Melody of the Heart

Ellie Parker had a love-hate relationship with the radio. It was her constant companion during late-night study sessions and long shifts at the bookstore, filling the silence with upbeat tunes and quirky DJ banter. But sometimes, it betrayed her—like the time it played Liam Carter's hit song The Girl Who Got Away while she was trapped behind the register with nowhere to hide.

She hadn't been prepared for it then, and she definitely wasn't prepared for it now.

Ellie was driving back from campus, the windows of her aging Honda Civic rolled down to let in the crisp autumn air. The golden hues of falling leaves blurred as she cruised down the familiar backroads, her mind drifting between class schedules and her ever-growing to-do list. She reached for the dial, intending to switch to a podcast, but froze when the opening chords of a song she knew all too well poured through the speakers.

It was their song.

Her breath hitched as Liam's smooth, velvet voice filled the car, singing the words she couldn't hear without being transported back to high school.

"She was the spark I didn't see,

A fleeting moment, wild and free.

The one I lost, the one I miss,

The girl who slipped through my fingertips."

Ellie's grip tightened on the steering wheel. She'd heard the song countless times since its release two years ago, but this time felt different. Alone on the road, with nothing but Liam's voice and the fading daylight for company, the lyrics hit harder.

She remembered the night Liam first played the melody for her, back in that musty old music room after hours. He'd been struggling to write something for the school talent show, and Ellie—his reluctant English tutor—had been roped into helping him brainstorm.

"You're good with words," Liam had said, his lopsided grin making her heart skip a beat. "Help me out, Parker."

She'd rolled her eyes but stayed, sitting cross-legged on the floor while Liam strummed his guitar and hummed nonsense lyrics. It wasn't long before the melody took shape, and though the words had been rough, the emotion behind them had been unmistakable.

Now, the polished version of that same song was a worldwide hit, its lyrics transformed into a confession of regret and longing that made Ellie's chest ache.

As the final notes faded, the radio DJ's voice broke through, jarringly cheerful.

"And that was Liam Carter with The Girl Who Got Away, still topping the charts after two years! Can you believe he wrote that about someone from his high school? Talk about romantic."

Ellie nearly swerved off the road.

"What?" she muttered aloud, her heart racing.

The DJ continued, oblivious to the chaos he was causing in her car. "In an interview last year, Liam hinted that the song was inspired by a real person he knew before he got famous. Of course, he didn't name names, but fans have been speculating ever since. Is she the one who got away? Or maybe the one who got him started?"

Ellie's stomach flipped. She pulled over onto the gravel shoulder, her hands trembling as she turned off the radio. The sudden silence was deafening, broken only by the rustling leaves and the distant hum of passing cars.

Could the DJ be right? Could Liam have written the song about her?

It seemed impossible. Sure, they'd shared a few meaningful moments back in high school—study sessions, late-night talks, a single, unforgettable kiss—but that didn't mean she'd left a mark on him. Liam had always been destined for bigger things, while Ellie had faded into the background, just another face in the yearbook.

And yet, the song's lyrics felt so personal. The way Liam described "the spark he didn't see" and "the fleeting moment" echoed their time together.

Shaking her head, Ellie forced herself back onto the road. She couldn't let herself go down this rabbit hole. Liam Carter was a rock star now, a man whose life revolved around flashing cameras and screaming fans. He probably didn't even remember her name.

Later that evening, Ellie found herself sitting cross-legged on her dorm room floor, surrounded by her old journals. She hadn't touched them in years, but tonight, they called to her like an unfinished conversation.

She flipped through pages filled with messy handwriting and doodles, pausing whenever she came across an entry about Liam. There were more than she'd expected.

May 12th: Tutored Liam again today. He actually remembered to bring his homework this time, which was shocking. He kept drumming his fingers on the desk, though, like he was writing a song in his head. I wonder if he even realizes he's doing it.

June 3rd: Liam played me a song he's working on. It was rough, but there was something beautiful in it. He said he wanted to write something that felt real. I don't think he knows how real he already is.

July 20th: Prom night. He kissed me. I don't know what to do with that memory. It feels like a dream I'll never have again.

Ellie closed the journal, her chest tightening. Back then, she'd been a shy, awkward girl who never thought someone like Liam could truly notice her. Now, she wasn't much different, except the world had changed, and Liam had become a star.

She leaned back against the wall, her mind spinning. If the song really was about her, why hadn't Liam ever reached out? Did he regret their time together, or was he just too busy living his new life to think about her?

Her phone buzzed on the desk, pulling her from her thoughts. It was a text from Sara.

Sara: "Turn on Channel 5. Now."

Curious, Ellie grabbed the remote and switched on the tiny TV in the corner of her room. A live entertainment segment was playing, the screen dominated by Liam's face. He was sitting in a sleek studio, looking every bit the rock star with his leather jacket and effortless charm.

"So, Liam," the interviewer said, leaning forward with a sly smile, "the fans are dying to know—who's The Girl Who Got Away really about?"

Liam chuckled, his voice low and warm. "Ah, the million-dollar question. Let's just say she's someone who meant a lot to me. Someone I'll never forget."

Ellie's heart felt like it had stopped.

The interviewer pressed on. "Come on, give us something! Was she your first love? A high school sweetheart?"

Liam hesitated, his expression softening. "She was... someone who saw me before anyone else did. Someone who believed in me when I didn't even believe in myself."

Ellie turned o

ff the TV, her pulse pounding in her ears.