Heart Strings by J. Tarr

Connor
Every roaring crowd and sold-out show fades to a whisper when I hit the town limits of our sleepy little haven. Gracie’s there, with her wild dreams and feet planted in the stories of her bookstore.
She’s my best friend and anchor, the chorus in every song I’ve ever written, the one who pushed me to chase the stars and the one I always come back to.
But coming home this time feels different. The sting of betrayal still fresh, I find solace in her little bookstore, amidst the familiar scent of old pages and her free-spirited laugh. It’s like finding a piece of my soul I leave behind each tour.
This time, for some reason, I notice her smile more, how she bites her bottom lip when she’s deep in thought, and even how cute she sounds when she starts talking about her favorite books.
It’s funny how heartbreak tunes you into the frequency of your heart’s true desires
Maybe it’s time to face the music—perhaps it’s time the boy who always leaves learns what it means to stay.

Gracie
Between the pages of forgotten stories in my parent’s bookstore, I’ve dreamed of wild adventures. Yet, here I am, rooted in place by duty and love for a town that knows everyone’s middle name.
Connor, with his guitar and broken heart, storms back into my life like he always does after every tour, but this time, it’s a plot twist I didn’t see coming.
We’ve spun around each other for years, but now, as I pick up the pieces of his heart, I find pieces of mine fitting together in ways I hadn’t dared to imagine.