Page 6 of The Perfect Melody

“Don’t look so smug. Even if I could come and stay with you, which I can’t, I’d have to stay inside the whole time. It’s not as bad as home or LA, but I still get photographed in London. Mum would fly out to drag me home the moment the first photo hit the internet, you know that.”

Lips pressed together in a thin line, he chews that over. My attention drifts to thoughts of the coming week as I try to reconcile what I thought would happen with what is actually coming my way. I’m still trying to wrap my brain around it all when Liam slaps his thigh and practically bounces from his seat.

“I have the perfect solution.”

That grin is back again. I don’t trust it. “August 2023,” I remind him.

“This is different.” At my sceptical look, he continues, “No, really, this is perfect. Pine Grove.”

“What’s that?”

Somehow his smile widens. “Not what. Where.”

“OK?Wherethe hell is Pine Grove and why do you think it’s the answer to all my problems?”

“You remember me telling you about how me and Bailey finally got together, right?”

“Of course,” I reply, not understanding what that has to do with anything.

“Well, the converted barn we were staying at was in Pine Grove.”

“That’s right, I remember now.” The small town in the Lake District sounded like a dream.

“You could stay there. It’s small and away from the paparazzi. Nobody would think to look for you there.”

“Until some local recognises me and posts about it on social media. Then I’m back to being screwed.”

Liam’s already shaking his head before I finish speaking. “That won’t happen. The locals were super chill when I was there for Christmas. I might not be at your level, but you know I still get recognised a fair bit. Only one group of teens asked me for a photo, and they were super respectful. Everyone else treated me like a normal guy.”

“I don’t know…”

“If you go now, you’ll be there before the summer tourist season really gets going, and you’ll have plenty of privacy at the barn.”

I shake my head. “Stop. This is ridiculous. You know I can’t drop off the face of the planet like that.”

“You need a break, Cass. If nobody is going to give you one, then you need to take it for yourself.Demandit. This is how you do that. Go to Pine Grove, get some rest, then go back to Nashville to kick arse when you’re ready.”

“What if I’m never ready?” I ask quietly.

A long pause. Never thought I’d see the day Liam Clarke was stunned into silence.

“Is that what’s holding you back?” he asks gently.

Fear tries to silence me, tightening my throat, but if I can’t confess to my best friend, then who can I tell? “I know how lucky I am. This life is what I dreamed of when I was a teenager… butI’m not a teenager anymore. None of it’s real.” My voice cracks, so I clear my throat. “None of it feels likeme, and I’m tired of pretending. I’m tired of being country music’s princess—God, I hate that fucking stupid title. Everyone demands more from me, but it’s not even me they want. They want Melody Night, not Cassie St. James.”

Frustrated, I swipe at the tears that dare to leak from my eyes. “I don’t blame them—I don’t know who Cassie is any more either. My songs don’t say what I want to say. Shit, these days I don’t think my music says much of anything. I started all this at sixteen years old. For nearly a decade, I’ve been killing myself to look, dress, talk, sing, dance, and act exactly how they want, but it’s never good enough. If I leave all this behind, go somewhere I can be normal, somewhere I can be myself—whoever that is…” I shake my head. “I don’t want to say goodbye to music, but I don’t think I could willingly climb back into this cage after a taste of freedom.”

“So don’t,” Liam replies, voice tight, eyes shining with unshed tears. “Fuck them. You were stuck under contract before, but you’ve delivered the last album you owe your label. Take a break, arealbreak. Rest, regroup, reassess. Then, when you’re ready, write what you want to write and take it to your label. You tell them if they don’t want it, someone else will, because theywill, Cassie. You’re one of the most talented people I’ve ever met. If your old label isn’t willing to let go of the princess thing, somewhere else will be more than happy to take you on.”

“What if I’m not good enough? What if without all the costumes and glitter I don’t have what it takes?” I ask, voicing my deepest fear.

“Youabsolutelyhave what it takes. Before you argue, I’m not only saying that because you’re one of my closest friends. The songs you wrote for the first season ofCountry Heartsare still some of the show’s most popular songs to date.” He glaresat the screen, daring me to deny it. When I remain silent, his expression softens. “Take a break to figure out what you really want. Once you know, tell me if there’s anything I can do to help.”

I bite my lip. “I can’t leave yet.” Liam protests, but I talk over him. “If I miss thisTeen Museinterview, Miranda will go nuclear. I need to go along with her plans for the coming week. On Thursday I can go to the bank and get some cash out in pounds instead of dollars. If I’m doing this, I can’t use my cards once I leave. Shit, how am I supposed to book a plane ticket without her finding out where I’m going?”

“I’ll take care of it. You can fly to London, stay with us for a night or two, then use my car to drive up to Pine Grove. I never use it now that Bails and I are in London, and we’ll still have hers if we need it.”

“Are you sure?”