Beats of the Heart - Chapter 31: Chapter 31

It was snowing as Miles stepped out onto the sidewalk. However, he couldn't feel the bite of the cold. He had to cut people out of his life for many reasons, including drug use. Even now, it hurt, mainly because he felt he should have taken better care of Trickshot.
He exhaled, letting his breath fog in front of him as he zipped up his jacket and slipped on his gloves.
He considered going straight home but knew everyone was waiting for him. He didn't know if he could face them all just yet. He turned to walk in the opposite direction of his bike, but his steps faltered when he saw Shawn leaning against the cafe's outside wall, waiting for him.
"What are you doing here?"
Shawn smiled warmly and held open his arms. Miles was naturally drawn to his embrace and nestled his cheek against his chest.
"Flux told me where to go," Shawn said once Miles was tucked away in his arms. "What are we doing next?"
"What do you mean?"
"I figured you didn't want to go home yet. Want to walk with me in the snow?" Shawn seemed to know exactly what he needed.
Miles nodded, and they separated slightly. Shawn wrapped his arm around Miles' shoulders, keeping him close, while Miles hooked his arm around his waist. Miles never cared for PDA but couldn't help himself from touching Shawn.
They walked in silence for a while, and Miles' gaze lingered on the Christmas decorations lining the shop windows.
"The kids have been decorating the house," Miles said absentmindedly. "Courtney switched out the Halloween decorations for Christmas on November 1st."
Shawn chuckled. "She would do that."
"I just got used to it but hadn't realized how close the holiday was. This will be the first time I considered celebrating it in a long time." He has shut out the holiday for so long, but now with Danny living with him, he was considering doing something special.
"What do you normally do?"
Miles shrugged and paused in front of a bookstore. "Nan has tried to get me to their Christmas Eve party, but I have avoided it every time because that's not my scene. Eve always tries to have me over for dinner, but I don't like to impose on her family too often. Some years, I just spent the day ignoring the world with a bottle of bourbon and music."
Shawn pulled Miles in closer, unable to find the words to respond.
Miles leaned into him. "My mom and I would have our traditions, though. We couldn't afford much, so our gifts were personal in nature. Handmade items. Baked goods. Music." He chuckled at the old memories. "Then we would play our favorite Christmas albums, starting with Nat King Cole, Ray Charles, and Frank Sinatra. When she got weaker, we kept our music tradition alive."
Shawn kissed his temple. "What was your most memorable gift from her?"
A faraway look was in Miles' eyes. "She handwrote the sheet music for Etta James' Trust in Me. It was her favorite song, and I lost count of how many times I sang it for her."
He felt his eyes dampened because that was the last song he ever sang to her. He covered his eyes for a moment, trying to compose himself. He turned back to Shawn with a smile. "What about you? What do you normally do for Christmas?"
Shawn ran his fingers through Miles' hair affectionately, enjoying how his curls became longer. "I actually go to your Nan's Christmas Eve party."
Miles laughed with a shake of his head. "Figures. We always seem to be orbiting each other."
Shawn chuckled. "Christmas day is a bit different from others I know. My parents never cared for fancy dinners or champagne. They would rather stick everyone in matching pajamas for the day and have the biggest breakfast you have ever seen. My dad will play music in every corner of the house, and we were encouraged to relax."
"Relax?"
"Nannies raised my dad because my grandparents were always working. They never stopped, even on holidays. Especially on holidays. That was when they all had to pose as the perfect family and host black tie events to maintain their social status."
Miles frowned. "That sounds terrible."
"It was. So when he met my mom, she stopped him from going that route. She made him experience the opposite of what he endured. Instead of fancy dinners, she made him have relaxed breakfasts. She cut out the suits and gave him pajamas. She focused on memories rather than business. That tradition only became stronger when they had me."
"I knew I liked your mom," Miles said with a laugh. "That sounds amazing."
Shawn wrapped his arms around Miles' waist. "You and Danny should join us this year."
Miles' heart warmed by the invitation, especially because Shawn included Danny. He had avoided other invitations, even if they were well-intentioned, but something about Shawn's traditions appealed to him. He wanted something like that.
"I'll talk to Danny about it," he said quietly. He looked back at the bookstore. "Speaking of which, I should get him something."
He then pulled Shawn into the bookstore, reveling in the sound of Shawn's laughter harmonizing with the bell on the door.
"I never was able to give Danny a Christmas present openly, but now I can," he explained, not noticing the look of sympathy Shawn gave him. "And I would like to introduce him to new traditions for the day, much like your mom did for your dad. Gift him memories."
Miles breathed in the scent of the old books and grinned. "Now, what would a Literature major like?"
Shawn raised an eyebrow. "All of it."
Miles gave an exaggerated sigh. "That's the fucking truth."
His hands ran across the spines of the books as he wandered down the narrow aisles. He finally stopped at the poetry section. Soon, he had piled collections from his favorite classic poets. However, his excitement bloomed when he found poetry books written by Tupac and other artists he grew up with. He started to add more of his favorites to the pile without thinking, excited to help Danny start his own collection of books. Soon, Shawn had to offer his arms to help carry them all.
As they were checking out, Miles finally realized he may have gone a little overboard. He sheepishly paid and started to shoulder the heavy bags.
"I didn't realize I got so many," he said with a slight blush.
Shawn chuckled and took half the bags. "Thank goodness I have my car nearby."
Miles groaned. "I forgot I was on my bike."
They stepped out of the shop, and Shawn looked upward. "At least it stopped snowing for now. We should get you home before it starts up again."
Miles wavered and tapped his toe on the ground. "Ah. Right." His voice didn't hide his hesitation. He didn't want to end his time with Shawn and face everyone just yet.
"We could head to my place instead. The building has a secure garage to store your bike if you want to go straight over." Shawn suggested.
Miles released a relieved breath. "I would like that."
He helped Shawn load the books in his car and picked up his bike. He followed Shawn through the city traffic until they stopped at a high rise.
The lobby was stunning, and the staff politely greeted them. Shawn stopped at the front desk.
"Mr. Pierce, welcome home," the man in a suit said with a small smile.
"Derrick, this is Miles Mendez. He will be one of my approved guests for the future." Shawn explained.
"Very good, sir. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Mendez."
Miles bristled at being formally addressed. "Please, just Miles."
Shawn chuckled. "Good luck at changing Derrick's habits. I have asked him to call me Shawn since I've moved in."
Derrick laughed politely. "Maybe tomorrow I'll be a little more casual. In the meantime, let us know if you need anything, Mr. Pierce. Mr. Mendez."
Shawn led Miles to the elevator and pressed the button with a 'P' embossed. Shawn had downplayed his housing situation. Miles chuckled. "A condo?"
Shawn shrugged. "Of sorts."
Miles leaned against Shawn as the elevator moved up until it reached the top floor. The doors opened to a small hallway and a door with a keypad. Shawn punched in the code and opened the door.
"The code is 073110," Shawn said. "So feel free to stop in whenever you want."
Miles walked into Shawn's home and was surprised to see how it was soaked with natural light. Windows lined the walls. Unlike Miles' home, Shawn's place was bathed in creams and whites with subtle pops of color.
Miles walked to the windows, looking at the view of the Hudson River. "You always find places with the best views."
Shawn was leaning against the couch, watching Miles. "Only one view matters to me," he said quietly.
Miles turned and smiled. "And what view is that, pray tell?"
Shawn stalked up to him and wrapped his arms around his waist. "You already know it's you."
Miles raised up on his toes and lightly kissed Shawn. "Such a cliche line."
"Sometimes cliches work."
Shawn guided Miles to the couch a pulled him on his lap, wrapping his arms around him. Miles relaxed instantly, resting his head against his shoulder.
"Did you want to talk about it?" Shawn asked, finally breaching the subject of Trickshot.
Miles frowned. "I don't know. It still seems surreal." He curled more into Shawn. "I feel... contradictory."
"You know it was for the best, but still feel guilty for letting him go?"
Miles chuckled. "Yes. Like I failed him. But if I kept him, I would fail everyone else."
Shawn kissed the temple. "I'm going to be a little blunt if you're alright with that."
"Of course," Miles said with a nod.
"Trickshot could have ruined you, your business, your future. One bad employee can burn Dirge to the ground. You did the right thing. It wasn't selfish. It was smart."
"I know," Miles said, but his voice didn't sound like he was convinced.
"You and I have a very specific role. We provide opportunities. We pave the path for our artists, but it is up to the artist to walk it."
Miles sighed. "Basically the 'you can lead a horse to water' expression?"
Shawn chuckled. "Exactly. If you did absolutely nothing, just collected a check, then you failed your artist. Did you do nothing?"
Miles shook his head. He knew what Shawn was telling him. Although he had been repeating this information in his head, hearing it from Shawn meant a lot—not the man he cared for but who ran Aura.
"I gave him every chance Phase or Flux had... more even. When he first signed on, I personally practiced with him and taught him countless scratches." Miles tapped his fingers nervously. "Phase was right when he said Trickshot is heading toward one of two outcomes: prison or a grave. We've seen it far too many times, and I wanted to save him from that."
Shawn kissed him a couple of times. "In the end, Trickshot is a product of his own choices. Still, I think you're an amazing person for trying. Your heart is too kind."
Miles huffed a laugh. "Kind? Sometimes I'm a real asshole. I've been punched several times because I'm a little stringent regarding my sets."
"Considering your success, you have every right to dictate how your sets are run." Shawn sighed lightly. "It's going to take some time to get over the guilt. I struggled with the same thing when I first had to fire someone. But you have to focus on the artists you have now. Give them everything you can."
Miles knew it was true... and he knew that his DJs would best thrive under Aura. He needed another meeting with them to discuss the direction he wanted to go. He hoped they would take it well.
"Last night, you said you were working on a new album. How is that going?" Shawn asked, shifting away from the subject.
Miles was relieved by the change and flushed a little. "It's going well. I have a couple of songs mapped out, and if I continue down this route, I should be done with it fairly soon."
"Another award-winning album?"
Miles sunk into Shawn's arms a little more with a sigh. He was relieved he was able to speak freely about Requiem with Shawn. "I don't know. When I first started to record, I never expected anything to come from it. I was hoping to make enough money to live decently. When I started to become well-known, it became overwhelming. I tried to keep the mindset that I only should make the music that speaks to me... for the most part, I have. But there is always anxiety brewing when I release something. Will they like it? Will it sell? Am I losing my touch? Is this worthwhile?"
Miles chuckled, and a lightness fluttered in his chest. "For once, I don't feel that apprehension. I know I'm making the right decision with my music. I'm creating something special... something significant to me."
That proud look flitted across Shawn's face again. "I would love to hear it when you complete it."
Miles nodded and settled further into Shawn's embrace. They fell into a comfortable silence until the weight of the day's events caused Miles' eyelids to grow heavy, and he fell asleep.
When he woke up, he was in an unfamiliar bed. His tired eyes opened, and he looked around the room, knowing exactly where he was because the room had the same aesthetic as the rest of Shawn's place. He was so comfortable in the bed that he wanted to stay. But the smell of something cooking lured him out.
He walked towards the kitchen, hearing the quiet chatter from the TV. He tried to rub the sleep from his eyes and grinned when he saw Shawn with an apron pulled over his shirt. His sleeves were rolled up as he checked a dish in the oven.
"That smells amazing," Miles said happily.
Shawn chuckled. "I'm glad. I'm not the best of cooks, but I make a decent lasagne."
Miles clutched his hands over his chest. "Be still, my heart."
He walked to Shawn and hugged him from behind. "Sorry, I fell asleep on you."
"Don't be. I took a short nap with you because we both needed it." He turned and planted a kiss on Miles' forehead.
"What can I help with?"
Shawn pointed to a cabinet. "Can you grab some plates?"
Miles kissed Shawn's neck and grabbed the plates. As he was setting them down, the TV caught his attention. It was the local news channel, and a familiar logo flashed behind the anchor.
["In entertainment news, Eclipse Entertainment is again under fire with the accusation of an embezzlement scheme to steal from the company's clients. Sources say that Brian Smith had profited nearly 27 million dollars."]
"Holy shit," Miles murmured.
["Investigations are underway to confirm the validity of these allegations, and no arrests have been made at this time."]
The TV showed a video of Brian pushing through the paparazzi, repeating, "No comment." He looked haggard and furious. Protestors were yelling at him, demanding answers, but he ignored them until he disappeared behind the doors of his building.
["We have asked for a comment from Eclipse's competitors for their take on this. Shawn Pierce, CEO of Aura Entertainment, sent us this statement: "Although my relationship with Brian has soured due to past events, I hope this is a false accusation. It is our job as business owners to protect our artists; however, these charges will harm all that we stand for."]
Miles jerked his gaze to Shawn, who was busying himself in the kitchen.
["As Mr. Pierce had implied, there has been some strife between the two goliath companies, specifically stemming from the scandal from a few years ago. Eclipse's late Remy Walker had stalked and terrorized Aura's Alex Lee. Charges were also brought against Remy's manager, Charles Lane. Mr. Lane is currently serving two life sentences at Five Points Correctional Facility for the murder of Remy Walker and renowned singer Preston Green..."]
The TV was muted, and Miles looked back at Shawn. "You did that?"
Shawn chuckled. "Who else?"
"Holy shit," Miles repeated.
Shawn smiled as he sat down at the table. "This is only the beginning for Brian."