.” The principal laughed, and once again the auditorium was filled with loud cheers.

Jason gave the crowd one last breathtaking grin before walking away.

My eyes widened when I saw him walking my way—slowly descending the stairs at the side of the stage and closer to where I sat.

Jason’s hands reached for mine. I went to say something, but he caught me off guard and pulled me out of my seat.

I let out a small gasp, following without a choice. We walked out of the auditorium and stopped once we were in the hall.

“Look, I have something to tell you.” Rage filled me. After a week of not saying anything to me, ~now~ he wanted to talk? I don’t think so.

My lips parted, ready to shred him apart, but the look on his face stopped me. Jason looked nervous. I’d never seen him nervous before.

“I didn’t do anything with Sarah. ~Ever~. I ~promise~ you. She’s been blackmailing me.”

My body immediately tensed, confused between rage and surprise.

After a moment I responded, “Bullshit.” Blackmailing him with that? Jason must have some ~dark~ secrets if it was enough to not talk to me for a week and ruin everything we had.

Jason’s blue eyes studied my face, and he realized he needed to provide proof. “She set me up that night. The delivery girl was her friend and told Sarah. That’s how she knew we were together.” I bit my lip.

None of this information was helping.

Jason continued, “After you left, she told me something about you that not many people know about. I don’t even know if anyone knows at all.” He lowered his voice, and my blood went cold.

She was blackmailing Jason with ~my~ information?

My heart raced as I asked, “What does she know?” I was consumed by anxiety. I began to back away, but he looped his finger under my shirt and pulled me back toward him.

Jason’s bright eyes studied my face for a reaction. “It doesn’t change anything.”

“What do you know?” I whispered, staring at the ground intently. My fingers tightened themselves into small fists.

I wouldn’t be able to look him in the eye when he told me. I was trying to prepare myself.

What dark secret of ~mine~ did he know?

Jason took a deep breath before speaking. “She told me that your mom—”

He stopped himself and tilted my head up so that he could see my face. “Is she an alcoholic, Kara?”

I pulled myself away from him, putting distance between us.

I snapped, “She ~was~.” Jason moved back closer to me. I could feel his body heat surround me.

I knew he wasn’t lying. No one knew that about my mom.

Not even my best friends. So how the ~hell~ did Sarah know?

“That’s good.” His right hand came up, and he began playing with a strand of my hair.

“It’s not going to change the way I see, feel, or think about you.” His voice became soft.

I hated how vulnerable it made me feel. But it also made me feel safe.

My mind processed the last. So ~that’s~ why he stayed away. Why he hadn’t tried at all. I couldn’t help but wonder who else she had told. I took a deep breath, closing my eyes to regain my posture.

“I’m ~so~ sorry, Kara.” I opened my eyes to stare at him. Jason’s blue eyes were staring at me like I’d break any moment.

“I didn’t know how to tell you. I should’ve been honest from the start. I could’ve prevented all of this.”

Principal Jones’s muffled voice echoed faintly in the hallway.

I gave him a weak smile. “You can’t blame yourself for having a crazy ex-girlfriend.” He laughed at my response.

Sarah was almost as toxic as Adam. It was stressful having them in our lives. Why couldn’t they just move on? It was unhealthy.

“Please forgive me?” Jason begged, staring down at me like a lost puppy. If my mind weren’t in such a jumble, I would’ve laughed.

My heart felt like it had gone through hell and back this last week. Jason and I were doing so well, and all of a sudden, it felt like he was using me until his ex came back around.

That feeling was pure agony. And to find out she was using ~my~ secret to keep him away from me?

I was slightly still mad at Jason, but I ~couldn’t~ be. It wasn’t his fault when he thought he was doing his best to protect me. I turned my rage toward her.

Why did she have to put me through so much pain? And how did she even find out?

Realizing Jason was still waiting for my answer, I half-teased, “We’ll see, Kade.” My emotions were a mess, but I wanted to enjoy the moment of peace.

I had been feeling so many negative emotions the last couple of weeks that I wanted to let them all go.

Everything felt okay in the moment.

That was until we heard Sarah’s voice. “Thank you, Principal Jones. My act will involve storytelling.”

Jason and I walked back into the auditorium. We stayed in the shadows, not knowing what to do. There was a giant screen behind her, where a picture of her parents was displayed.

Sarah pointed to the picture behind her. “This is my dad and mom a year ago. Do you see how happy they are?” They were staring at each other while smiling.

Her dad had peppered hair and bleak green eyes that were decorated with wrinkles. Her mother, on the other hand, had strawberry-blond hair and bright blue eyes.

She was showing off her pearly-white teeth as she was laughing.

The picture changed.

My lips parted as the blood in my veins turned to ice. A picture of my mom—her dark curls were pulled back into a ponytail, and her brown eyes shone brightly like they used to.

“This right here is the reason my parents got divorced,” she spat out in disgust. At that point, everyone gasped in shock and began to murmur.

Not because of her story, but because of the audacity she had to do something like this.

“Kara Acosta’s mom is an alcoholic, husband-stealing bi—” Principal Jones ran onto the stage and ripped the microphone from her hand.

My stomach dropped as I stared at the picture of my mom. There were a few shouts, and then suddenly all the lights shut off. We were all left sitting in the darkness.

Did my mom actually have an affair with her father? Even after being put through a situation like that herself?