Chapter 10

Sorry this chapter is so lame. Really. I feel bad. But this story needed to move along somehow, even with the boring and lame chapters. Next one will be better. I promise. And...if I get enough reviews, then...maybe some Finchel in the next chapter?

After her encounter(s) with Finn, she felt she was more inspired and motivated to continue songwriting. Sure, it was fun and easy to sing other people's songs, but Carl said she needed to be genuine. And that only ran as far as inspiration did. Which had been at level zero, until she saw Finn at the wedding.

It was refreshing, really. She needed it, both emotionally and physically. And now that she was feeling a lot better, she was back at the piano, with the notepad and pen in her hands.

Once lust has turned to dust

And all that's left's held breath

Forgotten who we first met

What seemed like a good idea's turned into a battlefield

Grinning, she played both the first and the second stanza on the piano, and added the lyrics to it. It couldn't have sounded better. And not only that, but the song meant something to her, and it was her own creation. It was special, and she knew that only she and Finn could ever truly understand the message behind the words.

Taking a sip of coffee, she adjusted her reading glasses on her nose, then rolled up the sleeves to her button down again. Well, Finn's button down, actually.

What?

Just because she wasn't with him anymore didn't mean she couldn't keep one of his shirts, and then…sleep in it, or…songwrite in it. It was perfect on her. Reached just below her butt, and was extremely comfy. Besides, she would give it back when she got back with him.

Because there was no way Finn wasn't going to get back with her. She was doing all of this for him. She literally had quit her life for him. He couldn't just not see what she was doing for him.

'You need to do it for you. Not for me.'

Damn it. She could practically hear Finn in her head talking to her. And that was stupid of him to say that, because she obviously did things for him. Wanted to please him in all that she could. How could he think she would be selfish like that? She practically lived for him. And he wanted her to do it all for herself?

"That's dumb," she said aloud, and shook her head, before taking another sip of her coffee.

We both know it's coming

Does illusion count for something we hide?

The surface tension's about to break

One drop is all it takes to flood out this lie.

Ohh…

Oh, just fucking fantastic. My eyes are leaking.

She wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand, and sniffed. She hated crying. It made her feel weak. And it's been happening a lot since she broke up with Finn. Clearly, the boy was special. The tears now? Were worth it.

The bridge needed a different melody, and she decided to play around with the notes she had already. It took a bit of thinking, but then she eventually got down a sequence, and it sounded well with what the stanzas had.

She couldn't wait to show Carl what she had until now. Maybe she would call him and play it for him. He was going to love her even more now.

At least she was only her way to being recognized for something honorable. Something anyone would love her for. And not just her. Her voice. She talent. And it had nothing to do with her body.

He couldn't get her voice out of his head. It was driving him crazy. It was like sex. The more he had of it, the more he wanted. And that sex had been…mind-blowing. Something he couldn't get out of his head, either. And his body liked to remind him of how awesome it had been, quite a few times a day.

Had to take cold showers to cool off. And when he couldn't get to a shower, he took care of it himself. Just imagined it was her talented hands, and it wasn't hard to get himself to relieve that tension. Now he just wanted to real thing. Rachel.

Wasn't possible at the time, unfortunately. Nor was hearing her voice.

So he settled for just watching the video that got both him and her famous, and a publicist. Really, it all seemed too surreal. But it wasn't a dream. No way could it all be a dream. It felt too real. All of it.

He contemplated calling her, but that would make him seem like he was the one caving. How was she supposed to learn anything if he gave up on trusting that she would come up victorious at the end of it? Obviously, he wanted to take her back. And he really wanted to do that now. But he couldn't.

She'd quit her job for him. Why would she do that? He didn't want her to do that. And especially not for him. That just proved that she was in need of more help that he thought. She needed to do things for herself. To see herself through his eyes. If only she could. She would be seeing quite a lot for such a small person.

Sighing, he leaned back in his seat, and listened to her sing "Chasing Cars" again. He would never get tired of hearing her voice.