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The music room had never felt so loud.
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Not because of the instruments—those had long since quieted—but because of the silence that now stretched between Naomi and Levi. It wasn’t awkward. It was thick. Weighted. Like it carried all the things they hadn’t said but maybe almost had.
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Naomi shifted on the piano bench, fingers still hovering over the keys. The chill of the room settled on her skin, but she barely noticed. Levi stood in the doorway, arms crossed, wearing that familiar look—a mix of smug confidence and something softer, unguarded, that showed up when he didn’t know she was watching.
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“I didn’t expect you to show up early,” she said finally, her voice lower than usual.
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He smirked. “Didn’t want to let you hog the practice room again.”
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She gave a tight smile, eyes flicking back to the keys. “You could’ve just booked a different time, you know.”
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“Where’s the fun in that?” He stepped inside, footsteps echoing slightly on the wooden floor. “Besides, it’s more entertaining when you’re flustered.”
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Naomi resisted the urge to huff. “I’m not flustered.”
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He slid onto the bench beside her—too close. Close enough that their arms almost touched. “You are. You always get this little crease between your eyebrows when you're trying not to yell at me.”
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She narrowed her eyes at him, but the corners of her lips twitched. “Maybe because you’re always doing something worth yelling about.”
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Levi chuckled, the sound low and relaxed. “And maybe because it works.”
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She hated how true that was. She hated even more how her body warmed just sitting this close to him. This was exactly why she didn’t like surprises—and Levi Hayes was a walking one.
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He lifted his hands to the piano, fingers brushing the keys as if remembering an old thought. Then, without another word, he began to play.
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The melody was unfamiliar—rough around the edges, hesitant at first—but raw. It tugged something in her chest, something she didn’t want to feel when Levi was around. The notes rose, dipped, and caught on emotion. Not polished. But honest.
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Naomi didn’t speak. She simply lifted her hands and added a harmony, weaving into his melody without overpowering it. Their notes clashed at first, then began to settle into something strangely beautiful—like two people figuring out how to breathe the same air.
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Each note he played felt like a confession she wasn’t sure she was ready to hear. She answered with her harmony, not out of agreement, but out of instinct—like her soul already understood something her mind refused to admit.
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For a few minutes, the music said everything their mouths couldn’t.
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When the final chord faded, Naomi let her hands drop to her lap. She didn’t move. Didn’t speak. Her pulse hadn’t quite slowed.
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“You’ve been working on that,” she said softly.
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Levi nodded, his eyes on the keys. “Yeah. It’s part of my set for the competition.”
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She turned slightly to look at him. “You’re actually taking it seriously.”
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“I always was. You just never noticed.” He paused, then added more quietly, “Guess I got used to hiding it.”
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Naomi blinked, caught off guard. There was no teasing in his voice. No smugness. Just truth.
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“I guess I didn’t,” she admitted, voice barely above a whisper.
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He finally looked at her then—and not with that cocky glint he always wore in public. This look was steady. Serious. Almost unsure.
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It made her nervous in a way applause never could.
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“I’ll let you get back to it,” he said, rising to his feet.
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“Levi.”
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He paused in the doorway but didn’t turn around.
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“I liked it,” she said. “Your melody. It was… raw. Real.”
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His posture eased slightly. “Thanks. I was trying to be.”
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Then he was gone.
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---
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That night, Naomi lay on her bed with her headphones in, the silence loud around her once again. But now it played differently.
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She should’ve been focusing on the competition, on her solo, on the arrangement she hadn’t finished. But all she could hear was the sound of Levi’s melody—rough and emotional—and the way their notes had tangled together like they belonged.
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She hated how it stayed with her.
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She hated more how she didn’t want it to stop.
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And the scariest part?
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She wasn’t sure if the music between them was the start of something…
or the beginning of a distraction she couldn’t afford.
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